"The 300-mile journey to Anufrievo from Moscow takes twice as long as the...READ ON
"The 300-mile journey to Anufrievo from Moscow takes twice as long as the journey New York to Moscow, both in time and psychic adjustment." Margaret Paxson
Alexei Gromov (left) and Vasili Semyonov chat on a dirt road in Anufrievo....READ ON
Alexei Gromov (left) and Vasili Semyonov chat on a dirt road in Anufrievo. Vasili is known as the first villager to leave the Communist Party.
From my bed in the Gromov's living room I watch Kissa, their cat, stare out...READ ON
From my bed in the Gromov's living room I watch Kissa, their cat, stare out the window amongst potatoes being readied to be planted.
Zoya Malashyna (right) and other villagers of Anufrievo prepare to plant potatoes.
If the potatoes are harvested too early, they can be small; too late and they...READ ON
If the potatoes are harvested too early, they can be small; too late and they can rot. It's a complex guessing game.
Maria Vasilievna Ivanova washes her rug in the lake next to the village.
Villagers honor the dead with food, drink, and impromptu dancing on Troitsa,...READ ON
Villagers honor the dead with food, drink, and impromptu dancing on Troitsa, or Trinity, a Russian Orthodox holiday that was observed in rural Russia even during Soviet times.
A woman prepares to pour vodka to honor the dead. Each family I photographed...READ ON
A woman prepares to pour vodka to honor the dead. Each family I photographed insisted that I drink a shot to honor their dead.
A man at the Anufrievo cemetary mourns the recent death of his father.
Villagers hop a ride on a truck back to Anufrievo after Troitsa.
Galia and Tolya Pavlovy dance infront of their house after a day of drinking during Troitsa.
After drinking more toasts than I could handle at the cemetery, I laid in the...READ ON
After drinking more toasts than I could handle at the cemetery, I laid in the grass only to later turn and find Galia and Tolya frolicking within feet of me. I pulled out the camera and managed to shoot one frame.
Young Yegor Diashov cools off in Anufrievo's lake.
Villagers celebrate the harvest.
A wedding couple bring their car to the village to celebrate with family....READ ON
A wedding couple bring their car to the village to celebrate with family. Hardly anyone in the village owned a car.
Family members pose with the wedding couple.
Children of the Rogov family gather raspberries.
Sveta (at far right) and other children dance on Elijah's day in the village clubhouse.
Alexei Gromov sharpens his scythe as he prepares to cut hay.
The Rogov clan builds a haystack. The cold and rain in July made hay-drying...READ ON
The Rogov clan builds a haystack. The cold and rain in July made hay-drying impossible and August cannot be counted on for sun or heat. Rogov called this summer the worst in 20 years.
Alexei Gromov prepares to fish in the lake behind their house.
Food in the winter depends on what they are able to grow in the summer.
Heavy snow can cut off the village from the outside world for weeks at a time.
Ludmila Ivanovna heads out to the lake to fish. Fish from the lake provide an...READ ON
Ludmila Ivanovna heads out to the lake to fish. Fish from the lake provide an important food source for the village during the winter.
The village horse is let out to gallop through the snow.