Kirovsk

The city of Kirovsk in the Murmansk Region. I first came here to go downhill skiing in 2022. I was struck by literally everything here. The local resort, “Khibiny,” is known for its steep slopes and lack of vegetation. The mountains here attract tourists, provide jobs for miners, shape the landscape for life, and create challenging weather conditions. The environment here is harsh and bleak. The city is surrounded by a vast industrial zone formed by the local enterprise “Apatit.” Building new housing here is practically impossible for a number of natural and environmental reasons. Year after year, the population here is declining.

The album features photographs taken in winter and autumn. This approach was chosen to demonstrate the human habitat not only under harsh winter conditions but also to show that life does not become any easier without snow. The photos cover the central district and the working-class district of Kukisvumchorr. There are also several images taken on the slope of Mount Aikuaivenchorr. Despite the extremely harsh living conditions, the people here are friendly and welcoming, and the children smile just as brightly as in other regions of Russia. The city is a key destination on the map for Russian alpine skiing, thanks to its infrastructure featuring extreme slopes. The album includes images of the “modern development” of the Kukisvumchorr working district. I leave it to the viewer to assess the impact of the “new.”

My relationship with this city is like visiting a thrilling “haunted maze” attraction. The fading urban landscape is literally hemmed in on all sides by mountains, which both sustain and drain life from it. Humans also influence the mountains—they literally eat them away. It turns out that here, the interaction between humans and the environment takes the form of a confrontation. Humans consume the mountains, which create difficult conditions for survival. This is what makes this place unique. I was also struck by the huge number of garages. They form entire streets here, and all sorts of things happen inside them. The characteristics of the mountainous terrain dictate their own rules for getting around the city. Stairs are an integral part of the urban infrastructure. They shorten the route but require more effort, as the slopes here are steep. All of this greatly complicates the perception of the environment. The emotions are complex, but I gladly return to them again and again. I’m not fooling myself; I have no faith in the development of such areas. As long as there are mountains—there is mining—there are people—there is life. Enjoy the video.

Filming dates: March 2022, March 2023, September 2024