A collection of household archives, private observations, and moments captured throughout generations by photographer Elena Serafimova. Serafimova was born in Borisov, Belarus in 1986. At the moment, Belarus was nonetheless a part of the USSR. Her childhood coincided with the collapse of the USSR and the interval of transition to Belarusian statehood thereafter. Serafimova’s creative follow usually returns to themes of Soviet legacy and the attitudes which have influenced particular person personalities and identities. “Within the shadow of an outdated apple tree” asks what the dacha actually means to a contemporary, post-Soviet particular person. The mission can be an try and manifest reminiscence—to seize escaping moments of peace and discover an area of sanctuary that continues to supply shelter to a brand new era:
“In the course of the Soviet period, the dacha was excess of a plot of land; it was an autonomous island of freedom. It supplied an important escape from overcrowded communal flats, industrial cities, and inflexible state management. Inside their designated 600 sq. meters, households turned absolutely the masters of their very own realm—deciding what to plant, how one can construct, and when to water. Whereas cultivating the earth was important for survival throughout exhausting winters, it additionally offered psychological independence—a uncommon alternative to disconnect from the state and concentrate on rising one thing pure, actual, and self-made. I spent my childhood at my grandmother’s dacha, and people occasions stay my most cherished reminiscences. Years later, this inherited backyard returned to my life. At present, as exterior pressures tighten as soon as once more, we flee to the place the asphalt ends—hiding behind the inexperienced curtain of the forest to search out non permanent salvation. To be collectively, to face nonetheless, and to recollect who we actually are.”
Elena Serafimova participated in our 2026 E book Award open name and made our shortlist.
