remains of soviet life

KYRGYZSTAN | Friday, 11 January 2013 | Views [348] | View Smaller Image

My grandparents just have each other, and rely only on each other in all daily tasks. This typical hairdressing scenario is a tender yet utilitarian moment between the two. My grandfather is by no means a hairdresser and the resulting hairstyle is usually haphazard and ragged. This shot was taken as my grandmother was giggling and telling him not to clip her neck or ear again.

My Grandfather (Cholpon-ata in rural Kyrgyzstan). He makes homemade vodka from a large flask full of fermented jam, and drinks it warm. He drives at breakneck speed, ignores police, tells war stories, plays chess and has a street named after him because he once had a bet with the town mayor. He also saw Americans for the first time since WWII in August 2012.

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My grandmother prepares everything in bulk, in this image the winter supply of handmade noodles is in progress. She spends a day and 44 eggs to make enough of a pasta stockpile to last all winter. She has a true squirrel nature, and the basement is stocked with enough preserves, pickled watermelon, compotes and other produce to last at least 6 years. When she kills a chicken, she automatically places it at the back of the freezer for later, and instead chooses an elderly specimen, which has been in frozen for a long time. On one of my first visits, I discovered a chicken that had been in the freezer for 5 years.

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remains of soviet life

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