Russia in Square; Rough Draft (set of 2 books)

Why publish photographs that have already been published and are freely available online? I see two reasons.

First, the events of this year bring to mind a troubling thought that the aforementioned «free access» is a fragile phenomenon and depends on the political agenda. Of course, the likelihood of Instagram being blocked is low, but we cannot completely rule out such a scenario. In this regard, I would like to preserve the long-term photo archive in a reliable, analog format.

Second, I want these images to remain with those who see a part of their life in the photographs. Because this is a part of our history. This is our childhood in the sleeping outskirts, our neighbors on benches near the entrances, familiar streets of our cities, and, of course, ourselves. As a photographer, I am flattered by recognition abroad, but, to be honest, my dearest and most beloved viewers are those who recognize something familiar in these pictures. Those who, like me, feel a connection, remember the past, or guess the present. They are my most important viewers. And it is for them that this album is made.»

The second album «Rough Draft» features selected photographs from Instagram, taken by Markov with a mobile phone from 2013 to 2017 in different corners of Russia. Telling the story of each shot individually is problematic for various reasons, so I decided to write only one story - my own.

Basically, all these plots can be summed up in several short hashtags, and I hope my story will help to understand why I have been fascinated by social work and documentary photography for over 10 years.