I began this project in 2020, during the pandemic, while living in St. Petersburg near the former residence of Gumilyov. As an avid photographer, I accumulated some photos and videos using various devices. Initially, I had no clear concept for these images, but over time, a theme emerged. This project became an exploration of Gumilyov and St. Petersburg.
The project centers on several themes: nature’s indifference paired with its beauty, the city of St. Petersburg as a monument to the unfulfilled European project in Russia, and the horror of Gumilyov's execution.
His death, and the figures surrounding it, evoke a sense of pervasive evil in the city—an atmosphere heightened by St. Petersburg's turbulent history, especially from 1917 onward under Soviet rule.
Key figures in Gumilyov's story include two Soviet agents: Yakov Agranov, who interrogated him and pushed for his execution, and Evgeny Yakobson, who signed the order. Both were executed in 1938. Their roles, like Dantes with Pushkin and Martynov with Lermontov, add a dark, almost demonic layer to the narrative.
The project returns to images of nature—indifferent yet majestic—symbolizing both Gumilyov’s origins and his return to it. Nature, while detached, possesses a tranquility and eternal peace that contrasts with the brutality of human actions.
