Abstract
"In 1945, my grandfather and his brother escaped from a prisoner-or-war camp in Kaluga, Russia, and crossed over 2,200 km on a quest to return home. As fugitives - the walked only at night, and avoided contact with people at all cost. They slept in turns, deep in the forest, watching over each other, and dressing each other's wounds. Surviving on berries, mushroom or an occasionally stolen cabbage, they endured extreme hardship and weather adversity.
Yet throughout the journey, their determination and their brotherly bond kept them alive and kept them going.
Three months later, in November 1945, they were eventually reunited with their family in Wroclaw, Poland.
In the summer of 2013, I retraced their epic journey and documented it from the perspective of a fugitive - staying Clear Of People. I found myself standing in the exact spots they once stood, and searching for signs of their presence. And as I walked silently for days, the landscape gradually absorbed me, offering a glimpse into some kind of past, some kind of collective memory. At times I pretended we were walking side by side.
The journey took me from Kaluga, Russia, across Belarus, Lithuania, to Wroclaw, Poland, where my grandfather, Anatol, had found home and lived to be 92. His younger brother, Wiktor, died in September 2014. It was his written diary that allowed me to retrace their journey step by step.
Exhibited at:
Post-War Stories, Tbilisi Photography Festival, Georgia, 25/9/15- 6/10/15
Post-War Stories, Kaunas Photography Gallery, Lithuania, 21/11/14 - 14/12/14
Yet throughout the journey, their determination and their brotherly bond kept them alive and kept them going.
Three months later, in November 1945, they were eventually reunited with their family in Wroclaw, Poland.
In the summer of 2013, I retraced their epic journey and documented it from the perspective of a fugitive - staying Clear Of People. I found myself standing in the exact spots they once stood, and searching for signs of their presence. And as I walked silently for days, the landscape gradually absorbed me, offering a glimpse into some kind of past, some kind of collective memory. At times I pretended we were walking side by side.
The journey took me from Kaluga, Russia, across Belarus, Lithuania, to Wroclaw, Poland, where my grandfather, Anatol, had found home and lived to be 92. His younger brother, Wiktor, died in September 2014. It was his written diary that allowed me to retrace their journey step by step.
Exhibited at:
Post-War Stories, Tbilisi Photography Festival, Georgia, 25/9/15- 6/10/15
Post-War Stories, Kaunas Photography Gallery, Lithuania, 21/11/14 - 14/12/14
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 2015 |