In a Ravine

The project is about the life of homeless people in a ravine in a park in a prestigious Moscow district. This is a spontaneous illegal camp with the elements of commune where about 12 people live constantly. People are here for different reasons. Some of them have relatives in normal houses near the park. When the project started there were 6 tents here made of the accidental materials from the dumps. The police demolish the camp periodically, but the camp arises again. The money is mostly earned by the selling of recyclable materials collected in dumpsters (non-ferrous metals, aluminum cans, glass bottles). The food is obtained from dumpsters, where shops throw away the products which are about to expire.

Kostya in his tent
20.04.2015. The tent of Boris. The inhabitants of the ravine called his tent "cottage" due to the large size. Later it was demolished during the next police swoop in July 2015.
The view from the tent of Boris to the house where his father lives.
Alexey (one-eyed), nicknamed Cyclop and Sniper.
Boris and Kostya drink and play backgammon during the birthday party in ravine.
Volodya has always a guitar. Guitars deteriorate quickly from poor living conditions. People here use to eat from one utensil.
Valya washes the dishes, Sasha prepares the tea. The inhabitants of the ravine share with each other the food found in the trash. In particular, they share the perishable products, especially if they got a lot of it and it should be eaten fast.
Valya and Sasha. Sometime the folding bed near their tent was used both as a bed as well as a bookcase.
Kostya checks the garbage container trying to find something useful on the way to the slop-container of the grocery store.
Sasha takes water for the "technical needs" in the river flowing in the ravine.
The inhabitants of the ravine shoot with the phones the helicopters returning from the parade in honor of Victory Day on May 9, 2015. They give the phones for charging to friends or charge it where two inhabitants of the ravine work as street cleaners.
Kostya is waiting for the shop to throw out the products which are about to expire.