visual culture and identity coming from post-
communist countries,’ she says.
Given that the post-Soviet condition is still in its
mid-twenties, youth culture and the broader working
out of identity in the post-Soviet space are intimately
linked and carry a special weight and interest. ‘For
young people, the question of a shared post-Soviet
identity is huge. We have shared memories, certain
shared struggles, a cultural heritage, but we also yearn
to connect simply on a human level.’
The fact that people even talk about youth culture
in these areas, as opposed to griping about entitled
millennials, is instructive. Something different and
distinct is happening. ‘In many places in Eastern
Europe, youth culture retains the joy of making it up
as you go along. There is a great sense of community,
and potential to create a whole separate universe that
exists in parallel to the mainstream. There is also a
unique urban romanticism, which comes through in
a lot of visuals in the show – it’s about reclaiming the
seemingly bleak places and making them your own.’
Beyond the testaments of post-Soviet youth, there
are also landscapes in the show; not blasted or desolate
but shabbily alive. Scraps of gritty riverside become
beaches and ranked tower blocks misty white cliffs.
‘This environment could seem oppressive, but it also
becomes your playground,’ says Fedorova. ‘Capturing
the essence of the place is not about documenting it,
it’s about creating a new kind of romanticism, your
own mythology. There is a certain air of wandering into
the unknown – hardly a safe space, yet enchanting.’ ∂
‘Post-Soviet Visions’ is at the Calvert 22 gallery from
23 February-15 April (calvert22.org ). See our May issue for
a special section on the New East’s creative revolution
‘What is marked in the works is not nihilism
and despair but improvised opportunity’
∑ 135