Путь жизни бесхитростен в своём ежеминутном явлении, до минуты, путь этот завершающей и всю скорбь любви обнажающей. Время копит любовь, превращая бесхитростность предшествующих минут в откровение бытия человеческой души, облачённой в покров плоти и крови, воедино слитой с просторами обетованных ей земных пределов, и удел этот возделывающей.

Как не надеяться на предназначение жизни человеческой, каждой из её минут, ставших вечными в воплощённых светом любви негасимых её образах? Как не верить предстающему перед нами в этих образах свету истины?

Ho scoperto la fotografia e lo sguardo di Misha Maslennikov durante il festival di fotografia etica a Lodi, quest’anno. Era stato esposto il lavoro “The Don Steppe”, riassunto in sole 14 immagini. L’occhio di Misha vede ciò che non si può dire, e rende visibili quegli elementi originari da cui l’uomo stesso deriva: lo spazio, l’infinito, il bianco, l’ombra. Grazie a una pulizia formale e una raffinatezza nelle inquadrature che gli sono proprie, pare compiere il suo gesto profetico con leggerezza incomprensibile, quasi angelica. L’infinito spazio che gli uomini che vivono nella steppa hanno negli occhi e portano in giro con sé rivive e si riflette nelle immagini che Misha cattura per fissarle per sempre.

Il bianco e nero e la sintesi estrema sono gli strumenti compositivi che maggiormente risuonano nel suo modo di fotografare, rendendo le immagini delle vere e proprie casse di risonanza capaci di creare un’eco infinita, riuscendo a colmare coi suoi riverberi lo spazio vuoto e sterminato che gli si stende attorno.

Excellent body of work — every photograph speaks volumes: tenderness, humor, sadness, pure joy… basically life in all its aspects.

I dont remember if I have ever witnessed such engaging photography before. This is contemporary photography at its best, an amazing journey that takes us into a world that few of us have ever experienced nor likely ever will.

I wish I had your talents and the opportunity to attempt such an in-depth and touching documentary photography. Maybe one day… still trying to find my voice, my sanity as I attempt to process all the shit that has left us in the bleak future we all face.

Misha does an extraordinary job documenting the people, life, culture, and magical world of the steppe with his poetic black and white photography. His work reminds us that the urban and digitized world that many of live in today is just one of many on this vast planet, and that the people he photographs are closer to the ageless struggle of human existence than many of will ever experience in our 21st century lives.

Misha Maslennikov takes pictures not only in the Altai, but throughout Russia: in the villages near St. Petersburg, along the Volga, in the Don Cossack settlements, the northern lands of the Chukchi.

His method is time-consuming: he moves into the village for weeks, lives and works together with the locals, and only rarely takes out the camera. Most pictures are extremely simple. In their focus there is one single face, figure or animal, and the rest of the image is blurred or insignificant. This figure, however, always radiates such an intense beauty that you feel: well yes, it is no stunt to capture well such a perfect face.

Probably this is what time is necessary for. The photograph must gradually discover the different kind of perfection of each face, so that when he takes out the camera, the image is already living in him. As if what we see in the picture, were not conveyed by the picture’s visual means — which seem to be almost unexisting — but directly from the figure’s personality. As a final stage of simplicity, the photo eliminates itself.

Descubrir el trabajo fotográfico de Misha ha sido toda una sorpresa, me ha llevado a diferentes partes de mis recuerdos.
Mi primera impresión fue sentir que estaba viendo fotogramas de Andrei Rublev o algún film de Bela Tár, el uso de las luces y los contrastes, lo humano de su mirada me han atrapado inmediatamente.

Misha es un excelente observador que plasma una cultura que para mí, es muy lejana. Mediante su fotografía ha logrado transportarme a esa parte del mundo que tanto he consumido en películas y literatura. Estoy muy agradecida por la oportunidad de entrevistarlo y por tan magnífico trabajo.

LensCulture will announce the results of the Art Photography Awards 2021 today, and I’m delighted to tell you that you are one of the finalists!
Congratulations! Feel free to share this excellent news with all of your friends, fans and networks. With best wishes and cheers, on behalf of the jury and everyone here at LensCulture.

I look at your photos and I see a wonderful interaction with the people you photograph and a close influence with Andrei Tarkovsky’s photos.
Congratulations, Misha

Through Misha’s exciting series of photographs, we can take a look at the lives of groups of people living in isolation on distant steppes, adventuring in space and time with the authenticity of documentary photography.
The faces and quiet melancholic moods of man flashing in a prehistoric environment are thought-provoking, the photographer’s personal visions in our rapidly globalizing world.

Sto qui a guardare la sua serie di immagini e rimango incollato allo schermo, attratto da colori e grigi di una fotografia antica e ormai introvabile. Le sfumature che riproducono temperature e atmosfere che credevo confinate soltanto nei film di Bergman e che ora ritrovo nei volti dei personaggi e nelle ombre delle foto di misha. Sono affascinato dalla sua tecnica e dai suoi tagli drammatici delle scene… forse la mia è soltanto sana invidia!

'In different regions, the nature is beautiful in its own way. From time immemorial, people have lived in harmony with nature.'
Misha Maslennikov who I was lucky enough to interview for The Calvert Journal, looking at his many projects shot in the Russian countryside.

When I got to know Misha's work, I was deeply moved. The warmth that emanates from the relationship between photographer and subject, whether elderly adults or children, is only available to some. And Misha is one of them.

An amazing artist whose vision is sincere and captivating. It creates a sense of longing and of nostalgia. It stirs deep feelings and evokes long forgotten emotions.

Mr. Maslennikov, I salute you. Your work is really beautiful. Russian photography continues to fascinate me — mostly due to work like yours. Anyway, God love you and I hope to enjoy more of your work in the future. So — not to go on for too long — a huge thank YOU for proving that real human photography is still alive. Best regards, Stephen.

Your photography is a window into the Russian culture, religion and spirit. You have a unique gift to be able to capture feelings that are genuine and real and it's a privilege to have the opportunity to experience your work. I really admire what you're doing!

One should have a deep insight into these art works of orthodox views so simple and pure as heaven… “gong de wu liang” say Chinese buddhism. Beautiful and impressive. Sincere Congratulation, from a foreign photograph friend far away from you but near by spirit.

Excellent your photos, I wish one day dreamed and impossible to know that up close.

Since the time i saw your first image i was ecstatic with the power you have to paint with light and the emerging poetry of your images; “Beauty is truth, truth beauty, that is all ye know on earth, and all ye need to know”. John Keats

Delighted to have 'The Don Steppe' featured in the BarTur Photo Award this year under Faces of Humanity (Series) theme. The judges were very impressed with your project.

The BarTur Team would like to take this opportunity to thank you for submitting your work, and we really appreciate the work that you are producing.