Ethnographic field studies of vernacular photography
Olena Martynchuk
In 2021, anthropologist and researcher of visual practices Olena Martynchuk spent two weeks on an expedition near the northwestern border of Ukraine and Poland. Elena collected stories and family photos of the residents in an area with a complex historical context bordering Poland and Belarus. It was curious, for example, to find many pictures of tourists in the photo albums of families living near the Shatsky Lakes. Photos of people whom locals have seen once or twice in their lives have become part of their family albums. And in the villages near the western border, Polaroid cameras were widespread thanks to the proximity to Poland.
The book consists of eight chapters corresponding to the names of localities in the Volyn region: Omelne, Pidmanov, Zalissya, Koshari, Rymachi, Rivne, Zaporizhzhya, and Shatsk. It is based on more than 300 photographs and 13 conversations with residents.
Information about the project was taken from an article by Zaborona media outlet
Design and layout: Didyk Katia
Design and layout: Didyk Katia
