The end of the czar. Lenin. Stalin. WWII and the Cold War. Independence.
The people of the former Soviet Union not only witnessed the great events of the past century, they lived them. The good, bad, and the inconceivable, they lived through it all.
What was it like? What is it like when a revolution occurs through your backyard? When in your lifetime you see the passing of two great empires? What does freedom feel like after a life of closed borders?
In April the oldest woman in the world was confirmed in the Republic of Georgia. She was 120 when she died over the summer of 2002. 120. That is almost twice the span of the Soviet Empire. When she was born, her country was controlled by the Russians. When she died, she died in an independent nation.
After hearing about her story, I became interested in talking to more people like her. Georgians have a great legacy of long life and I wanted to speak with people over the age of 80; people who have experienced two great transitions: from monarchy to communism and from communism to democracy. Through this project I hope to capture the essence of how ordinary people experienced the Soviets and how the past decade has affected them.
Interviews will eventually be included with each portrait.
I welcome your comments and suggestions.