The creators of the “Belarusian Traditional Interior” project, which is compiling a comprehensive archive of photographs of Belarusian interiors and their elements, have announced the release of their first book, “Traditional Interior. People.” It presents rural interiors through photographs of the interiors themselves, portraits of the protagonists, as well as images of bedspreads and towels, the sacred corner, and embroidery, alongside life stories of nine residents of different generations from across Belarus.
“This is the story of 80-year-old Dzied Kasмач from near Valozhyn, who was healed with holy water and prayers during Soviet times, when religion was banned; and of the world-famous Baba Katia (Katsiaryna Alyakseyeuna Panchenia) from the village of Pahost, about her fate and her house-museum, which has done so much for traditional culture and endured so much grief through the loss of her sons,” writes Andrei Liankevich, a photographer who has documented rural interiors in Belarus for many years. “These are also the stories of sisters Vera (who cannot walk) and deaf-mute Mania Nikanovich, who lived together all their lives without experiencing love; and the story of 90-year-old Nelya Mikhnavets, so fond of pigeons that she embroidered them in perhaps 50 different variations; and the incantations of healer Vera Yakauleuna Tsarykevich, who treated even doctors with whispers, curing both erysipelas and snake bites; and a young Shatsyor family, who have assembled one of the largest collections of bedspreads and embroidery in a village house near Maladzechna; and the late Alena Mikitaŭna Muzychenka, who lived without electricity or utilities in the Chernobyl-affected village of Bartalameyeŭtsy, where she returned after resettlement to a city apartment.”
The book also includes two texts: one by curator Hanna Karpenka about the photographic project and archive “Traditional Interior,” and another by folklorist Tatsiana Valodzina on the distinctiveness of Belarusian interiors.
The book comprises 272 pages in English and Belarusian. It features a vivid colour design and personal stories of Belarusians. The price is expected to be around 60 euros or 200 Belarusian rubles.
To determine how many copies of the book are needed and in which locations, readers are asked to leave a pre-order via the following link.