"Land is the most important thing for a Cossack. How can he live in Moscow?"

Interview by Oleg Kusov. Exclusively for VK

 

Interesting interlocutors are always welcome guests on "Vestnik Kavkaza". Oleg Kusov gives the chance to speak to everyone who will appear among the guests in studio. Conversation with them is not only about the Caucasus. A half-hour conversation over tea flies quickly. The show "Take My Word" publishes the conversations in video, audio and text formats. Today our guest is photographer Ella Nasonova. 

 

- Traditionally, at the beginning of the interview we talk about the Caucasus. When was the last time you were there? What was most memorable thing for you on this trip? 

 

- Just a few months ago. In April, I was lucky enough to come to the Golden Fang Film Festival. I can talk for ages about it, because it was a very exciting trip. 

 

- About the festival as well as the Caucasus? 

 

- Absolutely. The Caucasus for me is more than a word, because I was born and raised in Rostov-on-Don. This city is the gate to the North Caucasus. It is home to a great number of nationalities, I am very familiar with their traditions. After visiting Ossetia, Vladikavkaz where the festival took place, I noticed that the architecture of the old town there was similar to the architecture of Rostov-on-Don. Each of us who were at the festival felt deeply the meaning of real Caucasian hospitality with traditions, receiving guests, toasts, treats and speeches. I was under the impression and I still remain in this state. It is a very unique city, very beautiful. The people are a different story. The people are very emotional, very kind, very hospitable and welcoming. We were greeted as if it was not our first time there, I am telling the truth. Each of us left a piece of our hearts there when we left. None of us wanted to leave. We had no idea how we were going to live here now, in this vain huge Moscow. 

 

- Have you looked at Vladikavkaz with your professional photographer's eye? What did you think about this city, what have you discovered there?

 

- The city is not very old, it is quite young. One could feel that its traditions and people, their upbringing were centuries-old. They have managed to maintain them and carry them through the ages... 

 

- What do you think about Moscow?

 

- My Moscow is beautiful. I think that it is the most beautiful city in the world. 

 

- That is, there is a lot of work for artists here? 

 

- There is tons of it. I love Moscow by night, when it is lit, when everything sparkles and shines, at dusk, when the sky is not dark yet, but lights are already on. This is the perfect time for taking photos. I go out, preferably alone so that no one bothers me, dissolve in the city, try to capture the mood, try to show it in my photographs. I have a lot of night photos.

 

- Where can one find your work? 

 

- On my website. Unfortunately, I do not upload many of them. Perhaps because I lack time. I show my work to those who are interested. I take part in exhibitions. I am thinking about a personal exhibition, but I am not in a hurry, because I believe that one needs to do a solo exhibition not just for show, but in order to tell and show what one has experienced, what one truly wants to show. It comes with time. I took part in some collective exhibitions in the Russian Art Week. But this is my attitude to a solo exhibition - at the moment I just don't want to share it with anyone. 

 

- You are also participating in contests, right? 

 

- Yes, I am the winner of many international contests. 

 

- Tell us about the most prestigious and interesting one for you. 

 

- I participated in a contest for the first time in 2012, in the Russian Week of Photography. My work took third place. It had a very simple and succinct name - "A Cossack." The third place was very symbolic for me because I am a Don Cossack. 

 

- Is this your theme? 

 

- Yes, today Cossacks are a very important topic. 

 

- A fashionable one. 

 

- Right. It wasn't fashionable in the 1990s. Back then the descendants of the Cossacks who had died earlier tried to revive something. It was a repressed, persecuted people. It is not recognized. 

 

- Were they a people or a class? 

 

- A people. 

 

- Do you insist? 

 

- I do insist, because if you research the history, you can find a lot of facts that prove it. If in the 1990s people believed that there would be something real, now, as you have rightly pointed out, the theme has become very fashionable, even too popular. I'm very hurt by it, and my photo was not an accident. This photo portrays a Cossack of the XXI century. The Cossack has no face, his horse looks in the lens. Looking at the photo, you can see immediately who is depicted in the photo - it is an easily recognizable image, it is a Cossack. He has an earring and a horse next to him, but the Cossack does not have a face, because this is today's situation. There is the glory of our ancestors, an easily recognizable image, which the Cossacks try on when they put on our national dress, but there is nothing inside. 

 

- There is a form, but no content. 

 

- Yes. The Cossack does not have a face, that is, he does not face the problems. In fact, Cossacks in the past and nowadays are completely different things. It is very sad. 

 

- Was there any feedback on your work? 

 

- There are a lot of Cossack organizations. Of course, everyone was happy. This work received the main feedback at that contest... I felt that we were not the only ones who were concerned with this topic, but also people in general as well. The jury consisted of about 20 people from different European countries, they know about this problem, everyone knows Cossacks. They also thought it was interesting, that is, these problems do not interest only Cossacks. This photo was published also in Cossack journals. Yes, this was an important event in our little Cossack community. 

 

- How important is the Cossack theme in your work? This is very interesting, because you know the problem from within. 

 

- I'm taking a lot of photos, I am interested in it. Along with it there is a real Cossack life. 

 

- Is there? There are some songs by Rosenbaum. Does the Cossack lifestyle really exist? 

 

- There are Cossacks on the Don. Land is the most important thing for a Cossack. How can a Cossack live in Moscow? Cossacks are nourished by land, rivers such as the Don, the Kuban, the Terek and other rivers on which the Cossacks settled. As a Don Cossack I'm talking primarily about the Don. It's about the smell of sagebrush, of the steppe, the sound of the Don River - all of it is there. Our people from Rostov do a lot for the Don Cossacks. For several years there has been the Shermitsii festival. It is a traditional melee between Cossacks, and Cossacks from all over Russia come to take part in it. You should go there to see what real Cossack brotherhood means.

 

- Have you been there? 

 

- Yes, I try to go there. 

 

- Can we see photographs from it somewhere? 

 

- Yes, photographs are available. There are a lot of interesting events associated with the life and traditions of the Cossacks. Young Cossacks are subject to the rite of infant initiation - the mounting on the horse where they become men. Cossacks can be put on the horse starting from the age of three. All this happens with ceremonial songs. Weapons and a cap are given to him while songs are heard. His godfather holds the horse by the bridle. I have a photo which featured in a contest. It captured a father who has already taken his son off the horse, when he is already considered a man. From that moment on women do not participate in the upbringing of the boy. He has become a man and he will be around men. The father kisses him on the forehead. It is a very touching kiss. There are many Cossack traditions, they are observed, maintained, people try to live with them. It is harder to do it in a city, in a metropolis. But here people gather, organize festivities, celebrations. Everything in Cossack life follows the Orthodox calendar. 

 

- What do you think about the fact that Grigory Melikhov in the movie by Sergei Bondarchuk was played by a foreign actor? 

 

- To be honest, I have not seen this film, because it is not the same as the movie by Sergei Gerasimov.

 

- But you have seen it? You have an idea about it?

 

- No, I've seen only parts of it. There are certain classic images which can hardly be competed with. Sergei Ursulyak is now filming "And Quiet Flows the Don". Many of my friends are involved in the filming of the movie, we all hope that the film will be good. We are looking forward to its release. We believe in it and really want to see it.

Interview by Oleg Kusov. Exclusively for VKInteresting interlocutors are always welcome guests on "Vestnik Kavkaza". Oleg Kusov gives the chance to speak to everyone who will appear among the guests in studio. Conversation with them is not only about the Caucasus. A half-hour conversation over tea flies quickly. The show "Take My Word" publishes the conversations in video, audio and text formats. Today our guest is photographer Ella Nasonova. - Traditionally, at the beginning of the interview we talk about the Caucasus. When was the last time you were there? What was most memorable thing for you on this trip? - Just a few months ago. In April, I was lucky enough to come to the Golden Fang Film Festival. I can talk for ages about it, because it was a very exciting trip. - About the festival as well as the Caucasus? - Absolutely. The Caucasus for me is more than a word, because I was born and raised in Rostov-on-Don. This city is the gate to the North Caucasus. It is home to a great number of nationalities, I am very familiar with their traditions. After visiting Ossetia, Vladikavkaz where the festival took place, I noticed that the architecture of the old town there was similar to the architecture of Rostov-on-Don. Each of us who were at the festival felt deeply the meaning of real Caucasian hospitality with traditions, receiving guests, toasts, treats and speeches. I was under the impression and I still remain in this state. It is a very unique city, very beautiful. The people are a different story. The people are very emotional, very kind, very hospitable and welcoming. We were greeted as if it was not our first time there, I am telling the truth. Each of us left a piece of our hearts there when we left. None of us wanted to leave. We had no idea how we were going to live here now, in this vain huge Moscow. - Have you looked at Vladikavkaz with your professional photographer's eye? What did you think about this city, what have you discovered there?- The city is not very old, it is quite young. One could feel that its traditions and people, their upbringing were centuries-old. They have managed to maintain them and carry them through the ages... - What do you think about Moscow?- My Moscow is beautiful. I think that it is the most beautiful city in the world. - That is, there is a lot of work for artists here? - There is tons of it. I love Moscow by night, when it is lit, when everything sparkles and shines, at dusk, when the sky is not dark yet, but lights are already on. This is the perfect time for taking photos. I go out, preferably alone so that no one bothers me, dissolve in the city, try to capture the mood, try to show it in my photographs. I have a lot of night photos.- Where can one find your work? - On my website. Unfortunately, I do not upload many of them. Perhaps because I lack time. I show my work to those who are interested. I take part in exhibitions. I am thinking about a personal exhibition, but I am not in a hurry, because I believe that one needs to do a solo exhibition not just for show, but in order to tell and show what one has experienced, what one truly wants to show. It comes with time. I took part in some collective exhibitions in the Russian Art Week. But this is my attitude to a solo exhibition - at the moment I just don't want to share it with anyone. - You are also participating in contests, right? - Yes, I am the winner of many international contests. - Tell us about the most prestigious and interesting one for you. - I participated in a contest for the first time in 2012, in the Russian Week of Photography. My work took third place. It had a very simple and succinct name - "A Cossack." The third place was very symbolic for me because I am a Don Cossack. - Is this your theme? - Yes, today Cossacks are a very important topic. - A fashionable one. - Right. It wasn't fashionable in the 1990s. Back then the descendants of the Cossacks who had died earlier tried to revive something. It was a repressed, persecuted people. It is not recognized. - Were they a people or a class? - A people. - Do you insist? - I do insist, because if you research the history, you can find a lot of facts that prove it. If in the 1990s people believed that there would be something real, now, as you have rightly pointed out, the theme has become very fashionable, even too popular. I'm very hurt by it, and my photo was not an accident. This photo portrays a Cossack of the XXI century. The Cossack has no face, his horse looks in the lens. Looking at the photo, you can see immediately who is depicted in the photo - it is an easily recognizable image, it is a Cossack. He has an earring and a horse next to him, but the Cossack does not have a face, because this is today's situation. There is the glory of our ancestors, an easily recognizable image, which the Cossacks try on when they put on our national dress, but there is nothing inside. - There is a form, but no content. - Yes. The Cossack does not have a face, that is, he does not face the problems. In fact, Cossacks in the past and nowadays are completely different things. It is very sad. - Was there any feedback on your work? - There are a lot of Cossack organizations. Of course, everyone was happy. This work received the main feedback at that contest... I felt that we were not the only ones who were concerned with this topic, but also people in general as well. The jury consisted of about 20 people from different European countries, they know about this problem, everyone knows Cossacks. They also thought it was interesting, that is, these problems do not interest only Cossacks. This photo was published also in Cossack journals. Yes, this was an important event in our little Cossack community. - How important is the Cossack theme in your work? This is very interesting, because you know the problem from within. - I'm taking a lot of photos, I am interested in it. Along with it there is a real Cossack life. - Is there? There are some songs by Rosenbaum. Does the Cossack lifestyle really exist? - There are Cossacks on the Don. Land is the most important thing for a Cossack. How can a Cossack live in Moscow? Cossacks are nourished by land, rivers such as the Don, the Kuban, the Terek and other rivers on which the Cossacks settled. As a Don Cossack I'm talking primarily about the Don. It's about the smell of sagebrush, of the steppe, the sound of the Don River - all of it is there. Our people from Rostov do a lot for the Don Cossacks. For several years there has been the Shermitsii festival. It is a traditional melee between Cossacks, and Cossacks from all over Russia come to take part in it. You should go there to see what real Cossack brotherhood means.- Have you been there? - Yes, I try to go there. - Can we see photographs from it somewhere? - Yes, photographs are available. There are a lot of interesting events associated with the life and traditions of the Cossacks. Young Cossacks are subject to the rite of infant initiation - the mounting on the horse where they become men. Cossacks can be put on the horse starting from the age of three. All this happens with ceremonial songs. Weapons and a cap are given to him while songs are heard. His godfather holds the horse by the bridle. I have a photo which featured in a contest. It captured a father who has already taken his son off the horse, when he is already considered a man. From that moment on women do not participate in the upbringing of the boy. He has become a man and he will be around men. The father kisses him on the forehead. It is a very touching kiss. There are many Cossack traditions, they are observed, maintained, people try to live with them. It is harder to do it in a city, in a metropolis. But here people gather, organize festivities, celebrations. Everything in Cossack life follows the Orthodox calendar. - What do you think about the fact that Grigory Melikhov in the movie by Sergei Bondarchuk was played by a foreign actor? - To be honest, I have not seen this film, because it is not the same as the movie by Sergei Gerasimov.- But you have seen it? You have an idea about it?- No, I've seen only parts of it. There are certain classic images which can hardly be competed with. Sergei Ursulyak is now filming "And Quiet Flows the Don". Many of my friends are involved in the filming of the movie, we all hope that the film will be good. We are looking forward to its release. We believe in it and really want to see