Aleksey Kondratyev captures the beauty and the daily life of an area that, for the photographer, is resisting economic and social currents and is defined under its own terms.
The series titled Formations, reveals the curiosity of the land situated between Russia, China, and the Middle East. As a part of the former Soviet territory, the area is in continuous process of reinventing itself since 1991. Its inhabitants gradually cease to speak Russian, in favour to communicate in English or Chinese.
Atheism propagated by the Soviets caused that the greater part of the population is secular now, yet more and more people begin to practice Islam. Changes can also be observed in a visual dimension. Next to the Soviet architectural legacy, brand new buildings inspired by Dubai and Shanghai design are built. Fascinated by this peculiar space, Aleksey tried to create a photographic narrative of this region which would confront its historical legacy with still-undetermined future.
