My project explores the dacha as a cultural phenomenon deeply rooted in the collective consciousness of people across the post-Soviet space. In Russia, a dacha is much more than a country house or a plot of land. It is a distinct cultural code shaped by different historical periods and ways of life — from aristocratic country estates and peasant cottages to the small Soviet garden plots that helped families put food on the table.

Where Summer Lives is a declaration of love for the dacha culture of the Moscow region and its simple, imperfect way of life. I see the dacha as a marker of cultural and family identity. Through images of everyday life, I explore a space where the memory of several generations, a connection to the past, and a sense of inner freedom are preserved.

Today, I see the dacha as a vanishing world. Its traditional seasonal way of life, with vegetable gardens, summer houses, and family rituals, is in decline, giving way to the comfort of modern houses designed for year-round living. I photograph a world that still exists, but is changing and gradually disappearing.