The flea market in Samgori

The flea market in Samgori is an example of an authentic, old-fashioned bazaar familiar since childhood years to many people who grew up in the former Soviet Union.

Time is frozen there, allowing a glimpse into the past.

This effect is created both by the objects on display: antiques, toys, old household appliances, and by the market's structure itself - something spontaneous and as if temporary.

By creating portraits of the vendors in their environment, I tried to show their uniqueness and authenticity.

The act of photographing was completed by an exhibition that I organised in the same space. These moments when the images appeared on the walls of the market and became an additional object of attention for passersby. However, the viewers of my spontaneous temporary exhibition were primarily my characters, and the exhibition itself was a way of communicating with them. However, this experiment also created an opportunity for a real immersion into the atmosphere of the past and present of the place.

Visitors walking by the photographs stopped to scrutinise each portrait of the vendors. These photos attracted them not only because of their artistic side, but also for the opportunity to view the market and the vendors behind the stalls through the photographer's gaze. This created a unique atmosphere of interaction between the photographer, his/her subjects and the viewers.

The vendors became not only objects of attention, but also participants in the dialog initiated by the photographer.

Author/photo: Vladimir Mozgalev
Video/editing: Boris Gaisner
Music: Missisippi Landscapes «Приятная композиция»
Design: Vasiliy Kondrashov