Anton Polyakov & Anna Galatonova

Mahala

In the early 1990s, when the Soviet Union was about to collapse and Moldova proclaimed its independence, one of the regions of the Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic decided to go another way. Self-proclaimed republic of Transnistria is an approximately 200-km-long sliver of territory along the left bank of the Dniester river running between Moldova and Ukraine. For over 27 years the republic has had an indefinite status, none of the countries recognizes the transnistrian independence except Abkhazia, South Ossetia and Nagorno-Karabakh which are also unrecognized republics. During this time, the whole new generation, which identifies itself as “Transnistrians,” was raised. 

It’s common for the village, that young people organize a farewell party before they go to the army for a year.

The bar is one of the few places in the village where young people can meet and relax in the evening.

Rotar village

For villagers who own at least one cow there is a rule of taking turns of herding the common herd.

Most of the youth in the villages are doing agriculture. Dima is walking across the corn field to weed his vegetable patch.

Rotar village. Children waiting for the cows to come back from the pasture in the evening.

The protagonists of story are young people who live in the rural north of Transnistria. It seems at first that they have an idyllic life in the midst of rocks and hills covered in thick woods. They have a close relation to earth, nature, and farm animals, they are used to hard labor and love their native land. However, except the fact that their state is unrecognized, there is one more problem — the village is dying out. There are very few paid jobs, entertainment, or growth opportunities in their villages. That’s why at some point young people have to choose: stay in the village or leave their home to look for a better life. 

Makeshift tree house in acacia planting. Rotar village

Camenca is a small town 12 kilometers away from Hristovaia village. Young people come to the town stadium several times a week to take part in sports.

Many buildings in the villages remind of the Soviet past, but they are rarely used now. The inscription on the building is the greeting “Welcome” in three languages, which are official in Transnistria: Ukrainian, Moldavian and Russian.

The title for story — Mahala — was borrowed from the local dialect of Moldavian. This word names an isolated part of the settlement populated by people who are generally friendly towards each other and feel that together they form a kind of a community. Our protagonists are also living their own secluded lives, are separated from the rest of the world and form a community that in the general sense is “mahala”: they have known each other their whole life, help each other with farming, celebrate holidays and grow up together.

Middle school graduation day in Rotari. The graduation class has only three people. Unlike in the city schools, in the villages children have no option to go to high school. This is because the number of children in rural areas is too low.

In the northern villages of Transnistria there is still the tradition of burning fires on top of the hill on Easter night. But for many years in a row instead of firewood and thatch people have been using old automobile tires. This tradition has roots in the pagan beliefs where the fire symbolizes purification. But now this is just an excuse for the youth to gather and drink some homemade wine.

From an early age Vasya helped his parents about the house, after school he got a job as a watchman of the dilapidated agricultural enterprises and receives about $ 50 per month. His elder sister left her home long time ago to start her new life in Kiev. Now he and his mother work on the farm and occasionally Vasya goes to work to Kiev, where together with his sister they cook pizza in the restaurant. Despite of fact that in his village there are no special prospects, Vasya never complains about life in the village and loves it for beautiful nature.

In spare time, mostly in the evenings, the guys get together to play football in the school yard.

Yura, 21 y.o. All his life he lived with his parents in Hristovaia village. He dreams to serve in the army and then work in military structures, but because of his health problems he has to stay in the village and seek another path. For many young men from the villages army is the only way to start their life outside the village.

Alyosha and Yura are sitting under the flag of Transnistria.

Bio

Photographers Anton Polyakov & Anna Galatonova (both born in 1990) are among the first generation who identify themselves as “Transnistrians”. Their date of birth coincides with the date of establishment of the Republic of Transnistria, a small country between Moldova and Ukraine, that isn’t recognized anywhere. They both graduated from the Transnistrian State University, Anton – studied Geography, Anna – journalism. Currently photographers are interested in the topic of historical and cultural memory in the region in which they reside, as well as younger generation of people who were born in the unrecognized republics after the collapse of the Soviet Union: the question of their personal identification, the influence of the uncertain status of the country and what they face in their daily lives. 

Related Links

anton-polyakov.com