Sergei Stroitelev

Photographer
  
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Nationality: Russian
Biography: I am a freelance photographer and visual artist working with National Geographic Russia, VICE UK/USA, De Volkskrant, Takie Dela, Meduza, Novaya Gazeta, others. My photographic practice primarily focuses on the exploration of the issues of modern... MORE
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Copyright Sergei Stroitelev 2024
Updated Mar 2022
Major earthquake happened in Nepal on the 25th of April 2015 (7,8 magnitude) taking more than 9,000 lives and injuring more than 23,000 people. I was covering the aftermath of this terrible natural disaster for Getty Images agency, but this series has been my independent creation.

On the 6th of May I found the door with the sign "Welcome" on the debris of a house destroyed by tremors. I stood in front of it absolutely shocked as I imagined that a happy family lived behind it, had guests, loved each other and their children. They could not imagine that the next day everything they cherished would be destroyed by the forces of nature which are impossible to control. This was the door leading to nowhere, but a pile of stones.

In the most badly hit areas of the country (Bhaktapur and Khokana) I found a lot of other personal and household items which belonged to the people affected by the disaster. These items struck me as tombstones to the casualties buried under the debris. These are very simple objects which can be found in any house in any country of the world. It resonates with me that the nature can turn anything to ruins wherever we are, whatever we are.

Notwithstanding 21st century technologies we still fail to properly predict the earthquake and its magnitude and that is the most terrifying fact.



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