Soviet Seasons

In Soviet Seasons Kotov's photographs reveal unfamiliar aspects of the post-Soviet terrain. From snow-blanketed Siberia in winter, to the mountains of the Caucasus in summer, these images show how a once powerful, utopian landscape has been affected by the weight of nature itself.

This uniquely broad perspective could only be achieved by a photographer such as Kotov. Singularly dedicated to exploring every corner of his country, Kotov often hitch-hikes across vast distances. On these journeys he chronicles not only the architectural achievements of the Soviet empire, but also its overlooked or simply undocumented constructions.

Arseniy Kotov: 'In this book I reveal the beauty and diversity of this vast region, showing both cities and nature at different times of the year. I have travelled widely across Russia and its neighbouring countries, where I captured the landscape of post-Soviet cities and witnessed the seasonal changes.'

About the Author

Born in Samara in 1988, Arseniy Kotov grew up in an urban landscape consisting of standardised Soviet-era housing blocks and industrial towers. He has been taking photographs of city landscapes since he was a teenager. At the age of 25 he decided to hitch-hike across Russia and then on to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Ukraine. During 2016-20 Arseniy Kotov visited all of the post-soviet republics, where he photographed more than two hundred cities.