Title: (Гост) n Hope
Year: 2021
Size: 2044 x 2067px
Technique: Digital

Description
The faded patterns of (Гост), a symbol of quality guarantee by the USSR, applied over and over onto the matryoshka act as a symbol of comrades, who could do very little under the totalitarian state, and ‘accepted’ the new, continuously depreciated, ‘standard’ over and over again, as there was little they could do about it. In such extreme conditions, hope and belief are the only assets individuals could rely on. Some chose to blindly believe in the government as a supreme essence (which was easy, given three main things: ban of religion, the lack of free communication with the west and the grand side of the USSR), which was exploited, was let people survive thought the dictatorship.
Despite the difficulties, my granny always spoke softly of the USSR, remembering the personal happy moments. Rugs on walls romanticize nostalgic poverty and cosiness of the USSR, show-ing the heroic adaptability under the dictatorial state.
Inspired by my heritage and understanding the power of hope, how it can lead to grave and create consequences, I chose to direct my belief into the proactive direction of liberty and hap-piness.