Kolomna Kids: A Generation

In 2000 and 2001, as part of my project in the Kolomna community of St. Petersburg, Russia, I gave cameras to about 70 local kids and invited them: "photograph what is important to you". I worked with 5 clubs (an art club; a break dance group of lads; an after school girls club called IDEAL; a young seafarers club; and a kids arts studio) and an orphanage housed in a former tsarist palace.

To me, revisiting these images was like opening up a matyroshka. These film scans are a nesting doll of colours, featuring elements iconic and other subjects from a wide world of surprises that exists in the process of growing up and, time and again, unpacking and aligning those memories later in life.

K O L O M N A   K I D S   L I N K

Red

The idea of giving kids a voice with a camera wasn't new. While at university, I had brushes with Wendy Ewald's innovations. She worked with children and their photographic "dreams" all around the world.  Her work helped earn herself a "genius" award and many other accolades. 

Ms. Ewald was connected to the Center for Documentary Studies (CDS) in North Carolina c. 1990, and I studied through the CDS myself. On occasion, my prints shared chemical baths with Wendy's in campus darkrooms, but we weren't acquainted. Wendy was the model and hero of many of us aspiring photographers.

This post is inspired by 2020's 40 year anniversary visit of Wendy's work with Kentucky school children, including a PBS documentary and a book. 

If 20 years makes a generation, then these Kolomna Kids photos are 2nd-gen after and an homage to Ms. Ewald's works.

Today, what do you see? I am interested in your feedback.