The feeling of being a child

The now-small village of Tiksi holds many cherished memories for photographer Evgenia Arbugaeva, who recently returned to her hometown in Russia.

During her trip, she documented the town through the eyes of a 13-year-old girl she met, who reminded her of herself as a child.

In the days of the Soviet Union, Tiksi was an important military and scientific base.

People came from all over the country, some driven by employment opportunities, and others driven by a romantic dream of the far North.

As introduction implies although the town is very far north and surrounded by vast expanses of tundra, there was an abundance of beauty.

After the fall of the USSR government stopped financing it’s Northern projects and many little towns were left to their own survival.

“In 1991 my family, along with many others, boarded the windows of our home and left for a bigger city. I was 8 when we left, and ever since then I have never been able to forget Tiksi.“ - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“The scenery, the colors, and the moments of pure childhood imagination made a lasting impression on me. I have always wanted to be that little girl again.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“Last winter and fall for the first time in 18 years I went back to Tiksi. The scenery was still there, but the town was nearly abandoned.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“I met Tanya, a young girl who reminded me of myself when I was a kid.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“Tanya had a similar fascination with the sea and the tundra, and a similar urge to explore her environment.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“Soon after meeting Tanya, she told me how much she admired Jacques-Yves Cousteau (the red hat is a tribute to her hero).” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“Tanya quickly became my friend and my guide to Tiksi.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“In the fall of 2012, Tanya’s family – just like my own 18 years ago – will leave Tiksi behind. They see no future in the small town and plan to move to a larger city.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“On a personal level I want to document my connection to Tiksi.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“With my new friend Tanya as a subject, I want to capture Tiksi, both the way it really is, as well as the way it exists in a child’s imagination.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“With other projects I have a fear of making images too pretty, but for this project I abandon that fear.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“I want these pictures to be like postcards—nostalgic postcards from the imagination of a young girl in Tiksi.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva

“On a more general (but related) level, I want to capture the universal feeling of being a child, it seems that photography shares a great deal with the spirit of a child’s imagination:…

…the ability to see the extraordinary in the ordinary and sometimes even sad things.” - Evgenia Arbugaeva