The Things we Carry With Us
Leaving home is a transformative and powerful experience, and the very same can be said of coming home.
But what of the time between?
I pursued my education in multiple nations and languages, delving into diverse cultures and customs. However, there was always a piece missing. I was adding new layers and experiences to my worldview and identity. But what was at the core?
One day, I flinched away from a black cat that crossed my path. This reflexive movement made me laugh—and then reflect on the superstitions and rituals that formed in my childhood, passed on orally over countless generations.
It all boiled down to the following question. Why did I carry these superstitions with me?
I interviewed a psychologist to explore the human tendency to align with superstitions and traditions. Were these essential components of a cultural identity? Her insights were fascinating. She asserted that identity is hidden in a deep inner well. It is not a simple task to unearth and recognize it. It simply exists free of our observation, cut into various compartments such as self-identity, national identity, sexual identity, folk-identity, and more.
Superstitions are a way of weaving all those layers of folk-identity together. They stimulate our oldest thought structures, the parts of our mind that are fond of magic, rituals, and patterns.
As you explore The Things we Carry, please click on the photos to reveal the history and meaning behind each superstition.
Crew
Photographer: Alisa Vvedenskaia
Models: Maria Bolshakova, Anna Vasilievna Bolshakova, Arina Egorcheva, Alisa Kubanzeva
Assistant: Natalia Vvedenskaia
Psychologist: Uliana Polianskaia
Digital Editor: Andrey Ryssev
Copy Editor: Connor Smith
Locations
Art School: Children’s Art School number 1 named after S. Prokofiev
Museums: Arka Gallery, State Museum Reserve of the History of the Far East named after V.K. Arsenyev, Art Stage, Ginseng Museum
Puppet theatre: Primorskii Regional Puppet Theatre
Restaurants: Supra, Pena Cafe, Sista Feels Cafe
Souvenir store: Lab Vip Art