Andrei Shapran. The Winners of the First Museum Photobiennale of the State Russian Museum

In 2009 the Russian Museum for the first time initiated the large scaled The First Russian Museum Photobiennale exhibition project. According to the professional jury's decision the 3 prize-winners of the competition were appointed: Andrei Shapran (Novosibirsk), Oleg Kaplin (Moscow), Tatiana Zubkova (Krasnodar). According to the conditions of the project each of the photographers achieved the opportunity to hold the solo exhibition in the halls of the Stroganov Palace. The first of these exhibitions presented by the Russian Museum is the exposition of works by Andrei Shapran - professional photographer, the member of the Union of Photo Artists of Russia, the participant and winner of many regional, Russian and international photo competitions and festivals.

The solo exhibition of Andrei Shapran presents several theme series from the Far Lands project. The photographer began working on this project in 2005, after the journey to the Far East, in the area of South Kuril Islands. Later there were the journeys to the Kamchatka and north-east of Chukotka. Shapran lived in the national villages side by side with deer-breeders, hunters, fishers. The result of these photo expeditions is the impressionable visual row, illustrating everyday life of the northern people and completing the following series: Kamchatka. Nomads, Chukotka. Whalers, Chukotka. Hunting on the Walrus, Funeral at Chukotka and others. The photographer wrote the impressions of his journeys in his travel diary. Its fragments are also presented at the exhibition and organically supplemented the photo works. The specific philosophy of life of the native population of Far North was formed by extreme climate, geographic isolation, scanty vegetation, permanent neighborhood with the wild animals. Civilization had affected their life superficially. And exactly this life had found expressive and versatile reflection in the works by Andrei Shapran.