Harry Gruyaert

Moscow 1989-2009

During my first stay in the USSR in 1969, I expected to discover communism, and I found Dostoïevski and Gogol.

In 1989, shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, I saw a society that was frozen and ossified, which no longer knew which god to turn to.

Suddenly a palette of unknown, washed-out, muted colors were offered to me, the image of this universe which existed between two worlds.

In 2009, the choice of an aggressive capitalism and frenzied consumerism imposed itself: flashy advertising invaded the public space. But the ‘Russian soul’ still dominates; there is not much greater feeling of freedom.

Harry Gruyaert

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