On The Way to Happy Marriage by Anna Shulyatyeva

Anna Shulyatyeva lives and works in Kotlas (Russia). Since 2017, a Member of the Union of photographers of Russia. She studied on the courses "Photojournalism and documentary photography" and "Post documentary photography and other media" at the School of Modern Photography Docdocdoc (St. Petersburg).

In modern Russian society, where there is a cult of youth, beauty and overconsuming, old people are left behind. The aged person is associated in the collective consciousness rather with poverty, disability and abandonment then with welfare, peace and love.

Anna decided to find out how these stereotypes correspond with the reality and carried out a photographic research on romantic relationship between people over the age of 60. She became the silent witness of characters’ dates in cafes, parks, at dance floors of “culture centers”, at their homes. Some of them are in relationship with each other already for some time, for the others the captured date was the first one. All our characters live in a small town called Kotlas, in Arkhangelsk Oblast. Sweets, games, long walks, dancing are interchanging at a steady pace like recurring rituals. These things can hardly be explained by age logic. Our characters fall in love, face various difficulties, sometimes break up - in other words they are well on their way to fulfillment of their dream of happy union.

The widower Yuri is shaving before going dancing with his girlfriend. A while ago he lived in the residential home for the elderly, now he shares a flat with his sister however they are on bad terms. He loves Galina, but Galina lives with her daughter’s family that is against new roomer in their small living space.

Margarita puts on a make-up before a date with Vasily. That will be her first date after her husband died half a year ago.

In the club “Oktyabr” Yuri and Galina snack after drinking brandy poured into plastic bottle because no own alcohol is allowed in the club.

Margarita and Vasily are dancing waltz to the accordion accompaniment. Everybody is fond of live music here.

Polina is going on a date

Yuri asked Galina to a slow dance and wants to kiss her.

Ludmila and Pavel having rest during a walk along the evening park. After a while they broke up – Ludmila can’t take her mind off her last love.

Antonina and Nikolay are playing card game “Durak”. They know each other already for many years and began to date after both became widowed. Antonina and Nikolay often spend time playing card games or watching TV.