Soviet Seasons

by Arseniy Kotov

In Soviet Seasons, Arseniy Kotov reveals unfamiliar aspects of the post-Soviet terrain in sublime photographs. From snow-blanketed Siberia in winter to the mountains of the Caucasus in summer, these images show how a once powerful, utopian landscape has been affected by the weight of nature itself.

Genres: Photography, Art

241 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2021

Reviews

[Virginia Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

The photos were stunning, particularly those of Georgia and Pripyat, Ukraine. It was also interesting to read the excerpts from Soviet-era writings about each region. However, knowing that the book was published after the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the 2008 Russo-Georgian war, some of the explanations of the photos read a little oddly to me. The book isn’t setting out to be political, but the way it elided much reference at all to these conflicts (aside from alluding to “the Georgian civil war”) WAS political. It’s weird to see regions that have been politically disputed and violently invaded, presented visually as if none of that happened.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Took me a few weeks to get into because it started off a little too similarly to his previous book, Soviet Cities. But once I got into it, I enjoyed the wider variety sights photographed.

4.5 stars

[John Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Tracy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved the photography, learned a lot from the detailed descriptions of each photo. I liked the organization into seasons -- winter and fall were my favorites. Fantastic collection.