The Year Twenty Twenty-Two

The book features 56 photographs taken in Russia following the onset of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. The photographs cover various aspects of political life in Russia from February 2022 to August 2023. Finding himself in the position of an outsider in his own country, the photographer observes Russia’s shift from a simulation of democratic rule to open dictatorship, militaristic hysteria, and persecution of dissidents and minorities— all unfolding in a matter of months. Inspired by August Sander’s Faces of Our Time, this project seeks not only to document the political landscape under dictatorship, but also to explore the underlying psycho-social dynamics within the country. By focusing on people living under Putin’s regime, the project aims to shed light on how dictatorship and war have taken root, while also socially and psychologically identifying those who support and those that resist the war. The book includes portraits of far-right activists supporting the invasion, anti-war protesters, and photographs of both pro-government events and anti-war rallies. Denis Skopin is a Russian scholar and photographer. Jailed for anti-war activities in 2022 and then fired from St. Petersburg University, he has been based in Berlin since January 2023. Skopin’s research and teaching interests range across photography studies, political philosophy and history, with a focus on photographic practices and circulation of photographs under dictatorships and authoritarian regimes.