USSR, forgotten vestiges of the soviet Empire. Torture in the russian army, the battle of the mothers. Trip in Russia, Saint-Petersburg. Description du site et mots clefs:

VESTIGES OF THE MOST POWERFUL ARMY IN THE WORLD. Abandoned Soviet listening centre, abandoned Soviet military base 6000 assembled defense anti-tanks blocs, ruins of a nuclear missile shelter, one site of Moscows anti-missiles shield, fuel centre for missiles, bombes on a training centre, military vehicles on a former military ground, gas masques in a military base, communication material in a bunker, Communists Parti's headband abandoned in a military barrack, military airport, cemetery for fighter pilots, paratrooper, fresco details in a nuclear missile centre. 'Soldier and Child' of the sculptor Voutchevitch - symbol of the Stalingrad Victory. 2005.Cornice in former SS 20 missiles base.'Driver ! Get behind the wheel of your combat post.' 2004. Esplanade monument to the glory of sub-marine sailors.

THE LOST PARADISE OF THE USSR: Military tanks base 'The polygone',Soviet Marine base, 'Without initiative neither a soldier nor a sailor is capable of winning a contemporary war', Cultural Palace - shut down since the end of the USSR, a factory, aircraft shelter bearing marxits and leninists slogans, portrait of Felix Djerzinski in the theater of one KGB base. Soviet Posters, school materials, negatives, portraits of the members ot the Politburo and generals. Statue of Lenin. Woman living in the ruins of a kolkhoz. Emblem of the 1980 Olympic Games - only deco of the kolkhoz. Factory of the MOSKVITCH Cars. An heavy industrial complex Cultural Palace - today transformed into a gymnasium.International holiday centre for communist youth.A 1988 fresco of a former Communist Party university.Military instruction material put away in a school loft.Second World War Monument.

TORTURE IN THE RUSSIAN ARMY - THE BATTLE OF THE MOTHERS. In Russia the military service is compulsory lasting two years with a yearly quota of 300 000 draftees. Corruption existing at all levels facilitating well to do offsprings to circumvent this obligation. In order to fill the quota of draftees a type of 'wild west' chase is effectuated by the militia chasing potential draftees in the underground, on the streets even in universities. For all these young men military service is a nightmare that we can't imagine in today's democratic armys. An estimated 3 000 draftees perish yearly within the military compounds – and out of action. Selected draftees are beaten close to death by their commanding officers who remain unpunished, others are sold as forced labour – reminiscant of the slave trade. Decay and despicable standards incites draftees to internal violence – weaker ones subcoming to their stronger peers. These morally contemptile surroundings incites an ever growing number of desertees and inhanced by the Chechen war. During the last couple of years an association has been established in order to assist and rescue some of these victims and to endeavour to curb an to put an end to the existing system. The co-founder of the organization SOLDIERS MOTHERS OF SAINT-PETERSBURG Madame Ella Poliakova together with volunteers aim to denounce and expose these atrocities, to contact the desertees families who would otherwise risk being found, be judged and sent to correctional battalions. Mohers of disappeared sons who have been drafted have only this organization to turn to for assistance to find them dead or alive. Russian Military barracks.Draftees starting their military service in the Russian marine.A Russian draftee accepts to talk – and confides to Ella Poliakova. Beaten and trashed Roman suffers from severe chronic stomac pains. Althought he has seeked medical assistance he remains untreated. Thanks to the non governmental organization, Roman is now a free man.Victor has testified of excessive violence as well as sexual abuse. During a military unit hearing – despite of the presence of several mothers as well as a solicitor, Victor did not confirm his testimony.Soldiers outside a Military Prosecutor's Office building. When a soldier has the courage to complain, in 70% of testimonials the procurator does not send the cases to a judicial inquiry for allegedly 'lack of evidence'. It is very dangerous for a draftee to return to barracks after he has denounced a crime.Sacha, after having endured trashings on both arms needed surgical intervention. He was only treated for the left arm...'Dedovshina' is a particular brand of violence frequently used in Russian military units. The images are taken by the attacker serving his military service in Regiment 5402 MVD (Ministry of Interior) Saint-Petersburg. This violence emerged in the 80's and since does not increase. It is encouraged as an under-hand tackticle by commanding officers in order to maintain a low cost discipline. The degree of this violence largely depends on each units commanding offcers.A miraculous tale of Return From The Dead. Serguei is listening and writing the Alexander story. Alexander was shot in the head, fell in a deep coma lasting two months and underwent several serious and potentially life threatening surgical interventions. He's now convalescing. The commanding officer of the responsable unit (# 01480 Petechenge, Murmansk region) abbempted to camouflage the crime by telling Alexander's comrades that he had died by committing suicide. Hospital of the Military Academy of Medecine. Officially 'suicide'.Igor's corpse being returned to his parents by the Russian army. Fifteen days before being discharged from army Igor was found hanging in a forest nearby his unit.Death, ensuing 'dedovshina' is often masked as a suicide or an accident.Vladimir – after having been stalled by the Militia (Russian police) and caught was instantly sent to a military unit – without any prior medical and aptitude tests – subjected to severe beatings Vladimir attempted to commit suicide. His mother joins him at the Russian military procurators interrogation.Valentina from the Moscow region, has travelled to Saint-Petersburg in order to trace her son who disappeared three months ago. The Russian police will not intervene in military cases. The media was allerted in order to appeal for any witnesses to come forward – so far he has not been found.Parents of two draftees discussing in front of the Psychiatric Unit of the Military Hospital 442. A father is waiting to meet a doctor. To obtain a 'reformation' for military discharge largelly depends on the cost and price of the right 'stamp'. This will demand several 'meetings' between the father, doctor and officer.Ella Poliakova manager of SOLDIERS MOTHERS SAINT-PETERSBURG on way to visit a Military Prosecutor's Office that is contiguous with compound where langursh out of use armoured tanks. Stealthily in the archives room of the Military Hospital 442. When visiting military compounds she takes every opportunity to approach draftees to listen to them, to inform them their rights. Parents who assists them to resolve their problems with the army. Soldatski materi holds weekly seminars and meetings to inform Russians of their Civil Rights.Nonna assists Victor, draftee whos has deserted his military unit due to harassment and violence in preparing his case.Following a TV broadcast prooving violence in their unit the commanding officers of Regiment 5402 MVD (Ministry of Interior) had come to defend the accusations at the headquarters. According to the commanding officers they were defending actions against a machination against the honor of the regiment. They invited to visit their unit and speak with the draftees. Two days later the invitation was withdrawn. In severe cases SOLDIERS MOTHERS SAINT-PETERSBURG notify the media. Here NTV are interviewing about the Roman case. Roman is in urgent need of an intestine transplantation after having been severly beaten in the stomach. Romans has been left to death in hospital over two months. The media coverage urged Serguei Ivanov, Minister of Defense, to give explanations. Roman after was urgently transfered to another hospital in Moscow where he should be operated. Maxime - escaped his military unit due to abusive violence. The military consider him a deserter to punish.NGO as a citizen who defends his rights. 'I constantly wanted to escape. Everything was untolerable. In order to force us to sign contracts of engagements the violence was unbearable. I was constantly frightened and suffered constant headaches. I did not bear the violence any longer.' Maxime in day before returning home to Ekaterinburg. The commanding officer sold Maxime to a civilian to build him a datcha. Once finished Maxime weighing 37 kgs.Maxime -his fighting spirit beatten out of him- prefers to forget. Russian draftees, unit 6167. In order to follow a demographic decline, attempts are being made to reduce military service from 24 months to 18 and after 12 but also to stamp out any derogations. However, as this project don't modify the army structure, the organization of civil rights has no hope to see to reduce the violence.'Country, Duty, Honor'. A gigantic video screen publicity of the Russian army in order to draw new recruits. Profesional army process is declining. On one hand, violence and low salaries, on the other hand conscription represents a 'juicy' business for many at all army levels.

STALIN: HOMMAGES TO THE VICTIMS AND NOSTALGIA Begining of the ceremony.Everybody is awaiting to chime this bell in the forest clearing.Chiming of the bell lasts all afternoon - one chime for each of Stalin's victims. An othodox prayer ends the collective ceremony.There after each one proceeds to the symbolic resting place of each parent. The forest is covered in flowers, candles, crucifixes, portraits.Born in 1903. Arrested 8th august 1937. Executed 28/9/1937.As russian tradition warrants one eats and drinks in honour of the deceased.A week later in the same town the communists celebrate the 1917 bolchevik Revolution.The manifestation take place on the battle cruiser Aurora, where the sovied legend says that started the 1917 bolchevik Revolution. A colonel from the Soviet army. Manifestations ending - some police security forces leave the place.

LENIN IS MINE The artistic project "Lenin is mine" researches social and political consequences of the fall of communism and the appearance of capitalism in eastern Europe. The new artistic creation of a world renowned performer Semolina Tomic who has been living and working in Barcelona for two decades. She has started this project in her private theatre called L'antic teatre, which received many awards for its works. It is supported by the spanish Ministry of Culture. The project consist of workshops which will be organised in eastern and southern european countries like Poland, Russia and Ukraine. “Our intention is not a political or moral one as far as aesthetics go; in its etymological sense, the depth of the surface, the facade of a statue, whose face represents and transcends a historical period, which his very important to humanity. To put into crisis the preconceived concepts, the ideological language itself, giving force to the vital human energy. With its pain and hopes, dreams and disasters, we can't deny the will of people's life's, the creativity in proposing new world visions and the fact that political forces take advantage of these feelings. Lenin, just like any other historical figure, embodies humanity's contradictions, confusions and doubts. Lenin is an interface of passed, present and future times, he is a ''medium'' where we can analyse and reinterpret the world through a a poetical and romantic vision playing all the multiple sides of life. In ''Lenin is Mine'' I want to use all these contradictions. Work with Lenin's emblematic figure making it mine in my own way. I will try to synthesise, around this icon, all the questions all the answers of my vision of today's world.” It is in the former communists states that today flourishes the most luxurous, grand and expensive commercial centres.

Commercial distribution giants invest heavelly in these countries whith the last marketing techniques and a favorable liberal legislation. Here a selection of photographs from Saint-Petersburg, Russia. Supermarketworld is a project by the collective GolemFabrika. Paterson chain stores open 24 hrs/24. In the new commercial centre Mega an icering is situated between the hypermarket Auchan and fast-food restaurants area. A Porshe 911 attracks attention of the Russian shoppers. Supermarket Mediamarkt. This new commercial and entertainment centre will be spread over four sites depicting price bar codes.