Spirit of a Polluted Spring: Artistic Protest Highlights Local Environmental Crisis

Anastasia Malinovskaya

In early June 2024, activists in Ulyanovsk, a historically significant Russian city on the Volga River known for being the birthplace of Lenin and its role in Russian history, raised alarms about the Marishkin spring, a cherished natural site that had deteriorated into a swamp due to illegal dumping.

Photographer Anastasia Malinovskaya and ecologist Ekaterina Isakova responded with an artistic protest, using symbolic imagery to highlight the environmental crisis. Their project aimed to draw attention to broader ecological issues in Ulyanovsk, including deforestation and waste management challenges.

“I wanted to create the image of an abandoned, sorrowful spirit of the spring, with a twist of gas masks on the chest, symbolizing suffocation in the swamp. As a photographer and creative person, it’s important for me not only to create beautiful images but also to make a positive impact. In the future, I’d love to photograph for animal shelters or nursing homes,” – Anastasia Malinovskaya.

Anastasia Malinovskaya

Anastasia Malinovskaya

Anastasia Malinovskaya

Anastasia Malinovskaya

Anastasia Malinovskaya

Igor Krayushkin

Igor Krayushkin

Igor Krayushkin

Igor Krayushkin

Igor Krayushkin

Igor Krayushkin