Matvey Nikolaev

The last day before Christmas had passed. A wintry, clear night came. The stars peeped out. The crescent moon rose majestically in the sky to give light to good people and to the whole world, so that everyone might joyfully carol and praise Christ the child. This could not fail to anger the devil.

After a long-awaited eye surgery, a man’s utopian stroll through the city is shattered by a brutal onslaught of reality.

Exploring the creative agency of backstage professionals at one of Moscow’s iconic stages, the RAMT. Across four chapters, this work probes the boundaries of artistic expression: where does the technician’s own creativity begin?

A solitary provincial sculptor draws inspiration from his deep fascination with history and Russian culture, until he suddenly finds his reflection in the imagery of swans that have settled in the quiet town of Winchester.