In her poignant and deeply personal photographic project, “In the shadow of an old apple tree,” Belarusian-born artist Elena Serafimova investigates the enduring cultural, psychological, and physical significance of the dacha in the modern post-Soviet landscape. Shortlisted for the prestigious 2026 Booooooom Art Photo Book Award, the project weaves together family archives, contemporary observations, and multigenerational imagery to capture fleeting moments of peace.
Born in Borisov, Belarus, in 1986—when the country was still an integral part of the Soviet Union—Serafimova’s formative childhood years coincided with one of the most volatile geopolitical shifts of the 20th century: the collapse of the USSR and the subsequent, often turbulent transition toward independent Belarusian statehood. Her broader artistic practice frequently interrogates the long shadow of the Soviet legacy, examining how systemic ideology, historical displacement, and collective memory continue to mold individual personalities and identities.
At the core of Serafimova’s latest work is the dacha—traditionally a modest seasonal or year-round second home in rural or semi-rural Russia and the former Soviet republics. Once functioning as an indispensable survival mechanism during times of economic scarcity, the dacha has evolved in her lens into something much more profound: an autonomous sanctuary, a psychological buffer against external sociopolitical pressures, and a physical bridge connecting generations of families attempting to reclaim agency over their own lives.
Chronology
To fully understand the weight of Serafimova’s imagery, it is necessary to contextualize the historical timeline that shaped her worldview and the evolution of the post-Soviet dacha:
1986: Elena Serafimova is born in Borisov, Belarusian SSR, during the final, transformative years of the Soviet Union under Mikhail Gorbachev’s policies of perestroika and glasnost.
1991: The formal dissolution of the Soviet Union takes place. Belarus declares its independence, plunging the region into a decade of severe economic restructuring, hyperinflation, and a re-evaluation of national identity—a backdrop that defines Serafimova’s early childhood memories.
1990s–2000s: Serafimova spends her formative years visiting her grandmother’s dacha. Within these localized spaces, far removed from the concrete monotony of industrial Soviet housing blocks, she experiences an alternate reality defined by self-reliance, agrarian labor, and quiet domesticity.
Present Day: As an established visual artist, Serafimova returns to her inherited family garden. Confronted by renewed political tightening, societal uncertainty, and mounting external pressures in the region, she conceptualizes “In the shadow of an old apple tree” as both an artistic archive and an act of visual preservation.
2026: Serafimova’s submission to the Booooooom Art Photo Book Award secures a coveted spot on the shortlist, bringing international attention to her exploration of post-Soviet spaces and intergenerational sanctuary.
Supporting Data & Historical Context
To examine the dacha through a purely architectural or botanical lens is to miss its sociological weight. Historical and cultural data regarding post-Soviet domestic spaces highlight several key dimensions that inform Serafimova’s work:
The Spatial Paradox: During the Soviet era, urban populations were largely confined to cramped communal apartments (kommunalki) or standardized, prefabricated high-rises (khrushchyovkas). In contrast, state-allocated dacha plots—typically restricted to precisely six hundred square meters (six sotki)—offered citizens a rare legal loophole of autonomy.
Agrarian Resilience: While originally conceived as recreational garden plots for urban workers, dachas became crucial survival nodes during Soviet food shortages and the devastating economic collapse of the 1990s. Families grew potatoes, berries, and vegetables not merely out of hobby, but as a vital hedge against starvation and market failure.
Psychological Independence: Beyond calorie production, the dacha served as a psychological decompression chamber. Within the boundaries of their fences, citizens could dictate their own labor, aesthetic choices, and schedules, temporarily stepping outside the rigid gaze of state surveillance and industrial monotony.
The Contemporary Flight: As Serafimova notes in her artist statement, modern geopolitical and societal frictions have triggered a contemporary retreat. As external pressures tighten once again, modern post-Soviet citizens continue to "flee to where the asphalt ends," seeking refuge behind the natural green curtains of forests and orchards to preserve a sense of shared humanity and authentic identity.
Official Statements and Artist Reflections
Reflecting on the motivations behind “In the shadow of an old apple tree,” Elena Serafimova shared an intimate narrative detailing the historical duality of the dacha space and its resurgence in modern life:
"During the Soviet era, the dacha was far more than a plot of land; it was an autonomous island of freedom. It offered a vital escape from overcrowded communal apartments, industrial cities, and rigid state control," Serafimova explains.
"Within their designated six hundred square meters, families became the absolute masters of their own realm—deciding what to plant, how to build, and when to water. While cultivating the earth was essential for survival during hard winters, it also provided mental independence—a rare opportunity to disconnect from the state and focus on growing something pure, real, and self-made."
Drawing a direct line from her past to the realities of the present, the artist connects her childhood memories to the psychological needs of contemporary generations facing modern uncertainties:
"I spent my childhood at my grandmother’s dacha, and those times remain my most cherished memories. Years later, this inherited garden returned to my life. Today, as external pressures tighten once again, we flee to where the asphalt ends—hiding behind the green curtain of the forest to find temporary salvation. To be together, to stand still, and to remember who we truly are."
Implications
Serafimova’s shortlisted work for the 2026 Booooooom Book Award transcends personal nostalgia, carrying broad cultural, artistic, and sociological implications:
1. Archiving Ephemeral Memory in Times of Political Strain
At a time when geopolitical fault lines across Eastern Europe continue to displace communities and erase local histories, artistic archives act as vital repositories of truth. By documenting the private sanctuaries of ordinary families, Serafimova counters grand, state-sanctioned historical narratives with the intimate, quiet realities of human endurance. The dacha transforms from a simple wooden cabin and a patch of dirt into a universal monument of resistance through peaceful withdrawal.
2. The Evolution of Post-Soviet Identity
For generations born during or immediately after the collapse of the USSR—the generation to which Serafimova belongs—identity is characterized by a unique liminality. They bridge the ideological architecture of the 20th century with the hyper-connected, uncertain digital landscape of the 21st. “In the shadow of an old apple tree” addresses the coping mechanisms embedded within this post-Soviet identity, showing how spaces inherited from the past continue to provide psychological shelter in the face of contemporary anxieties.
3. Broadening the Scope of Documentary Photography
Serafimova’s integration of family archives, contemporary environmental portraits, and still-lifes demonstrates the power of hybrid photographic storytelling. By making the shortlist for the 2026 Booooooom Art Photo Book Award, her project underscores a growing global appetite for visual art that digs deep into regional specificities while speaking to universal human needs for safety, autonomy, and quiet refuge away from the noise of the modern world.
