“Kilelle. Towards Home” by Kseniya Maksimova, is a captivating visual ode to the land of her birth.

Situated in western Russia, the Chuvashia Republic is the native land of the Chuvash people, a Turkic ethnic group with culture and traditions that set them apart from the rest of the country.

Maksimova was born here, but left at an early age, and though she would return sporadically, over the years she began to lose the language and cultural connection. 

K. Maksimova: I was inspired to create this “Kilelle. Towards Home” by my inner inquiry into who I am, what my identity is, and to whom I belong. Asking myself these questions, I began to delve into the history of my people and immerse myself in it.

Around the same time, my husband returned to Russia from abroad, and we decided to move back to our homeland, Cheboksary, the capital of the Chuvash Republic. It was the spring of 2023. Upon returning to my homeland, I decided to pick up a camera and explore my national identity through photography. That’s when I began capturing the first images for this project.

K. Maksimova: It also seems to me that I was influenced by the crisis in the world due to Russian aggression. There is an opinion that, with the destruction of any value system that unites society, the role of national identity increases in reaction to uncertainty.

I think that the current destruction of the world’s value system has affected me. During such periods, people often ask themselves questions about who they are, where they come from, and who they are.

K. Maksimova: I found out how complicated and ancient the history of the Chuvash people is. They are one of the oldest peoples of the Volga region in the central part of Russia. Regarding their origin, there are still disputes among scientists and researchers.

Before joining the Russian state in 1551, the majority of the Chuvash population were pagans. However, later they underwent forced Christianization and the destruction of holy places revered by the Chuvash. Now, the vast majority of the Chuvash people are Orthodox Christians, and the Chuvash traditional faith has been preserved only in some villages.

K. Maksimova: The Chuvash language also plays an interesting role. It is the last living language of the Bulgar subgroup of the Turkic languages. According to UNESCO, the Chuvash language is recognized as vulnerable to extinction, as the number of people speaking it is decreasing every year. In the large cities of the Chuvash Republic, the Russian language is used more.

K. Maksimova: I painstakingly gathered the details that were important to me, piece by piece. I delved into the history of my people as it provided me with more insight into the past of my ancestors. I spent a significant amount of time at the family photo archive, inquired about our relatives from my father, and journeyed around my republic with a camera in my hands, meeting new people. The landscapes of Chuvashia with its ravines and hills took me back to my childhood, when I often walked through the Chuvash expanses, spending time in my grandmother’s village.

K. Maksimova: One of the meetings that left a strong impression on me was the encounter with the Chuvash artist Yuma (Tatiana) Andreeva. I was deeply impressed by her immersion in the world of Chuvash mythology and culture.

I also observed a growing interest among the younger generation in Chuvash culture. I sensed a renewed enthusiasm for the history of our ancestors, language, and traditions.

K. Maksimova: Local artists, activists, and members of the creative community are increasingly engaging with the traditional heritage of the Chuvash Republic, striving to learn the language, which is at risk of extinction. This development brings me joy and inspires me to follow their example. Previously, society was more indifferent to these issues.

Through the project, my own connection with Chuvashia has strengthened. I began to feel at home among my people and discovered my link with this culture.

K. Maksimova: The main message that I want to convey is the importance of knowing the history of your people and preserving the legacy of historical memory. If this knowledge is lost, it is crucial to make efforts to reclaim it. This is especially important when you are a representative of a small nation. The attempt to suppress Chuvash culture has undoubtedly left its mark.

K. Maksimova: I am an example of this. Through my project, I aim to explore what remains within myself and the environment around me and to discover something new. I work in the style of direct photography, capturing what I consider important in my surroundings.

In photographs of my family members and family archives, I try to convey the idea that the connection of generations plays an important role in understanding who you are. Additionally, through photographs of nature, the city, and the people living there, I strive to become closer to my native places, gain a better understanding of my people, and find my place within it.

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Text and images © Ksenia Maksimova