THE ROUTINE OF SILENCE

© Aleksandra Cherniaeva - 1. SmileThe practiced expression of normality. A gesture learned for survival. © Aleksandra Cherniaeva - 2. ApplauseThe sound of others celebrating what you no longer feel. © Aleksandra Cherniaeva - 3. RoutineThe mechanical rhythm of days that repeat without meaning. View all images ↓
View all images ↓

A visual study of depression hidden in everyday gestures. The body continues its routine — smiling, working, moving — while the silence inside grows unbearable.

The Routine of Silence explores the quiet, invisible weight of depression.
In these monochrome fragments, everyday gestures — a smile, a cup of coffee, a morning commute — become rituals of survival.
The images reveal no drama, no tears, no chaos; only the still persistence of a body that continues to function while the soul stands still.

Through light, shadow, and repetition, the project asks what happens when the performance of normality replaces genuine emotion.
It’s not about sadness, but about endurance — the discipline of appearing fine when everything inside is silent.