Who Said It Would Be Easy

My project explores abuse in the Russian education system, where authoritarian methods and pressure cause lasting trauma. Rooted in Soviet-era norms, this cycle turns teachers into unintentional aggressors. The work urges reflection and change.

The concept of the book is rooted in a personal trigger: my piano teacher used to make me restart a piece again and again — until it was deemed “perfect.” I structured the book in two parts. In the first, the beginning repeats multiple times without real progression, though each repetition shifts slightly, highlighting the absurdity of striving for a flawless performance; even with identical notes, no two renditions are ever the same.

In the second part, I explore the present-day impact: the external pressure from an authority figure has morphed into an internalized, obsessive pursuit of perfection. This pattern emerged during the creation of the project itself — the urge to make the “perfect” book, to word the text “just right,” to match the theme “exactly,” to “get everything done.” Even letting myself challenge established aesthetic expectations in my photography proved difficult. That’s why, in the second part, the narrative begins to unravel and slip into absurdity.