Nikita with stars
Ramin Mazur
From Left Bank
Moldova, Ghidirim, Transnistria , 2016
Nikita stands in his room with wallpaper decorated with stars.
Transnistria's origins are in the chaotic years following the end of the Soviet Union. Linguistic and cultural divisions within the Moldovan SSR that had been papered over by an overarching Soviet identity came to the fore. A strong movement in support of the Moldovan language and Moldova's links to neighbouring Romania led to a call for recognition of Moldovan as the only official language and a return to the Latin script. By the end of 1990 tensions were rising in the eastern, Russian-speaking part of the country leading to separatist forces declaring the Pridnestrovian Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic (PMR). With the issue of Russian speakers dispersed across the territory of the former Soviet Union now once again to the fore, Transnistria's status and its position alongside embattled Ukraine has become a point of intense speculation and anxiety.
‘I grew up in the north of Transnistria and never knew anything about the outside world apart from a few memories of Ukraine, where I spent a short time of my childhood. When I started to practice photography, the first thing I wanted to document was this split of unrecognised land, that finds its identity somewhere between the war for independence and its Soviet past. I tried to understand what this piece of land means to me and it brought me back to my home town. Is it my home or not? Do other people feel themselves at home or are they in a temporary place which they would leave for a more reliable one if they could? I was curious to understand why Transnistria is left by its people even more than Moldova (the fastest shrinking country in Europe) and what it is to be on the verge of choosing a future. I can't pretend to give any answers but aim to find a sense of a place that once allowed me to feel the air while running through apple gardens.’
Specification
Ramin Mazur
Ramin Mazur was born on the left bank of the Dniester River in the Moldavian Soviet Republic, a part of the country that soon became the unrecognised state of Transnistria after a short war in 1991. He graduated from the Journalism Department of the Moldavian State University in Chisinau and started working with various print publications in the country as a photo reporter. A desire to dedicate more time to investigating subjects led Ramin to start working independently. He now focuses his work on the realities of life in Transnistria and the countries nearby in periods of transition.
Your Print
When will I receive my print?
We produce prints in a batch every two weeks. Shipping can take up to one week in the UK, and two to three weeks internationally. Orders should be received within 3-5 weeks depending on your location.
What will I receive?
Your print will be posted flat, in a protective sleeve, to avoid damage or curling in transit. Prints come with a Panos Prints provenance certificate with background information about the image and the photographer.
The paper is A4 sized, the image will be smaller than A4 with a white border around it - see Image Specification for exact image size. Borders will be laid out as demonstrated by the print images on the site. We do not provide framing services and images of framed prints are only meant to be illustrative.
Print Care
Paper and ink
We print on Hahnemuhle Baryta FB, an archival fibre based 350gsm fine art paper. It is a bright white paper with a traditional character finish and heavy weighting. This paper has long been the industry standard paper for digital printing.
What is a giclée print?
Giclée comes from French and literally means ‘squirt’, referring to the spray of very fine drops of ink that produce an inkjet print. We print with archival paper and pigment inks to the accepted standards of fine art giclee printing found within the collectors market. Prints should last over a hundred years and with care longer than this. Avoiding extremes of light, heat and humidity will help prolong the life of your print.