Notes from Russia

Notes from Russia is an attempt to paint a socio-psychological portrait of Russia based on anonymous street texts. Handwritten advertisements (ads), love letters, popular announcements, obscene scrawls, self-made warning signs, and even pieces of cardboard on string worn by beggars - all help build a unique image of the country. All of these street messages are completely authentic, and are published here for the first time. These messages are social acts that originate in the sphere of so-called grey, informal social groupings and 'illegal' markets, which are particularly interesting in Russia. The very existence of these markets is a result of the insurmountable bureaucratic obstacles that these messages also clearly reflect.