In 2007 the then-mayor of Shatoy proudly announced that within a few years the Chechen mountain town would become the Switzerland of Russia. At the checkpoint just outside the town, we are told that we cannot simply enter. We shortly speak to the new mayor: “The authorities are like shepherds,” he says, proudly reciting the propaganda jingle of his leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. “They guide the people in the right direction. Our ancestors prayed for a president who would help them develop. And look, our prayers have been answered.”

From the series: An Atlas of War and Tourism in the Caucasus
Original: Medium format 6x7 cm negative film
Print technique: Digital c-print
Print size: 80 x 96 cm. (31.5 x 37.8 in.)
Mounting: Dibond
Frame: Walnut / glass

[HM13_064]