by Elena Meleshchenko

From March 21 to April 4, 2007 master-class by photographer Sergey Maximishin took place in Nepal. Maximishin’s camera was declared to be “golden eye of Izvestia newspaper” due to the victory in World Press Photo contest at 2004. The triumph at World Press Photo 2006 endorsed the high status of the master.

The trip to Nepal was organized according to Art-Tour program by architectural studio Format A5. The travel started at Nepal’s capital – Kathmandu, continued at Pokhara - picturesque town on mountain lakeside, and the latter days were spent at the Royal Chitwan National Park. The Art-Tour’s peculiarity in Nepal was the unique chance of the participants to see the country not only with one’s own eyes, but also through the college-photographers’ lenses. Each day was a revelation, each evening a master-class. These resulted in photo-stories, the patchwork of multi sided country, once opened to the world by our compatriot Boris Lisovitch. Boiling mixture of Kathmandu life: powerful temples and weightless dwellings, eluding reality and mysteries of the history.

Light constructions and space-grand mountains, fragility of all regimes and century-old ice dominion. Life bustle at the icy 8mil background: Maoist camp, Tibet refugees camp, royal power unsteadiness – vanity of vanities… All caught by camera: perfect multicoloured garments in contrast with striking poverty, life sparkling on the miserable ruins of the kingdom, harsh carabineer’s march down Kathmandu’s pavements, silhouettes of female loaders full of grace, naughty boys – young buddhist monks, huge chasm of old’s people home, countries boxing championship against Hindi temples’ background and careless smiles of pupils, shining like the tops of the mountains of their amazing country. How to set the right visual angle, how to get rid of tourist clichés, how to get “underneath” country’s exterior, how to feel its convulsive pulse? The master can give an answer: with the help of humour, precise glance through the lens, and courage, courage to work right up against the object. Author’s line and his irrefutable authority in the field of world journalism added the master-classes up with the corresponding professionalism, which was demanded both by the audience, gathered from all over Russia, and by the unique country, where the master-class actually took place.

“Two steps forward!” – was an instant order while working on location. And the shutter clicks burst out like machine-gun fire. The sound of breech-blocks replied from the front. But lyrics was there too: it shined through fluttering tantra rags and brightest colours of silk saries, thought eternal flower paradise of the jungle. Peace came down, like the fog from the mountain tops. You can find people sleeping anywhere in Nepal: on the pavements, stairs, in the temples, at the squares… Are they really sleeping or just meditating? Is this philosophic withdrawal or just a casual runaway from reality? Reality is though a brick-yard, cement works, weaving-mill and despairing misery. And at the same time there is not a hint of disparity in the air! Is the city-life really a salvation or a sentence? The village is not gloomy at all: sunset rays sparkle at the shining surface of rise fields, elephants on tramp down the roads, monkeys settling down in the temples…

Sergey Maximishin’s photo-class stories tell how much-sided Nepal is, show the life itself pulsing at the lens of the camera. On the way back home - one day stop in Pakistan. Very special Art-Tour story. “East is a delicate issue”, Russian people used to say. At the same time - more then enough photo objects. The only regret is about prohibition to take pictures at the local port. “Pirates of the Carribean” movie is a pale image of real seaport in Karachi. Incredible Karachi mausoleum makes all architects “take their hats off”. Same feeling overtakes at Dubai airport. No wonder, that all architecture luminaries are welcomed here in the desert, where they conduct their master-classes.

We should certainly come back! First Art-Tour photo-school experience with Sergey Maximishin gave an obvious result: we want more! Special gratitude to the master!