1st Place winner
Shamans of Siberia
DESCRIPTION
The Supreme Shaman of Tuva Kara-ool Tulushevich.Kyzyl, Republic of Tuva. 2017.
The Republic of Tuva and The Republic of Khakassia are not only famous for their traditional throat singing Khoomei, national wrestling sport Khuresh and picturesque nature, but also for their ancient culture of shamanism. Shamanism is a widespread religious practice that maintains a strong influence on the people of Siberia. Shamans are mostly seen by local inhabitants as healers, wise saviors and portals between humans and the spirits of the ancestors. They get their energy from nature, where nature is their best supplier, their truthful teacher and their only home. Nomadic lifestyle and philosophical perception of time make this communities sage like the Sayan Mountain and calm as floating flocks of the gigantic white clouds that together perform a harmonious symphony of eternal beauty in that authentic venerable culture.
AUTHOR
I am a Ukrainian freelance travel, portrait and editorial photographer based in Barcelona, Bochum and Kiev. Impressed by the curiosity of life and the beauty of light, I explore the world around me through my photo camera. In my photographs I try to communicate the sense of place, a feeling of an atmosphere and mystics of a moment in a poetic visual language. 