1st Place winner
Siberia’s Shamanism
DESCRIPTION
A Buryatian shaman performs a ritual to connect with the spirits, on frozen Lake Baikal, with the sacred Ogoi cape in the background. Lake Baikal is considered the most sacred place of Siberia’s shamanism.
The origins of shamanism can be traced back to the ancient nomadic cultures of Central Asia and especially Siberia, where shamanism was a prevalent form of spiritual practice.
A shaman serves as a healer, problem solver, protector from hostile spirits, a guide and a medium between the spiritual and human worlds.
AUTHOR
Although a Civil Engineer in profession, I turned out as an amateur travel photographer having traveled to numerous countries around the world such as Ethiopia, India, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Peru, Bolivia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Benin, Haiti, Cuba etc. My main goal is to capture the uniqueness of the local cultures and the life of the people in the most remote places of our world, emphasizing on syncretism between rare religions and rituals. My pictures have been awarded multiple awards in many prestigious photo competitions and have been published in many books and magazines. 