The Earth's circle. Kolodozero

Fifteen years ago three rebellious friends from Moscow were strolling trough the North searching for the meaning of life until they ran into the beautiful village of Kolodozero. In 2001, they started rebuilding the local church which was burnt in 1977. One of them, the red-haired punk Arkady Shlykov stayed there forever and became a priest in the new church. At first the stern locals met the rockstar-resembling priest with much suspicion, but later on came to love him wholeheartedly. Thanks to Arkady and his willingness to help the village 'came to life'. He became its heart and soul, motivated the people and started a new phase in their developement. A year ago new arrivals established a cow farm that creates additional jobs for local inhabitants.

Photos by Ekaterina Solovieva