Life on the line
At 66°33′44″ north of the equator is an invisible line called the Arctic Circle. Outside it, the climate is especially harsh, and the sun hardly sets in summer and almost never rises in winter. Nevertheless, many peoples in the countries of the Arctic have adapted to such conditions and have lived there for many centuries.
Since 2006, British photographer Christian Barnett has traveled around these countries and photographed the inhabitants of the Far North, as a result of which he published the Life on the Line photo project. For eight years he traveled to Russia, Canada, Sweden, Finland, Norway, USA, Iceland and Greenland. “The Arctic is much more than hunters and polar bears,” Barnett admits. — There are many modern villages and cities where you would rather meet a hair stylist than a reindeer herder. In fact, most of the places are by no means extreme, they are ordinary settlements with very friendly and hospitable people.”
(Total 19 photos)
1. Anatoly Gushkin. Zhigansk, Russia
2. Lars Anders Hakansson, tanner Jokmokk, Sweden
3. Pius Putulik at home in national costume. Repulse Bay, Canada
4. Artem Fedorov in a boat. Zhigansk, Russia
5. Pictured left: Hans Bengston describes himself as a "brisk craftsman and sausage poet." Jokmokk, Sweden. Pictured right: Every winter, Matti Harkonen builds a church out of ice. Sonka, Finland
6. Priest Daniel Schwartz with a Roman Catholic altar on an Eskimo (Inuit) sleigh. Repulse Bay, Canada
7. Chasity Herbert, who received the title of "Miss Fort Yukon." Fort Yukon, Alaska, USA
8. Used car racer Yayakko Ollila sees things differently. Rovaniemi, Finland
9. Lyuba, the wife of a farmer, is resting after milking a cow. Prince Guba, Russia
10. Handyman Ivar tests a mask to protect against severe frosts, Raufarhofn, Iceland
11. Olga, Yamal Peninsula, Russia
12. Roger Moen. Trena, Norway
13. Maria Ivanova, Zhigansk, Russia
14. Benjamin, Enoch and William. Fort Yukon, Alaska, USA
15. When Brett was asked why he needed a Jacuzzi in the living room, he replied: “Why put a Jacuzzi outside when it’s so cold?” Kotzebue, Alaska, USA
16. Pictured left: Maria Manninen, fashion student, Rovaniemi, Finland. In the photo on the right: Pavia Ludwigsen associates himself with a bat since childhood. Sisimiut, Greenland
17. Mark Robinson and George Kurunis, professional storm chasers. Mark films George with a horse mask on his head. Sunshine Fjord, Baffin Island, Canada
18. Mike Ivalutanar stands on a giant whale bone and holds a figurine carved from talcum powder in his hand.
19. Anton and his Dalmatian rest on the way. Yar-Sale, Yamal Peninsula