Bandits from the Ural hinterland in the lens of an American photographer

A few years ago, fearless American photographer Bruce Gilden, known for his filming of "street life", went to the Urals. In a God—forsaken settlement 70 km from Yekaterinburg, he discovered some semblance of the "Middle Ages" - this is how the American characterizes the life of bandits from the Russian hinterland, with whom he happened to get acquainted. And this is not surprising, because what Bruce saw and captured on camera can cause shock not only to an American, but also to the average Russian.

The photographer spent several days side by side with criminals, drug addicts and other "lost people".

"Russians are smart and very dangerous. Many look like they were born as a result of incest. And they don't mind being photographed," says Bruce.

During the filming, Gilden bought vodka and meat to his new "friends" to gain trust.

The main characters of the series of photos of Bruce were the bandit Sergei Polovtsev, nicknamed the Boar, and his friends-accomplices.

Bruce called his series of photos "Picnic with Sergey". The shots taken during the picnic are his favorites.

According to Bruce, "Sergei can break a man in half with his bare hands, but he's a good guy."

The tattoo of a cat on Sergei's leg means "A native inhabitant of the prison" (abbreviation CAT).

The last time he went to prison, protecting his mother. The offender received serious bodily injuries.

"I used to be 100% a bandit, but now I'm not," says Sergey. "Now I'm older, smarter and tired of all this, because I don't want to go back to prison." Now Sergey is a "businessman" — he "protects" trucks from Tajikistan transporting drugs and "solves issues".

All the heroes of the shooting live in a cycle of vodka, violence and crime, guided by the well—known saying "Sooner you sit down, sooner you get out."

"I love bad guys,— Bruce says. — My father was a bandit. I've always liked people with a 'dark side'."

Yuri Potapenko is 56 years old, of which he spent 30 in prison. Now Yuri has been rehabilitated and works in a public organization helping former prisoners in Yekaterinburg.

"Bandits fascinate me. I don't judge them. I find them in many ways "more honest" than law-abiding people. They are what they really are, and they do what they do," the photographer explains.

Vasily Novoselov, aka Grandfather, served time for the murder of his stepfather. Bruce does not hide that this photo is staged. However, the photographer believes that it perfectly reflects the hopelessness of life in the Russian province: "This is a cry not only that they are stuck in a God-forsaken place, but also that they have absolutely nowhere to go."

Bruce has always been attracted to marginal segments of the population. Among his previous works are portraits of members of the Yakuza mafia in Japan, members of motorcycle gangs, beggars and prostitutes.

"If I take photos, they are not elegant and elegant. They're tough," Bruce says of his work.