Solovki
The imposing walls of the Solovetski monastery stand on the Solovki islands, in the calm waters of the White Sea in northwest Russia. Founded in the 15th century on the eponymous islands, it hosted during the Soviet period one of the most sadly known gulags of the USSR. “Being sent to Solovetski” has become a Russian expression.
Juan Manuel Castro Prieto and Rafael Trapiello explored this territory in search of a relationship between hell and paradise. Using a narrative close to poetry, all their images evoke the strange tension that exists between the spirituality and the beauty of the environment.
Title: Solovki
Date: 2019-11
Realization: Juan Manuel Castro Prieto & Rafael Trapiello
Music: Bande son: Men’s choir, Valaam Singing Culture Institute
Editing: David Vicente
Images: Ana Cubas
Duration: 5 minutes