2006-07
Copenhagen
I and my friend, photographer Andrew Moore (USA,)were photographing the Baltic Harbours in June 2006 and June 2007. We travelled through 9 countries for two months by car, crossing a lot of borders and visiting both planned and unexpected places: Copenhagen and Bornholm Island (Denmark), Lubeck and Rugged Island (Germany), Gdansk (Poland), Kaliningrad (Russia), Klaipeda and Siauliai (Lithuania), Karlskruna (Sweden), Gotland(Sweden), Riga and Karosta (Latvia), Tallinn ( Estonia)and Corpu (Finland)First trip covered the Southern coasts of the Baltic Sea and second in 2007 – the Northern part.
Their photo-cameras caught: architecture of the Baltic harbours, landmarks, people and life styles. Photographers aim was to discover similarities that show their common history, and to find new aspects of collaboration between these cities in future.
The Baltic Sea is very important transport arteries as well as important life rescuers. Nowadays there are 9 countries that surround the Baltic Sea: Russia, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Poland, Germany, Eastland, Lithuania and Latvia. All Baltic countries were always tying to get access to the coastal line in order to gain economic and strategically benefits. The history of the Baltic civilisation has always been based on difficult compromises between war and trade relationships. In every Baltic country there are trade harbours and military naval ports. It is amazing to see how geopolitics has been changing in this region. Territories passed from one hands to others, but they never changed the purpose they were built for. Traders were always trading ,naval port were always fighting.
Almost all trade harbours were members of the Hanseatic League in the Middle Ages, that’s why we can still find a lot of similarities in their city planning and architecture. Another thing that is similar for all harbours is rituals and superstitions that all sailors and fishermen practice (symbols, stories, tattoo, signal flags system). One can’t miss the fact that all the ports look like each other, rather than the countries they belong to. Alexandria has nothing to do with Egypt, Venice does not look like Italy. The life style conditioned by the sea, makes people of different nations living at the seaside closer to each other, than to their fellow countrymen on the mainland.
Looking back at the Baltic history today, we can surely say that Mercury has finally won over Mars. Trade interest bring people together, make them think and discuss, rather than solve their problems this weapon and violence. Mars has no future in the Baltic area: it is proved by very powerful in past and almost ruined old forts today. Wind is blowing in favor of trade sails, rather than military ones.
The Baltic Sea is the place where many borders cross. But the Baltic Sea is not a property divided by different countries. The Baltic Sea is the common heritage of millions of people who live nearby. It’s our common history and our common future.
Xenia Nikolskaya
the project could not be possible without generous support of
and
here is coming pictures from different trip locations
Bornholm, Denmark
Lubek, Germany
Rugen island, Germany
Gdansk, Poland
Kaliningrad, Russia
Klaipeda, Lithuania
Karlskruna, Sweden
Gotland, Sweden
Karosta, Latvia
Tallinn, Estonia
