Russian education is often harsh and rigid. Children are rarely encouraged to form their own opinions and are frequently subjected to emotional and physical pressure, contributing to the country’s high levels of depression, aggression, and alcoholism.

In this collaboration brief, Marie Lourier and Gala Oifa, both born in the former Soviet Union, explore the unjust power and influence of authority, as well as the ability of an individual to resist and rebel against the system.

What power do children hold in our society? What power does education hold?

“Look me in the eyes” is a command parents and teachers often use when scolding children.

Russian poems: from kindergarten through school, children are required to memorise hundreds of poems, many of which carry deep philosophical, patriotic, or ideological meanings.

The series was photographed using Polaroid and 35mm film, the same formats that documented our own childhood in the 1990s. Two schoolgirls were invited to participate in the project: a first-grade student and a high school senior, symbolising the beginning and the end of this formative yet often oppressive period.