Pskov photographer Dmitry Markov, known for his projects dedicated to life in the Russian provinces, died at the age of 41. reported telegram channel “Pskov province” with reference to his friends.
At the moment, the causes of Markov’s death are unknown. He has reportedly recently faced pressure on social media over the stance he has taken towards his acquaintances involved in the armed conflict in Ukraine.
In one of the last entries in his telegram channel, published on February 6, Markov told about a man named Andrey, whom he met in Aleksandrov. The photographer wrote that he invited them to visit and told them that he had come from a military operation and planned to return to the front.
“First he took care of us: he warmed up the food, boiled water and served a simple lunch, and only then he sat down, opened the bottle and poured himself some vodka. He hit his fist.
– Aren’t you afraid to die? – I asked.
He was silent for a long time and answered:
“It’s scary to watch people die…
And he cried.”
In his penultimate entry, published on February 7, Markov published screenshot from a comment addressed to you for using the abbreviation SVO. The author of the comment, in particular, wrote that he changed his mind about picking up the photographer’s book from the parcel delivery point, since Markov “fell in his eyes.”
In order to avoid similar situations in the future, Markov talked about how he helps conscript soldiers.
“Today I sent 2,000 rubles for cigarettes to a conscript I raised from the orphanage at the age of 11. Since the end of February, they have been sent to the Voronezh region to transport shells to the border. The other one, a drug addict brother, has been either guarding or guarding something for two years now. We met on vacation, he dragged me into the photo booth and took two photographs as a souvenir – for himself and for me. He said we have approximately equal chances of dying from or from. The third, however, is none of your business…” he wrote.
Markov added that he understands those who were able to “easily stifle pity by going abroad,” but he is not ready to “stop loving” people close to him while remaining in Russia. The photographer noted that he understands how such an attitude could make him “a legitimate target of hatred from Ukrainians.”
“I don’t know how to do the right thing in this situation and be good for everyone, and whether this is even possible. Therefore, I bow and propose that this post be considered the fork where our paths diverge,” he concluded.
Dmitry Markov was born in the Moscow region, in the city of Pushkino. Until 2007, Markov collaborated with the publication “Arguments and Facts” as a photographer and journalist. In 2005, he moved to the Porkhovsky district of the Pskov region as a volunteer. In 2016, Markov was chosen as the first participant from Russia to participate in the iPhone 7 advertising campaign, which featured 15 photographers from 15 countries.
In February 2021, Markov took a photograph of a law enforcement officer sitting under a photograph of Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Moscow City Court, where a meeting was held to replace Alexei Navalny’s suspended sentence in the Yves Rocher case with a real one. This photograph was later sold at a charity auction for 2 million rubles. Markov transferred the proceeds from the sale to the accounts of charitable organizations.