| One of the country’s poorest regions, Dagestan, is also the region that has lost the most men to the war in Ukraine.  Photograph by Nanna Heitmann / Magnum for The New Yorker The Moscow-based photographer Nanna Heitmann and Keith Gessen bring us a powerful and complex story about the people of Dagestan, a “predominantly Muslim but incredibly multiethnic” Russian republic that has seen its sons go off to fight—and many to die—in Ukraine. For some, joining up may be a matter of honor and pride. It may also be a necessity; as a local imam explains, “There is no other work. All go by contract to the army.” The family members left behind to grieve have responded in different ways—with defiant patriotism, or anguished ambivalence, or outright anger. Some have accepted the Kremlin’s propaganda, that “the Ukrainians were Nazis, and they wanted to spread homosexuality to Russia.” Others, though, are prepared to speak out against the invasion. As one young man puts it, “Stay at home. Tend to your garden. Nothing good can come of going off somewhere to kill people, no matter who they are.” —Ian Crouch, newsletter editor Support The New Yorker’s award-winning journalism. Subscribe today » | 
No comments:
Post a Comment