Waterpeople

Baykal is the largest lake on the planet. On its eastern bank sits the Ust-Barguzin settlement whose inhabitants have been living off fish for more than three hundred years. Dozens of fishing teams are busy with catching omul.

Today, the fishing fleet of the Black Sea coast is by far not as huge as several decades ago. The ancient practice is going through hard times. Late fall. Taman. A place where the Black and Azov seas come together. Heat and gentle breeze gave way to rains and gusty wind. Only few fishing boats glide over the surface of the cooled-down sea.

The Russian Far East. In the cold turbulent waters of the Sea of Okhotsk, fishing continues throughout the year, regardless of weather and time of the day. Local fishermen spend the biggest part of their life away from land. That’s long been the way of living here, at the edge of the earth.

The largest city in the world inside the Arctic circle, Murmansk. Its entire history is built around those people who chose to live the life of seamen. Here, all roads lead to the port, from where dozens of fishing vessels depart to harsh Arctic waters every day. From the moment of its foundation, the life of Murmansk means sea and waiting.

The Arctic circle is right there, in a couple kilometers. There’s not a living soul around. Only wild animals and the White sea, swarming with fish. From spring till late autumn this house is inhabited by a small team of fishermen who use stationary trap nets to catch Atlantic and humpback salmon.