DUST / KURZ / ПЫЛЬ. The Evolution of the Empire 1988–2022 by Mariusz Forecki
The book shows photographs from Forecki’s numerous travels around the former Union of Soviet Socialist Republics – in the final phase of its existence and in the period of shaping a new socio-political order. The author documented how the former republics of the USSR regained their independence. He watched the birth of new states, the struggle for identity, the return of displaced nations, emigration in search of a better life. Forecki did not realize at the time that he was witnessing events that became a symbol of the collapse of a state built on tyranny and unimaginable human suffering. From the ashes of that collapse emerged the image of a new empire, which, with the help of brutal propaganda and modern social engineering, transformed – under the guise of democracy – into an evil empire, threatening the world based on the ideas of humanism and the human right to freedom and happiness.
Mariusz Forecki (1962) is a documentalist and author of books. For many years, he has been photographing a human entwined in socio-political processes. He is a graduate of the Institute of Creative Photography at the Silesian University in Opava, Czech Republic, and co-founder of PIX.HOUSE Foundation.
Photographs, book concept and image editing by Mariusz Forecki. In his travels, Forecki was accompanied by Piotr Grochmalski, Mariusz Stachowiak (Armenia 1988, 1989), Piotr Grochmalski (Afghanistan 1990, Autonomous Jewish Region 1990, Lithuania 1991, Chechnya 1995), and Jolanta Kilian (Crimea 2001).
Text by Mariusz Forecki, Piotr Oleksy, Adrian Wykrota
Translation by Konrad Baranowski (English), Julia Forecka (English), Weronika Jeleńska (Russian)
Editing and proofreading by Iwona Torbicka, Julia Forecka
Graphic design by Andrzej Dobosz / dobosz.studio
Preparation of photographs by Dariusz Nowak
Publication coordinator: Adrian Wykrota
Project coordinator: Anna Molter
DUST / KURZ / ПЫЛЬ was published by X.PRINT — PIX.HOUSE in 200 regular plus 200 author’s copies.
