Evgenia Arbugaeva – Hyperborea: Stories from the Arctic

Review by Rudy Vega •

Hyperborea: Stories from the Russian Arctic, the latest book by Evgenia Arbugaeva, offers a profound exploration of life in the Siberian Arctic. Published by Thames and Hudson, the book is described as a journey to the most inaccessible Arctic regions of Siberia, showcasing dreamlike encounters with its people, landscapes, and fauna—a description that accurately sets the stage for an enthralling path of discovery.

Arbugaeva, who grew up in Tiksi, a town on the shore of the Laptev Sea in the Republic of Yakutia, presents a collection of visual narratives that are as unforgettable as they are deeply personal. Her intimate connection with her homeland illuminates the fragile beauty and desolate grandeur of both the land and its inhabitants. This unique perspective, born out of her personal history and deep-seated relationship with the region, lends an authenticity to her work that transcends mere photographic experience.

Hyperborea is a handsome photobook clocking in at one hundred and twelve pages, including forty-five color illustrations. The main content is organized as four chapters or stories as alluded to in the title. They are: I Weather Man, II Kanin Nos, III Dikson, IV Chukota. Each story is accompanied by Arbugaeva’s narrative prose offering added insight to the grouping of photographs that follow. Her words perfectly complement the images as her first-person accounting lends a certain poetry to the affairs at hand.

The photographs in Hyperborea are meticulously composed, radiating with an otherworldly palette that captures the raw, vibrant essence of the Arctic climate. Yet, it is Arbugaeva’s empathy for her subjects that imbues her work with a profound sense of agency. Her lens captures the quiet intensity of life lived in isolation and extreme conditions, offering a glimpse into a world defined by its seclusion and elemental beauty.

Spanning a decade, Arbugaeva’s work is the result of extensive travel along the Russian Arctic coast, where she connected with people living in some of the most remote and challenging environments on earth. Her images reflect a life where everything is interconnected—humans with nature, and the sky with the land—revealing a realm of deep solitude and a slower pace of life. They invite contemplation of a territory that, for many, has long been a place of longing and imagination, now facing existential threats from environmental changes.

The ephemeral quality of the Arctic’s stark beauty is captured with breathtaking clarity in Hyperborea. Arbugaeva’s photographs allow us to partake in a unique experience, one that few will ever encounter firsthand, from the comfort of our homes. Accompanied by an introduction from anthropologist Piers Vitebsky, four texts by Arbugaeva, and a specially commissioned map, the book provides a comprehensive context for her project, linking it to broader global issues, including the impacts of modernization and climate change.

Hyperborea is more than a mere aesthetic exploration; it is a thoughtful investigation into the people and places of the Arctic. Through Arbugaeva’s lens, we gain insights and learn to appreciate a beauty that is insistent on being recognized. This work is a testament to the power of artistic expression, offering a mature, caring illumination of the life and challenges of the region. It is an invaluable contribution to understanding the beauty and complexity of a part of the world that is both remote and intimately connected to the global narrative of environmental stewardship and change.

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Rudy Vega is a Contributing Editor and resides in Irvine, Ca. He is a fine art photographer and writer.

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Evgenia Arbugaeva – Hyperborea: Stories from the Arctic

Photographer: Evgenia Arbugaeva (born Tiksi, Yakutia; lives in London, UK)

Essays: Piers Vitebsky, Evgenia Arbugaeva

Language: English

Hardcover book, offset printing, 112 pages, 45 color plates. 11.6 x 13.7 inches; ISBN 978-0-500-02622-9

Editor: Evgenia Arbugaeva

Book Design: Evgenia Arbugaeva

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