“Russian Queer Revolution”: Celebrating Russia’s LGBTIAQ+ Community.

Natalia Kukina.

Russia’s anti-queer stance is well-known across the globe; the LGBTIAQ+ community is under constant threat of violence and incarceration in the Eastern European country. But that hasn’t stopped the queer community from thriving in underground creative spaces, like the popular queer rave PopoffKitchen.

And now writer and curator Anastasiia Fedorova, who is based in London, is celebrating Russia’s queer community with an aptly titled photographic exhibition- Russian Queer Revolution.

Roman Kyandjliev by Arseniy Neskhodimov.

Federova has teamed up with artists Joshua Fay, Anya Gorkova and Filip Lelitzki to create and curate 75 portraits of creatives in the Russian queer community. Speaking to i-D, Federova said: “Obviously, in Russia, you don't have many safe spaces if you belong to LGBTQ+ community — whether on the streets, at home or at work, you're very likely to encounter some kind of discrimination. Constructing their own portraits was a moment for them to celebrate themselves and their identities, and to completely be who they are”.

Miliyolllie (Self Portrait)

Sado Opera by Levi T

Russian Queer Revolution will run at The Outsider Gallery at VFD Dalston until 25 September 2020. The exhibition has been set up alongside a fundraiser for T-Action, a St Petersburg-based charity supporting Russia’s trans community, which you can support here.