Andy Rocchelli’s Russian Interiors explores themes of femininity, intimacy, and social dynamics in post-Soviet Russia. During his time in Moscow around 2010, Rocchelli began the project as a means to support himself while working as a freelance photographer. He offered low-cost portraits to single women in their apartments, positioning himself as an alternative to local professional competitors. This commercial endeavor soon evolved into a significant body of work that provided access to private spaces and stories, offering a glimpse into the lives of these women. The photographs explore themes of loneliness, self-presentation, desire, and the nuanced dynamics of sexualized identity and ego.
Visually, Russian Interiors is distinguished by its emphasis on the interplay between subjects and their environments. Many images focus not only on the women themselves but also on the rich, layered details of their domestic spaces—floral wallpapers, religious icons, makeshift decorations—elements that communicate personal histories and aspirations. The women, often posing directly for the camera, present a sense of both vulnerability and assertion, engaging with Rocchelli’s lens in ways that blur the boundary between the performative and the candid. The color palette fluctuates between washed-out and muted tones, shaped by Rocchelli’s use of direct flash, while the harsh lighting enhances the stark, immediate quality of the captured moments.
Rocchelli was killed in eastern Ukraine while documenting the conflict in Sloviansk. His passing highlighted the risks faced by conflict photojournalists and brought renewed attention to his body of work. Russian Interiors, nearly complete at the time of his tragic death in 2014, was posthumously published by Cesura, the photography collective Rocchelli co-founded. The book drew immediate notice and the series received World Press Photo’s 2015 Second Prize (Portraits, Stories). Since then it has circulated widely, from the World Press Photo traveling exhibition to focused presentations such as Stories (Palazzo del Broletto, Pavia; Museo di Roma in Trastevere, 2015) and Andy Rocchelli: Letzte Front (Photobastei, Zurich, 2017–18).
