Jason Eskenazi’s Wonderland: A Fairy Tale of the Soviet Monolith is a an exploration of Russia and the former Soviet Union between 1988 and 2001, capturing a transformative era following the dissolution of the USSR. Eskenazi was inspired by the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to leave New York and document the shifting geopolitical landscape of Eastern Europe. His travels took him to Germany, Romania, and Russia during moments of political and social upheaval. This historical backdrop informs Wonderland, where he presents a visual narrative of a society caught between the remnants of a utopian Soviet dream and an uncertain future. The project reflects both the harsh realities of post-Soviet life and the resilience of its people, resonating with universal themes of nostalgia, transition, and hope.
Structured like a fairy tale, Wonderland draws parallels between the collective experience of the Soviet collapse and the archetypal journey of a protagonist confronting the unknown. Eskenazi likens the end of the Soviet Union to the death of a parental figure, leaving its citizens to navigate a new and unfamiliar world. This conceptual approach informs both the sequencing of images and their thematic resonance, as he captures moments of innocence, struggle, and adaptation.
Eskenazi’s aesthetic choices further reinforce this sense of timelessness and myth. Using mostly wide-angle lenses and shooting in black and white, he evokes a mid-20th-century photographic style reminiscent of classic documentary work. His images emphasize composition and depth, utilizing natural light and tonal subtleties to create an immersive atmosphere. Often capturing his subjects from a distance of three to five meters, he maintains a detached, observational stance.
The project’s visibility and support were substantial: Eskenazi received a Guggenheim Fellowship and the Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize in 1999, and Wonderland later won POYi’s Best Photography Book (2008). Key presentations include Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan (2004); the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism (2007); and Leica Gallery New York (2008–09).
