светлая память
At my mother's birthday party in Tiraspol, my father dances happily with her in his arms. In Germany I have never seen my parents dancing.
Translated into english светлая память means - bright memory. The expression is used when a beloved person passes away. All the beautiful memories left by a deceased person are in this expression of condolence.
The project began as a search for the cultural origins of my family in the place I have visited with them since childhood.
It developed into a search for the identity of many inhabitants of Transnistria, a republic that seceded from Moldova in 1991 by separatists with the support of Russia.
Since then, this republic has been an unrecognized state within Moldova, Russian military bases exist to this day, and gas as well as many pensions are largely financed by Russia.
At a possible crossroads in the history of life in Transnistria, the question of cultural identity is pressing. Due to Moldova's EU membership application and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, many people are forced to decide which nation they ascribe to.
