"...Eventually, the situation in 1990’s Russia normalized and improved somewhat. Then, again, the natural flow of things was abruptly interrupted. On August 17, 1998, Russia experienced the collapse of its financial system and the dramatic quintuple devaluation of Russian ruble within several days...Similar to the previous times of instability, and the 1991-1992 situation in particular, this event caused numerous human tragedies. Once more people were thrown back to the past, to the awful conditions of existence. They again had to struggle for survival, and again the time seemed to stand still, as though we had returned to the beginning of 1991. I took my camera and tripod and went picture taking. The photographs shot during these tragic days from 1998 through 1999, and partially in 2000, initiated my new series. "
From an interview with SHOTS magazine, 2005