We are used to living in a world without borders. Except for their imagination and budget, no country is off limits to travellers. A year later comes 2020, which introduces restrictions that were impossible to imagine before: some people are locked in their homes; the borders of several states are closed. In 2022, many restrictions have been lifted and it appears as though the old way of life will be restored, but it will not. A war begins, causing many families to undergo other changes.
Born in Russia, I have lived in Germany since 2013, after getting married. Up until the end of 2019, my family and I regularly travelled to Russia, and my parents visited us 2-3 times a year. Although they were still young, my older sons remember their grandparents' visits. Besides helping grandfather with repairs in our house, they also painted together, and grandmother taught my eldest son to read and sew. Only once did the younger one see them, and he was too small to remember. Children often ask me when the grandparents will come back to visit us now that they only communicate over the Internet. My children are deprived of the opportunity to communicate with my family's older generation, and I'm very concerned about this. According to my friends living abroad, this issue worries many.
My friend once told me this was the price we pay for emigrating, but I think it is an excessive price. It is a punishment that my children face because of my emigration. As time runs out, it cannot be restored.
Throughout my series, I imagine my parents visiting us and spending time with us. Using photos from our family archive for the collages, I included photos of parents from the period of their visits to us until the end of 2019 and images of children from the period of 2021–2023.
