Between Russia and Bashkortostan

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This reportage was made as a part my studies at the Academy of Arts of Moldova.

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I always knew that my father is from Russia and when I was small, I imaged that it is another planet. So, I believed that my father is an astronaut, because he could travel from the planet Russia to the planet Moldova. Therefore, I was dreaming one day to become astronaut and flight to father’s homeland.

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My dad was born in the small town Asha, which is located on the border between Bashkirtostan and Russia. When I grew up, it turned out that missiles don't fly to my father’s homeland, there are even no airports. We had to go 4 days and nights by train to rich this fantastic world. It thought I got into a fairy tale. Around were wooden houses, tall spruces, hills and crystal rivers. We even drank water from a river in the forest, and it was very soft and even sweet.

The city was founded in 1898 around a metallurgical plant, which to this day is the main source of income. Mostly, people live in private houses and warm themselves in traditional black saunas, without chimney, so the smoke fills the room.