Why did you choose the Ural Mountains and these towns?

I decided to head inland to the Ural Mountains, Russia’s "spine" where Europe and Asia meet. This is the middle of Russia, not geographically but culturally. I explored two regions of the Urals - Perm Krai and Sverdlovsk Oblast. Both of them have one representative in the Russian Football Premier League, but I was more interested in documenting the life of the real football underdogs - amateur clubs from local championships. There are seven towns in my story from The Ural Mountains: Perm, Uralsky, Chusovoy, Lysva, Kachkanar, Degtyarsk and Rezh.

The main economic activities in The Urals are mining and metalwork, which deeply impact social life and football, including the names of the stadiums and clubs. Of the seven local stadiums that I visited three were named "Metallurg" and two were called "Gornyak" ("Miner").

The harsh nature of provincial Russia is displayed on the football pitches. The economic crisis in the country affects many parts of football, including financial support of the teams, the condition of pitches and even the availability of medical care at the stadiums.

Nevertheless, the spirit of football traditionally prevails on a match day in the towns. Football always attracts a large number of locals into the stands at the weekend. Although there is no financial reward for a victory, players in the countryside fight in the matches for their team and town, as their fathers and grandfathers once did. The continuity of generations, conservatism and patriarchal character of modern Russia is shown very well in the football stadiums of small provincial towns.