The story about lilliputians artists “The shining of little stars” who travel around Russia.
The first performance was in Ivanovo. The posters were placed all over the town and many inhabitants were surprised and sincerely confessed that they have never seen anything like this. The hall was full nearly the entire day while the little stars performed in the Ivanovo circus. Many people came for a few shows and took more and more friends with them each time.
It is not surprising – the “Little stars” worked hard, they were attentive to smallest details, rehearsed till late at night, and started getting dressed and putting make up in a day before the performance. The circus hotels where they stayed were full of USSR spirit. Large wardrobes in the rooms served as storage for many flower bouquets that filled the rooms after each performance. The hotel staff has carefully decorated the wardrobes with posters from old teenage magazines.
This environment contrasts with the appearance of the little stars, with their practically perfect, artistic make-up and original suits which were made almost entirely by hand. Only true stars can shine in any environment. Their team was even more than this – more like a family, a kind of living organism. They felt and understood each other without words and almost seem to read each other’s thoughts. They had their own unique ideas and performances, but it all came together when the efforts of each performer were united into one single performance. I spent all my time with them – in hotels and at rehearsals. I tried to join their world, which attracted and enchanted me more and more every day.
Cat trainer Olga Suslova invited me to her room and introduced me to one of her pets, which did not take its eyes off chunks of raw meat that she was cooking for the next performance. I was impressed. Olga, such a fragile, beautiful girl, was holding a large knife and cut a kilogram of fresh meat so fast, so artfully. She told me that work is her whole life. She is married, her husband has the same lifestyle. He is also a performer, but in a Chinese style circus. They have not had the opportunity to see each other for a long time due to their work and they are waiting for the day when they can be together at last. Still, not all the couples have such difficult circumstances. Many of them met and married while performing in the circus and live wonderfully, working for many years. All the life of little stars is in tours; their nights are in hotels. This special people have created their own world where they have found themselves. They are very happy little stars because they can shine for others.
We can see her love, talent, and a special sensitivity to this topic. Over the years Tatiana has not stopped in creating projects that have been successful and important. Her projects were created for both the cultural and social spheres of many countries. For example, the project “Little Stars” was used in media worldwide, including National Geographic and CNN.
Ed Kashi, a long-time contributor to National Geographic Magazine, Time, New Yorker, and many others
About Tatiana Ilina
Have been working in these fields for more than 12 years in different countries around the world. After receiving a Masters Degree in Journalism/Social Media/News Production from International Independent Ecological-Political University, graduated from Rodchenko Moscow School of Photography and Media Arts.
Subsequently, graduated from ESEC Professional School in the field of film and audiovisual techniques. Recently, completed degrees with courses in Advertising and Art-direction from the School of Visual Arts in New York. Sometimes art can change how people see the world, but I want to change how the world sees people. Through my imagery, I am passionate about giving a voice to the voiceless – shining a light on those whom society has often placed in darkness.
I was brought to photography by cinema when I was 20 years old, and I was fascinated by the new wave in French movies, in particular by films of Jean Luc Godard. His films immersed me in a special, unlikely reality while watching them I understood that I wanted to stop the moments to capture reality and tell the stories with my photographs. I have traveled around the world, working in different countries, creating social documentaries and art projects allowing me to look at things from the other side. [Official Website]