A fisherman covers himself with a plastic bag to shield himself from the wind and cold in Astana, Kazakhstan.
A fisherman covers himself with a plastic bag to shield himself from the wind and cold in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Aleksey Kondratyev
To achieve an abstract look, Aleksey Kondratyev manipulated his photos during the editing process, removing things in the background like buildings and power lines. He wanted to take the emphasis off the city and focus on the fishermen and their gear.
To achieve an abstract look, Aleksey Kondratyev manipulated his photos during the editing process, removing things in the background like buildings and power lines. He wanted to take the emphasis off the city and focus on the fishermen and their gear.
Aleksey Kondratyev
"I was interested in the idea of isolating oneself off from the world, like these guys do with their plastic bags," he said. "I thought by taking out the background, that would be another way to further that idea."
"I was interested in the idea of isolating oneself off from the world, like these guys do with their plastic bags," he said. "I thought by taking out the background, that would be another way to further that idea."
Aleksey Kondratyev
Astana is the second-coldest capital city in the world after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 40 degrees (Celsius and Fahrenheit).
Astana is the second-coldest capital city in the world after Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with temperatures dropping as low as minus 40 degrees (Celsius and Fahrenheit).
Aleksey Kondratyev
A man holds fish in the plastic bottles next to him.
A man holds fish in the plastic bottles next to him.
Aleksey Kondratyev
Kondratyev visited Central Asia last year and returned in January to document the fishermen in Astana.
Kondratyev visited Central Asia last year and returned in January to document the fishermen in Astana.
Aleksey Kondratyev
"They're so focused on this practice of ice fishing and they're so cut off from their surroundings," Kondratyev said. "They're isolated by this plastic bag that abstracts their figure."
"They're so focused on this practice of ice fishing and they're so cut off from their surroundings," Kondratyev said. "They're isolated by this plastic bag that abstracts their figure."
Aleksey Kondratyev
The photos were taken on Astana's frozen Ishim River.
The photos were taken on Astana's frozen Ishim River.
Aleksey Kondratyev
"Those plastic bags, they're not specifically made for ice fishing," Kondratyev said. "They're just re-appropriated for that purpose."
"Those plastic bags, they're not specifically made for ice fishing," Kondratyev said. "They're just re-appropriated for that purpose."
Aleksey Kondratyev
Kondratyev, who is from nearby Kyrgyzstan, speaks Russian and was able to communicate easily with the fishermen.
Kondratyev, who is from nearby Kyrgyzstan, speaks Russian and was able to communicate easily with the fishermen.
Aleksey Kondratyev