Russian photo-surrealist Rinat Voligamsi (Ufa,
Bashkiria) published his version of Lenin's life. The artist
imagines the leader of the world revolution didn't die in 1924, but
abandoned politics and started living as a good Muslim because his
relatives were of Bashkir origin. Then "renovated Lenin" begins
associating with his fictitious twin-brother Sergey and goes on Hajj
to Mecca and even writes a work entitled Islam as the
Last Hope of
Revolution.
"I imagine Lenin as an ordinary villager sitting near his peasant's
house and smoking tobacco he grew with his own hands in the garden
or married to three women or going to Mecca late in life because I
think that every atheist has his way to God and Lenin could have
found this path," the artist tells.
The author's fantasy goes on: Lenin is hiding away in Latin America
during World War II where he consults Castro and Trotsky on various
questions and he spends the last days of his life with his family in
Zurich, where they have an antiques boutique.
The artist realized his unusual project in 2005 when he made 21
photo collages. He used hundreds of authentic old pictures in his
work and turned them to "real fantasy" with
Photoshop. |