The Photo "Family photo: Sisters with children" (1982)
My grandmother Maria Bronislavovna Rushteiko and her daughter Natalia (my mother) are captured in a family photo. The second adult woman is Elena Bronislavovna (she is Maria’s younger sister). Elena and her son Dmitry are also in this photo.
The picture was taken in Shchuchin in a photo studio (it’s a special place where photos are taken and made for customers). A photographer worked in a photo studio and he was a well-known person in the regional center. Customers were seated in front of a light curtain, the photographer pointed where to look (just above the lens), and then, hiding under the cloak of a large camera, took a picture and there was a flash at that time. When the photos were ready (5 - 10 days later), it was necessary to come to the photo studio to take them. As a rule, there was a set of 6 photos. Colour photos were rarely taken at that time, because they were much more expensive.
Visiting photo studio was a real event for people. That’s why they prepared for this event in advance. They thought out how to dress up. And sisters Maria and Elena weren’t an exception. They decided to take pictures with their young children. They specially came from Skragi village to Shchuchin for this important event. Both adult women and their children are dressed in artificial fur coats. Real fur coats were very expensive and seemed an unrealizable dream for the villagers. But even an artificial fur coat was an indicator of the family well-being at that time.
Therefore, the sisters decided that in the photo everyone will be in outer clothing indoors. On Maria’s head there is a “shalinovka” (so called colourful scarves, fashionable at that time).( By the way, my grandmother wears such scarves nowadays. Honestly in our time, sometimes I take a “shalinovka” from my grandmother - it goes very well with modern clothes and looks relevant even with jeans on). Helena is wearing a mohair knitted hat (these hats were very fashionable). As for the children, they are wearing knitted hats with patterns (a bright and eye-catching item of children's clothing). Sisters Maria and Elena are posing, because they want to look beautiful and understand the importance of the moment. Four-year-old Natalia understands the importance of the moment as well. But two-year-old Dmitry frowned: perhaps he is afraid of what is happening.
This photo conveys the most important thing: the warmth of family relationships. The sisters love and respect each other; they want to keep the time when they are young and their children are small.