Apashka by Pavel Prokopchik

People address the shaman who is living in Ungurtas village, Kazakhstan, as Apa or Apashka, which means 'granny' in the Kazakh language.

Originally from Turkistan, Apa was told by the spirits to find a particular mountain. She found it eight years ago and made a temporary living space and started accepting pilgrims. Soon after, pilgrims built a whole farm and made steppes on the mountain, which is thought to have healing properties.

Apa is a sufi. She calls herself the last dervish of Kazakhstan. Some of the rituals she performs include slaying of a goat and pouring blood on half-naked people. Or after killing an animal, blood is smeared on to the face, hands and feet of her followers.

Life at the farm is very basic. Every day starts with chores: bringing water from the river, cleaning the stoves and putting new coal in them, taking care of the goats and other animals. Women usually cook and take care of the dishes.

Once in a while Apa says that she receives a command from the sprits and gives out personal or sometimes common assignments, which usually include visiting some nearby holy place or saying particular mantras.

People come from other countries to visit her — Russia, Ukraine – and other parts of Kazakhstan. Some people come to her for health or addiction problems, others to resolve life issues. Some stay there for a short period, some stay for a period of three months and often come back more than one time.

Pavel Prokopchik

Text and video at FOTO8

Complete gallery at Pavel Prokopchik website

Half by Julia Kozerski

We all have at least one attribute about ourselves that causes us to be self conscious; something that causes us to feel as if we are not “normal.” For myself and countless others, our weight is a constant source of such insecurity. By the time I had reached the age of 25, I tipped the scales at 338 pounds. With a body mass index (BMI) of 49.9 percent, literally half of my body consisted of fat, and I was classified as “morbidly obese.” Throughout childhood and adolescence, my weight led me through spells of depression caused by associated physical and emotional issues. For so long, I wished nothing more than to physically be someone other than myself believing that doing so would make me happier.

In December 2009 I decided to take charge of my life and embarked upon my own self-directed, healthy-living journey. Through calorie counting, focus on nutrition, portion control, and increased exercise, my efforts have resulted in a loss of over 160 pounds. While I genuinely believed that my hard work and dedication would transform me into that “perfect” person of my dreams, the reality of what has resulted is quite the opposite. My experience contradicts what the media tends to portray. While it is easy to celebrate and appreciate the dramatic physical results of such an endeavor, underneath the layers of clothing and behind closed doors, quite a different reality exists.

These photographs are self-portraits. They serve as reflections of my experience and address and explore my physically and emotionally painful, private struggles with food, obsession, self-control, and self-image. These brutally honest images serve to shed light on the truth of what it is like for me to live life as Half of myself.

Text and photo by Julia Kozerski

Gallery on Fraction Magazine