Anti-trans pundits keep accusing me of “redefining womanhood” so I’m going to roll with it. However, I still believe in justice for both real women and cis women. Just because a cis woman didn’t spend years thinking about her gender doesn’t mean she’s not as valid as trans women. Cis women are only being their authentic selves and deserve support too. They even sometimes go through their own gender journeys with fashion, media, and experimentation. I see no reason why we can’t support our female cisters, who are just like us despite being assigned female at birth by a doctor. Feminism means respecting all women: actual women and cis women alike.
The Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is one of the most remote regions from the center of Russia. The region is known for mineral deposits and extremely low temperatures -60 Celsius degrees below zero. However, Yakutia is famous not only for the severe climate and gold which is mined here, but also for the cinema. Yakut films participate in international festivals in Europe and Asia, receive awards, which are already more than 80. Yakut Hollywood is called «Sakhawood».
People with different experiences are engaged in filmmaking. Most directors have no special education, for some of them directing is not the main way to earn money. Actors are people who work in the theatre, or people who have never acted in a movie before. About 7-10 feature length films are shot here per year, from romantic comedies to fairy tales, based on local legends and beliefs. Sometimes Yakut movies have better box office than world blockbusters. Meanwhile, the movie in Yakutia is shot for little money even by the most modest Russian standards, on average, the production of the film costs 1-2 million rubles. Despite this, the Yakut filmmakers have ambitious plans — to win the audience in Russia, and then in the world.
Gardener Minna lives with her children in a house that she is renovating with her own hands.
The floor of the entrance hall
has original linoleum. The magnificent staircase was built by the son of the previous owner of the house.
The gray chest was surface-treated by Minna, and the showy mirror is a find in a second-hand store.
Minna renovated the home to her liking. The villa-like bohemian interior fits perfectly into the house. The surface of the old writing drawer is gorgeous without paint.
The crown of the living room is a bay window that opens directly onto the lush garden. Coziness is from different sofas facing one another, stacks of books on the side tables and, of course, lush sprouting green plants.
“I like to do all kinds of plant experiments in both setups and plantings.” Geraniums are perfect in Minna’s bright rooms. In summer, there is also space for them in the courtyard and conservatory.
When Minna dismantled an old closet, a brick wall - the masonry side of the chimney - was revealed behind it.
During the renovation, Minna gave up the top cabinets in the kitchen and painted the rest of the cabinets black.
Two sinks is an everyday luxury.
The cabinet, acquired from an old goods store, is full of Finnish glass and porcelain. Different pairs of chairs and an oriental rug are from the flea market.
In the room of a daughter in her twenties, vintage dresses hang
and the bed is covered with a crocheted lace blanket.
In Minna’s bedroom, there is little wall space under the sloping ceiling,
but photos, jewelry and accessories of the loved ones are displayed in a beautiful still life.
Winter garden, conservatory, summer pavilion … The lovely greenhouse is the most important part of Minna’s yard.
