The price of land in the village is likely to reach 7 million rubles ($95,200) by the end of 2021 due to high demand when foreign tourism is limited. According to real estate data agency CIAN, the price of houses in the village is currently between 40 million and 900 million rubles (from about $544,400 to $12.2 million). Demand to buy houses mainly comes from successful businessmen in big cities. Prices here are above the income of an ordinary Russian. Guests gather at a cafe in the village of Krasnaya Polyana, Russia. Photo: Reuters. At the same time, rents have also increased as many people want to temporarily move away from the city to Krasnaya Polyana to work remotely. The local airport is about 40 minutes by car from the village and there is a hiking trail directly from the village. “I love climbing mountains and relaxing at night spots in the village,” said Kirill Ryzhonkov, a data analyst from Moscow. Krasnaya Polyana is a scenic village located in the mountains near the Black Sea. The village is surrounded by mountains, has good quality tap water, fresh air – these are hard to find in Moscow at this time, according to Reuters . The village has about 5,000 inhabitants, similar to many other places in Russia. The difference is that there are many good services with cafes, restaurants, pubs with fast Wifi speed. Some of the restaurants here were built before the Covid-19 epidemic to serve skiers at the 2014 Winter Olympics. Services decided to stay open all year round because residents no longer worried about guests. Guests from Moscow will bring Covid-19. A public workspace mainly serving IT workers and start-ups opened in October 2020. This office owner wishes to turn Krasnaya Polyana into Russia’s Silicon Valley in the future despite the obstacles of the epidemic. “People saw the potential of Krasnaya Polyana: in the same time zone as Moscow, only 2 hours away from Moscow, skiing in winter and sea in summer, as well as the infrastructure for the Olympics before.” Ilya Kreimer, manager of this office said.

As a result, the village becomes a golden place for city dwellers looking to find a peaceful and comfortable “shelter” to rest or work remotely. The demand to buy houses here from people from other regions has pushed housing prices in Krasnaya Polyana to double. Krasnaya Polyana village is located in the mountains near the Black Sea. (Photo: Reuters) The price of land in Russia is calculated in units of sotki – 100m2. Nikolai Rogachev, a shop owner in Krasnaya Polyana, said the price of a sotki of land here has increased from $27,200 to $68,000 during the pandemic. According to him, land prices will continue to increase sharply and may reach 95,200 USD/sotki by the end of 2021, especially when domestic tourism demand increases sharply because people are restricted from leaving the country. According to data from real estate company CIAN, homes in the village range in price from $544,000 to more than $12 million. The demand to buy is mainly from wealthy businessmen in big cities, because the price of houses in Krasnaya Polyana exceeds the financial ability of ordinary Russians. Rents have also increased as many see Krasnaya Polyana as an escape from the city. It has up to 20 cafes, restaurants, pubs and bars, and high-speed internet. The village is only a 40-minute drive from the airport and the traffic is very open, convenient for short stays. “ People have noticed the advantages of the village: It is in the same time zone as Moscow, only 2 hours by flight from the capital, has a ski area in the winter, has a beach in the summer, and good infrastructure “, said Ilya Kreimer, an investor in the village of Krasnaya Polyana. Taking advantage of the potentials gained during the COVID-19 pandemic, Krasnaya Polyana is expected to become Russia’s new “Silicon valley” (high-tech commercial district).

From the three-bedroom apartment with city views, Gekoski easily sees Pasay’s public cemetery. He didn’t realize how miserable life right next to him was until he embarked on a photo project in collaboration with the NGO Lady Freethinker. In the photo, a skinny dog ​​is standing on the top of the tomb. It is one of at least 400 animals living in the cemetery with about 300 families. In this place, some people even have to find leftovers in the trash to get through the day. “I have never seen a place where people live, sleep on graves. As a photographer, I want to tell the story I have witnessed. What I see is not despair but a cohesive community. They still shine with hope despite struggling with difficulties most of us can’t even imagine,” he said. The same suffering as humans are dogs. In the cemetery, everything is almost zero: no running water, no cleaning services, no electricity… Therefore, the dogs here mostly look emaciated. They huddled in the dark, curled up in the aisle, tails curling around their bony bodies. In the photo, Mrs. Cura (65 years old) with her chained dog. She is raising 5 dogs in the cemetery and wants to leave one day soon. Life in the cemetery for many has spanned several generations. They live on money taking care of the graves of rich families, carving steles or selling flowers… Many people want to leave but can’t. Because they live in cemeteries, they do not have access to health care, education, sanitation services, etc. This makes it difficult for them to find outside work. In the photo, Honey (18 years old) lives with 8 dogs and her parents. Ashley Fruno, founder of Pasay Pups – an organization that works for animal and children’s rights – regularly and volunteers visit, care for and vaccinate animals at the cemetery every week. They also hold discussions on the proper care of animals and give supplies to children. However, the pandemic makes weekly visits more difficult. The Pasay government has organized strict social distancing that prevents people living in the cemetery from leaving half a step. Because of their inability to go out, the cemetery’s residents have very limited access to food. They also cannot search for scraps to cover their daily lives. Pasay Pups has donated rice, soap, reusable masks twice a month. However, the number of volunteers is also decreasing day by day. “It’s shocking that they are provided with very few necessities to get through the days of social distancing,” Fruno said. Even so, even when the photos were made public, the Pasay government made no official comment. Sharing with The Guardian, Fruno and photographer Gekoski hope the photos will help people and animals in Pasay cemetery better in the future. Pasay, a city in metropolitan Manila (Philippines) has nearly 416,000 people living in an area of ​​about 18 square kilometers. It is described on tourist forums as a destination for “culture, shopping, relaxation and horror”. Gekoski’s series of photographs expose the lives of poverty that people and animals have to endure in cemeteries.

In the Middle Ages, the castles were where the royal family lived. They live together under the protection of bodyguards, soldiers … Today, the old castles are often renovated into museums. Only a handful of people choose to live in a castle like Yulia. She was born in Russia but raised in Germany. Currently, Yulia lives and works in Spain. While in Germany, Yulia had the experience of living in a castle built in 1482. The castle was not owned by Yulia, but she lived there for 2 years. The reason is that Yulia and her husband suggested the castle owner let them live here. In return, they will repair and renovate the castle. When Yulia first arrived at the castle, things were still medieval. For example, the interior space is kept warm with wood and there is no running water. According to Bored Panda, the castle looks intact despite many battles. It is not as flashy as the fairytale castles, but it is enough for the Yulia couple and 6 cats to live. Since there is a large forest around the castle, cats can freely go foraging. Yulia said she still provided them with adequate food. Even the money Yulia spent to buy food for 6 cats is more than it is spent on herself. Since coming to live in the castle, Yulia has remodeled many things, starting with the kitchen. She bought an oven and installed a sink. Water for daily life is well water. In addition, electricity sometimes flickers. The Russian girl admits that life here is no different from the Middle Ages. According to Yulia, the couple never intended to modernize the castle. They simply repaired small things like doors and balconies, installed telephone lines and the Internet and blocked holes to prevent mice and bugs from entering. Responding to Bored Panda, Yulia said she could not complete the castle renovation while living here. Since this is a historic site, major renovation projects need to go through many levels of management. Currently, a part of the castle is being used as a hotel for people working remotely. In the photo, the interior is used by Yulia for the renovation. She made her own bed and kitchen cabinets out of wood. Yulia’s cats love to stay near a fireplace in winter. According to Yulia, when winter comes, indoor temperatures can drop below 8 degrees Celsius. In summer, the temperature in the castle is not better (about 40 degrees C). Another difficulty is that many wild animals often appear around the castle. “People shouldn’t think only rich people live in castles. Not many people live a few nights here,” she said. The castle inherently has a toilet inside. The toilet repaired by Yulia looks like a wooden chair with an ashtray beside it. The zipper on the picture is not for draining but to call the servant to clean. To drain the water, you will have to rush it. Yulia loves everything related to the Middle Ages, and her dress reflects that. “If you are having mental problems, leave modern life and try to be like your ancestors. Spend extra time on yourself instead of getting into the cycle of work,” she said.