For many years, I have been telling contemporary stories and the most divisive themes of our time through the great rivers of the world. It is a narrative key that I have used for both writing and video documentaries. I explored Brexit by descending the Thames; the Trump phenomenon – during his first campaign – by ascending the Missouri, the most agricultural and conservative river in America, but also one that symbolizes the conquest of the West. Then I narrated the world's most devastating deforestation in Cambodia, following a long stretch of the Mekong. But it all started with the Mississippi, about a decade ago: it was there that, together with my photographer friend Alessandro Cosmelli, I learned to listen to the great rivers, to understand that they can reveal uncomfortable, even shocking truths.
Here are the sources of the idea of using the Volga as a primary route – from its sources in the Valdai region between St. Petersburg and Moscow to Astrakhan on the Caspian Sea – to try to understand what it means to be Russian today. Together with Alessandro, we took a big risk during the second summer of war, and we traveled six thousand kilometers into the heart, belly, and soul of deep Russia for over a month, without a journalistic visa and without ever meeting a single foreigner. This resulted in an exclusive report for Harper’s Magazine in the United States and then a book, Volga Blues.
A journey not only to traverse the many regions washed by the Volga but also to retrace the eras and rewind the tape of events that have led to the crisis and war. Marzio G. Mian
We will be expertly welcomed by Chiara Alpago Novello starting at 9:30 for breakfast with coffee, tea, and all the good things to start the day right; at 12:30 light lunch, greetings, and toasts.
