Soviet Union . Two studies of the former Soviet Union by Adam Hinton Maybe more accurately described as a study of two former Soviet states -Ukraine and Azerbaijan, this body of work is my oldest but is no less important because of that. It typifies what has become my main interest - to document communities living as best they can under economic and social disadvantage or undergoing rapid change and my attempt to record the effect that these external pressures have on people. I visited the Ukraine a couple of month after they had declared independence from the former Soviet Union.  I'd studied Soviet Politics at college and was interested to see how the new country would fair in the post communist era.  I was particularly interested in studying the changes in one of the former industries of the 'hero's of the proletariat'.  I decided to travel to Donestk in the heart of the industrial Dombass region.  I visited the Socialist Dombass coalmine as it was called and stayed with the Slakar family.  The project soon evolved into one about the family and the community around them which became a blueprint for most of my following projects. After spending three years on the Ukraine project I decided to explore another region of the former Soviet Union, this time the oil industry in Baku, Azerbaijan.  I photographed the oil worker and visited several of the families in their homes recording a daily life that still seemed to be stuck in the Soviet past. Oilworker reaches for the crane head on a rig.  Baku, Azerbijan. April 1995 Oilworkers drilling at one of the hundreds of wellheads in Baku, Azerbijan.  The country is the main player in the region exploiting the oil wealth of the Caspian Sea and is the focus of interest of several western oil corporations.  April 1995. In the home of one of the thousands of oilworkers a daughter attends to her mothers cut thumb.  Housing for the workers is very basic. This family of six lives in three small rooms.  Baku, Azerbijan. April 1995. In one of the new apartments built for the oil workers of Baku. April 1995. Oilworkers drilling at one of the hundreds of wellheads in Baku, Azerbijan.  The country is the main player in the region exploiting the oil wealth of the Caspian Sea and is the focus of interest of several western oil coporations.  April 1995. Azerbaijan Ukraine Three miners from the former 'Socialist Dombass' coal mine have a cigarette after working the night shift. Donestsk, Ukraine. Irina Slakar preparing her veil on her wedding day.  She is marrying Alex, a former miner at the Socialist Dombass coal mine. Donetsk, Ukraine. A family sits in their car to keep warm on New Years Day 1992.  Their car is known to locals as 'The coffin on wheels'  The temperature outside was -15C. Donetsk, Ukraine. A bucket captures water leaking through the roof of the Russian Orthadox Church. Donetsk, Ukraine. December 1991. Iliya, the son of Irina and Demeteri, sleeping by the window to get some of the summer.  He was five days old at the time.  The following week Iliya tragically died from a viral brain infection; a devastating shock for his parents and family as this was their first child.  They went on to have several more children.  Donetsk, Ukraine. May 1993. The best man and bridesmaid at the reception of another wedding in the mining community. Donetsk, Ukraine. April 1991. A boy dives into the lake outside the 'Socialist Dombass' coal mine.  Waste from the mine leaches into the lake but that doesn't stop children and adults swimming in the water. April 1993.  Donetsk, Ukraine. A steelworker preparing scrap metal for smelting at the steelworks in Donetsk, Ukraine.  The works is massive, measuring 2km in length. December 1992. All of our advertising is certified by Google and therefore may be viewed safely.