TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE
Book Description
What if history had given them the love they deserved? TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE is Damian Siqueiros's stunning full-color photographic project — a series of meticulously constructed tableaux that reimagine and celebrate the lives of iconic gay and lesbian Russian historical figures. Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. Sergei Diaghilev. Vaslav Nijinsky. These are names that echo through the halls of art history — but their truths have been systematically erased, their loves concealed, their identities buried under a century of silence and state-sponsored homophobia.
Siqueiros, a Mexican-Canadian visual artist and photographer, creates images of extraordinary beauty and defiance. Working in a style reminiscent of early twentieth-century couple's photography, he presents each figure with a fictional partner — an act of imaginative restoration that gives back what history stole. The project emerged in 2014 as a direct artistic response to Russia's institutionalized homophobia and the violence targeting LGBTQ+ people — a declaration that art can create the safe spaces that politics destroys.
TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE is more than a photography book. It is a work of historical reclamation, a political intervention, and a love letter to the queer ancestors whose full humanity has too long been denied. For art lovers, LGBTQ+ readers, students of Russian culture, and anyone who believes that representation is a form of justice, this full-color volume is an essential addition to the library.
Recognition
- Featured in The Advocate and international arts media
- Acclaimed as a powerful artistic statement against institutionalized homophobia
Author Bio
DAMIAN SIQUEIROS is a Mexican-Canadian multidisciplinary visual artist and photographer whose work has been exhibited internationally. His practice spans fashion photography, fine art, and activist interventions, with a consistent focus on provoking emotion, inspiring change, and advocating for the acceptance of diversity. TO RUSSIA WITH LOVE represents a landmark fusion of his artistic vision with his commitment to LGBTQ+ rights and historical justice. He is based in Montreal.
Book Details
| ISBN: | 978-1-926716-33-6 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | 8th House Publishing |
| Genre: | Art / Photography / LGBTQ+ Studies / Russian History |
| Format: | Full-color, Paperback |
| Pages: | 60 |
| Debut: | Debut with 8th House Publishing |
Also by This Author
Debut with 8th House Publishing. Siqueiros's photography has been featured in numerous international exhibitions and publications.
