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HYDRA This project focuses on drug related crimes and the darknet influence on this process. In Russia, 25-50 percent of prisoners are serving sentences for drug-related crimes. There are two major factors for that. Firstly, drugs are easy accessible. You can buy all kinds of drugs in the darknet. All you need to have is 15 minutes of free time, Smartphone and Tor browser. After drugs buying you pick it up in the nearest park or courtyard. Digitalization of drugs buying process involves many new people to this field. Secondly, the situation is complicated by extremely repressive legislation. Even for possession of a small amount of drugs, a person can get a prison sentence of up to 10 years. After serving a real or suspended sentence, people find it difficult to integrate back into society and find decent job. I have shot people who have had real or suspended sentences for drug-related crimes. I also have shot the urban landscape, the places where dealers hide "treasures" the most often. These are parks, industrial zones, entrances of apartment buildings, cemeteries, territory of playgrounds. For shooting I've used broken camera, which deforms images. The darknet and the digital camera have one origin - binary code. The darknet is shadow of the internet. Mad internet. Broken internet. And in our common life we don't see the darknet impact. But in drugs related crimes it plays major role. In my opinion, this visual way discloses relations between digitalization of the world and our real lives. Also this visual approach accorded well with traditions of documentary photography. On one hand I don't develop my photos, all images are born inside the cameras, on the other hand it invites us to think about the nature of the photographic images.
HYDRA

HYDRA is the world's largest darknet drug marketplace. The site operates in the post-Soviet space. Since its inception in 2015, its turnover has reached a billion dollars, and the number of users has exceeded a million people.

There are 3000 of online stores on HYDRA. User can buy any kind of drugs and read reviews, ask questions to the support service. After the purchase, you receive the coordinates and photos of the place where the drugs are hidden. Drugs are spread by “treasures”. Shop couriers hide in secluded places of cities “treasures” - small packages of drugs. It is attached with magnets to fences, drainpipes, electrical panels. Sometimes it is buried in parks and graveyards, hidden in entrances of multi-storey buildings or industrial zones.
Sergey is 22 years old. At the age of 19, he was sentenced to two years probation for drug possession. “At that time, I just moved to St. Petersburg, I was making money by streaming. To maintain tone and relaxedness, I started using amphetamine and mephedrone! One evening I went to pick up the treasures and was caught by the police. They took me to the police station, offered to resolve this issue, but I had no money. As a result, the judge gave me two years probation. I returned to my hometown to my parents. They did not talk to me on this topic, I tried to go to a psychotherapist, but he treated me with contempt. I started using drugs again! But I was lucky, I met a girl and fell in love with her. Now we live in St. Petersburg, and I don't use it. I have a good job, but before finding it, I was refused several times due to a criminal record."

About $ 3 million worth of “treasures” are made daily on Hydra. As of December 2020, an average of 137000 deals were initiated by buyers every day on HYDRA.

“Treasures” are spread by the treasuremens - couriers of drug stores. In most cases, these are young people looking for an opportunity to earn money, often schoolchildren and students. When caught by the police, they are tried for the distribution of drugs on an especially large scale. Average prison sentences are 10-20 years.
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Anna “First of all, I'm afraid of condemnation! In principle, I don't really trust people, although I try. And secondly, I run into problems even earlier, with work, for example. Every time I went for an interview, I put a check mark on the criminal record in the questionnaire, now I don't. I do not know to lie or not to lie to them, and if a lie is revealed, then I will be fired. I didn't have that, but the ex-guys did. They got a job, worked, then they were investigated by the security service and the boss came with the words “You have a criminal record”, get out of here. And the guys worked there for a month or two weeks and were not paid anything. I definitely won't be able to work in a financially responsible position, not even as a cashier! The administrator's position is also eliminated. " Ilya “In total, I spent 8 or 9 months in jail. Several times I was brought to court and the term of my arrest was extended. I already told them that let’s judge me already! I will go to jail and at least take a walk on the street, not in a cage in a pre-trial detention center. The last meeting is taking place, they give me the last word. And after that, a lawyer comes up to me and says that they will convict me today. “Do not be afraid if you are given a long term of imprisonment, we will justify, we will be to the last.” The prosecutor demanded to convict me of 11 years of strict regime, for five grams of amphetamine. When the judge announced the verdict, I did not understand what he was saying. And suddenly I hear “3 years and 3 months”. I give my hands to the escort. "Come on, take me to jail." And he looked at me with an incomprehensible look, it turned out that they gave me a suspended sentence. Mom fainted. "
Ivan (name has been changed) 32 years old. At 29 he was sentenced to three years probation.

“I have been working in the restaurant business since I was 18 years old. I worked as a bartender, hall administrator and manager. This is a business where sometimes you have to work 16 hours a day, 5-6 days in a row! During such periods, I used amphetamine. I do not use drugs systematically, I do not go to clubs much, I mostly spend time with my girlfriend. Two and a half years ago, my shiftworker fell ill and in the future I had to work 15 shifts in a row. Together with the chef, we bought amphetamine in the darknet and I went to pick it up. The police grabbed me just as I picked up the treasure. The judge gave me a three-year suspended sentence. Because of this, I had to change jobs. Now I work in a small restaurant where people do not know about my criminal record. Six months ago, friends offered me to open a bar in the south of the country. But their co-investor found out about my criminal record through his connections with the police and the project was closed. I didn't kill or rob anyone, but now I have a stigma on me for life. In my opinion, freedom is the ability to act without harming anyone. I have always adhered to this principle. But this is not enough in our country. "
Alexander (name has been changed), 28 years old. He was sentenced to three years probation.

“I was caught picking up the treasure. I think they followed this place, maybe it's their shop and courier in general. I managed to throw out the treasure, but they found it and put it back in my pocket. There were no options to come to an agreement, it was the end of the year and they had to fulfill the plan. The judge ended up giving me a three-year suspended sentence, with a two-year probationary period. I had to go to check in with special inspectors, bring a certificate from work and be tested that I was clean. For all the time they did not ask me anything, they did not offer me to undergo rehabilitation. They don't care about their job! They just sit and drink tea. My boss is a great guy. When he learned about my criminal record from the security service, he invited me to talk to him in his office. He supported me and asked me not to do this again! I understand that I was lucky, I was not fired. But on the other hand, I cannot change my job, because I may not be taken elsewhere. "
The police benefit from the current state of affairs. It is easy to catch drug users, and the cases solved increase the positive statistics. Periodically, drugs are planted on journalists, activists or ordinary citizens to receive bribes. There are fewer than one percent of acquittals in Russia, and court indictments often repeat the position of the prosecutor. The last picture shows a new pre-trial detention center built in 2017 near St. Petersburg.
The police benefit from the current state of affairs. It is easy to catch drug users, and the cases solved increase the positive statistics. Periodically, drugs are planted on journalists, activists or ordinary citizens to receive bribes. There are fewer than one percent of acquittals in Russia, and court indictments often repeat the position of the prosecutor. The last picture shows a new pre-trial detention center built in 2017 near St. Petersburg. HYDRA This project focuses on drug related crimes and the darknet influence on this process. In Russia, 25-50 percent of prisoners are serving sentences for drug-related crimes. There are two major factors for that. Firstly, drugs are easy accessible. You can buy all kinds of drugs in the darknet. All you need to have is 15 minutes of free time, Smartphone and Tor browser. After drugs buying you pick it up in the nearest park or courtyard. Digitalization of drugs buying process involves many new people to this field. Secondly, the situation is complicated by extremely repressive legislation. Even for possession of a small amount of drugs, a person can get a prison sentence of up to 10 years. After serving a real or suspended sentence, people find it difficult to integrate back into society and find decent job. I have shot people who have had real or suspended sentences for drug-related crimes. I also have shot the urban landscape, the places where dealers hide "treasures" the most often. These are parks, industrial zones, entrances of apartment buildings, cemeteries, territory of playgrounds. For shooting I've used broken camera, which deforms images. The darknet and the digital camera have one origin - binary code. The darknet is shadow of the internet. Mad internet. Broken internet. And in our common life we don't see the darknet impact. But in drugs related crimes it plays major role. In my opinion, this visual way discloses relations between digitalization of the world and our real lives. Also this visual approach accorded well with traditions of documentary photography. On one hand I don't develop my photos, all images are born inside the cameras, on the other hand it invites us to think about the nature of the photographic images. Anna “First of all, I'm afraid of condemnation! In principle, I don't really trust people, although I try. And secondly, I run into problems even earlier, with work, for example. Every time I went for an interview, I put a check mark on the criminal record in the questionnaire, now I don't. I do not know to lie or not to lie to them, and if a lie is revealed, then I will be fired. I didn't have that, but the ex-guys did. They got a job, worked, then they were investigated by the security service and the boss came with the words “You have a criminal record”, get out of here. And the guys worked there for a month or two weeks and were not paid anything. I definitely won't be able to work in a financially responsible position, not even as a cashier! The administrator's position is also eliminated. " Ilya “In total, I spent 8 or 9 months in jail. Several times I was brought to court and the term of my arrest was extended. I already told them that let’s judge me already! I will go to jail and at least take a walk on the street, not in a cage in a pre-trial detention center. The last meeting is taking place, they give me the last word. And after that, a lawyer comes up to me and says that they will convict me today. “Do not be afraid if you are given a long term of imprisonment, we will justify, we will be to the last.” The prosecutor demanded to convict me of 11 years of strict regime, for five grams of amphetamine. When the judge announced the verdict, I did not understand what he was saying. And suddenly I hear “3 years and 3 months”. I give my hands to the escort. "Come on, take me to jail." And he looked at me with an incomprehensible look, it turned out that they gave me a suspended sentence. Mom fainted. "
Sergey is 22 years old. At the age of 19, he was sentenced to two years probation for drug possession. “At that time, I just moved to St. Petersburg, I was making money by streaming. To maintain tone and relaxedness, I started using amphetamine and mephedrone! One evening I went to pick up the treasures and was caught by the police. They took me to the police station, offered to resolve this issue, but I had no money. As a result, the judge gave me two years probation. I returned to my hometown to my parents. They did not talk to me on this topic, I tried to go to a psychotherapist, but he treated me with contempt. I started using drugs again! But I was lucky, I met a girl and fell in love with her. Now we live in St. Petersburg, and I don't use it. I have a good job, but before finding it, I was refused several times due to a criminal record."