Smithsonian magazine's 22nd Annual Photo Contest | Made possible through the support of MPB.com

21st Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest People
A Siberian Witch

Traditional Russian village witchcraft is not dead, it is still taught, learned and practiced. It has deep cultural and anthropological roots and is interwoven with Slavic folklore. The young lady in the picture is a full-time Siberian witch Anastasiya. She helps people and believes in the spirits of nature and places. Her home is surrounded with wild woods and in these exact woods she does her rituals and pays the natural spirits for their guidance. Anastasiya in the picture is wearing a modern interpretation of traditional Russian clothing.

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 10.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2023
Photo Location: Tomsk region, Russia
Camera: NIKON D610
Copyright: © Kseniya Azarova