Tom Marsden

While living in Azerbaijan, I travelled often to the village of Ivanovka between 2015 and 2020. At the time I was learning photography and in search of a project, and this village stood out to me for its unique history and community. Located near the Caucasus Mountains, it was founded by Russian Molokans exiled as heretics to the South Caucasus in the early 19th century. To this day the village retains a large Russian population, including a small community of practising Molokans, and is home to the country's last functioning Soviet-style collective farm.