Many people are accustomed to explaining everything rationally, and esotericism often remains overlooked. My photography project demonstrates how it exists in everyday life. Central to the work is an observation of a young woman performing domestic divination—using cards, rings, needles, and other objects. These images contrast with two St. Petersburg legends about ghostly ladies: one in the Anichkov Palace and another near the Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood. However, the rituals set the tone for the entire series. The project’s mood is dark and mystical, yet warm and intimate. Through all the frames runs the process of divination itself: the objects, the twilight, the silence, and the hope and desire to glimpse the future. The same principle applies to the legends: the spectral ladies establish a shared atmosphere with the rituals, suggesting that St. Petersburg, too, guards its secrets. The title, «In a Whisper, ” emphasizes the intimacy of these private rites performed in silence. It also unites them with the urban legends, which are recounted in a barely audible voice.
