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Students in Quarantine: A Photo Project
Sasha Fokina / © Denis Mareyno
Denis Mareyno, the project author: ‘While in isolation, I had my first panic attack ever. The next day, it was followed by a nervous breakdown. This was after 20 days of staying at home and not going outside. At the time, I was shooting a project that involved a lot of people. I decided to tell the others what had happened to me and to take a break till the end of the day, even though I was a time crunch and it would delay my project.
Surprisingly enough, I faced a wave of support and help, with other people sharing stories of similar experiences. This was very helpful. I decided to discuss it with my friends and anyone willing to talk about their feelings during this unusual time.
I believe knowing that people have the right to experience a wide range of emotions in these circumstances is a thing of high social importance.
To do the interviews, I contacted respondents on Zoom, and did the photo shoots over FaceTime. If you want to participate in the project, send a message via VK to https://vk.com/studlife_hse.
Sasha Fokina, fourth-year student, International Relations
What new experiences have you gained in isolation?
I finally got around to drawing. I’ve had all the supplies for several months, but I’d never touched them. I started drawing with the help of online classes. I started with classical drawing and continued with artistic graphics. I am experimenting, and it’s great. It’s like meditating. I think this is an advantage, because times right now are stressful.
I finally understood that exercising at home can be effective. I used to think that I have to go to a yoga centre and that otherwise I can’t force myself to do anything… Nope! You’ve got your TV; just put on a video with some crazy coach who is doing bench presses. And you feel so intense, with loud music and a dog jumping around. It’s a great time.
I now have more time on my hands, and I’m under much less pressure in terms of deadlines. I can stay on the couch with a book for a whole day and feel good about it. I’m not worried about wasting the day, I can afford it. I can study, and work, and cook something new and delicious. This is some kind of creative inspiration for me, while I know that many people are suffering, and I feel for them. For me, isolation with my boyfriend and my dog is a positive experience.
Has the number of hours that you are active changed?
I read all these endless guides on how to be effective at home: relocate your kitchen table and don’t wear your PJs during the day. It is noon now, and I’m wearing my pyjama pants. I was working before this, and I will be working after. Then I’m going to walk my dog, and do more work again. I believe that in isolation we have the opportunity to listen to our feelings more, and this is also about when you are ready or not ready to work.
Many people, including me at first, are overworking themselves and think they have to write seven chapters of their thesis at once. Now, I’ve become more level-headed about the whole thing. I have a healthy routine, because I have a dog. I have to wake up in the morning and walk him. After you have walked for at least an hour in this weird weather we are all seeing today, you are back and ready to do something. In the evening, I always want to relax, put Netflix on, have some nachos, and feel nice and cosy. I would say that the number of active hours in my day has increased.
How have your studies changed with the transition to online learning?
I think this is really great. It takes me about an hour to commute to university. And this experience isn’t always nice. I cannot make myself read in the metro. And you can’t listen to an audiobook, since it’s too loud. I end up sitting this hour through, scrolling through Instagram, and this is time completely wasted. Now, I simply have more time. Of course, it may be a little harder to pull myself together and wake up, but I believe, one can get used to it in a month. The only thing that is sad is when the teachers are in their country houses with bad internet connection.
What challenges have you encountered with the transition?
I hate group chats. And they have become more active. This is really hard. It’s difficult to sort through the endless spam and streams of words.
Technically, we were really prepared. Thanks to Google and all the other gizmos. All my teachers mastered Zoom or Skype and found the format that is convenient. We’ve had one exam, where our instructor had us give our answers over Zoom while also recording ourselves from another angle via Skype so that they could ensure that we were not reading our answers or cheating. People are looking for formats that work for them, and this is good.
Emotionally, I can’t say that I’ve felt any kind of change, because I worked from home before this. But on the other hand, when I talk to my academic supervisor via Skype, I am genuinely happy to see a new face (laughs).
You can ask your friend in a chat how they are doing, and they are really going to tell you. We are now sharing more with each other. Humans are creatures that easily adapt to new conditions, so all of us are learning something new.
How has your work changed?
My internship at the UN has been canceled. But as someone who had been working from home as a copywriter, I now have more offers. Everyone has dismissed some of their staff and are now outsourcing. As a result, on the jobs Telegram channel for my field, there are now more offers.
I feel freer in terms of timing and have more resources for my work. At the beginning of the quarantine, I, of course, entertained myself more, but now I constantly feel an urge to do something.
How has your communication with other people changed, and particularly, with those you are isolating with?
I’m isolated with my boyfriend. I wouldn’t say that something has changed in our communication. Even if you don’t think about it, everyone needs their personal space at all times. We have a dog whom we take turns walking, we listen to audiobooks, and so on. This is how we are reminded about the need to establish a healthy amount of personal space.
We have also started to look for more ways to spend time together. In the beginning of the quarantine, we ordered a couple of boardgames. We give each other spontaneous presents, such as ordering food delivery, for example. Recently I won a pie delivery, since I knew Britney Spears’s songs better, and we bet on it. We are having as much fun as we can. After all, I think this is a positive story. I hope that the quarantine won’t be followed by a wave of divorces, as it has been predicted.
With the people who I’m apart from, I have started talking by phone and in messengers more often. My parents have started sharing more memes, which have improved in quality. I would like to better support my grandmother, who lives at home and is scared of getting sick: she is not an active internet user, so I can talk to her only by phone, and she has a birthday soon.
Do you feel comfortable staying at home at all times? How are you dealing with it?
We moved to this apartment in September. The look of this room is what we have done. As for the other room and the kitchen… I understand that there is no me in them, at all. We’ve put up a couple of posters, but this is no big help.
That’s why before the quarantine, I would always say, ‘I don’t like this apartment!’ But now, I have come to terms with it. I started appreciating the experience I’m getting in this space. And my boyfriend has taken part in this, as well.
I feel surprisingly calm about the quarantine. Usually, I beat my head against the wall when these kinds of things happen, but now, I can do nothing about the situation. Obviously, staying home is not a thrill, but on the other hand, when we look back at this a year later, we will think: ‘Wow, we spent two months at home! We can do anything.’
What will be the first thing you will do after the limitations on travel around the city, the country, and the world are removed?
I’ll buy a ticket to Berlin.