ISOLATION – Chapter 2

Legends tell stories about the great Baikal, an incredibly powerful man who had 337 daughters. One of them, beautiful and wise Angara, learned from a flock of seagulls about the existence of a valiant and formidable man, Irkutsk. She fell in love with him and tried to escape the island to reach him, despite being aware of the bond that kept her tied to that land. Baikal, furious about the dishonorable gesture, threw an enormous rock at her and Angara, madly in love, was crushed. The rivers of the whole Olkhon island took their names from Baikal’s daughters while one of the sacred rocks facing towards Irkutsk was named Angara. Ice is the sacred element in this project and it is fundamental for both the island and its inhabitants. For around two months each year it creates a natural bridge that allows the transit of heavy vehicles, connecting the people to the external world quickly and swiftly. Thus, the ice doesn’t divide, it connects the two realities, impacting habits and lifestyles.