Photographer Ivan Chesnokov traveled to the island of Yelena to meet the Korol family, who have lived in solitude for over two decades. As he got a tour of the ruins of the island's old fortifications, shared a meal of tea and cutlets with Nina, Boris, and Nikolai Korol, and listened to their stories, Chesnokov wondered: "What makes people with a city home move to an island? Why are they more comfortable outside of civilization? How do hermits view themselves and the world around them?"
Through his poignant photos, the answers to those questions come alive as we catch a glimpse of an entirely new way of life.
