BALBUTAI, LITHUANIA

After the border closed, Ivan’s family fell apart as his former wife had her job on the other side of the border, making it too difficult to travel back and forth. He is waiting to see his children, who live and study across the border, too. In a way, he is waiting to get his life back, the normal life that has been taken away from him by the new regulations – the closing of the border crossing points.

But now too many things have changed and he is forced to build a new life of his own and overcome the loneliness of the almost deserted village where he lives. When we asked him if he had ever considered moving from his village to be closer to his family, he said that this land comes from his grandfather and it is impossible for him to leave it.