Police road safety sign. Magadan. Far East Russia, August 2004. From the book, Motherland, by Simon Roberts

For 12 continuous months, geographer/photographer Simon Roberts and his wife traveled throughout the hinterlands of modern-day Russia to create a photographic map of what the people and places look like today. The year-long journey resulted in a remarkably rich and widespread account of places that have probably never been visited by 99 percent of Russians, and by even fewer outsiders.

We're thrilled to be able to show 30 images from the book (which includes more than 150 color photographs, with detailed captions). In a really great 24 minute audio interview for Lens Culture, Simon Roberts speaks eloquently about their adventures, and also about the philosophical challenges of "representation of the other", and trying to see and experience everything directly without the filters of preconceptions.