Alexandrowka

The "Russian Colony Alexandrowka" is a model village founded in 1826 by the Prussian king Friedrich Wilhelm III in Potsdam. Today it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I wanted to know who lives behind the wooden facades. During 2019 I got to know some of the inhabitants and visited them throughout the year. I portrayed Mr Grigorieff, 82, who is the last decendent of the original Russian inhabitants of Alexandrowka. He has been living in this house since his childhood and still gets along on his own. A couple of music teachers lives in another house. They were looking for a space where they could make and teach music without disturbing the neighbours, so they applied for one of the houses in Alexandrowka and were successful. They repainted and refurnished the house in the style of the inhabitants of the 19th century. The third couple has modernised the house inside into an open space full of light and modern furniture - another way of dealing with the heritage of this very special place.