Promising Waters

For over four years, photographer Mila Teshaieva has docu- mented the transformation of the three former Soviet republics on the shores of the Caspian Sea: Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan. The battle for control of the region’s vast oil and gas reserves and the search for a national identity have led to far-reaching changes for the for the society and environment. Teshaieva’s images reveal an atmosphere of insecurity, where pe- ople pin their hopes and expectations on a transformation who- se direction remains uncertain. The book takes the viewer on a subtle and complex journey through the promises of a new oil region, raising questions as to the relationship between the sta- te and private identity, the ties between past, present and fu- ture, and how to pinpoint the boundary between a region’s ri- se or fall.