An epidemic is surging through Russia. According to local organisations there are approximately 2,5 million heroin addicts in the country, a number that increased with half a million in only three years between 2008 and 2011. The threat may come at a very high price. The UN estimates that Russias population will likely decrease from 144 million to only 100 before the end of the century. Life expectancy averages 64 years för Russian men and 76 for women, lower than in for example Bangladesh. Hand in hand with heroin follows a second threat - hiv. Russia and it's neighbours comprise the only region in the world where the number of aids infections are still increasing, and the World Bank believes that 20 000 Russians will die from the disease in every month of 2020. Dalja and Pavel are heroin addicts and live together in a suburb to Moscow. Pavel has taken the drug for 20 years without it affecting his everyday life greatly. He works as the head of an accounting firm which allows him to stay financially floating and is present at the office at 8 am everyday, no matter what he did the night before. It is only recently that he suffered his first real backlash - he found out that he is hiv positive. Dalja has used drugs in different shapes since she was a teenager and calls herself a proud addict. If she had the chance she would prefer to be earning enough money to go on occasional vacations, India is her favourite country, but since she can't find a decent job despite her university degree she figures it's better to be on drugs. It has only been a little more than a year since she managed to escape a long abusive relation which also gave her her two children.
Linda Forsell
Linda Forsell is a freelancing photojournalist based in New York.