Beyond Time Cuba,

Some time ago, (it is last century already), underneath the wallpaper people glued newspapers.

The time passed, a new repair was necessary. Worn-out wallpaper was torn away.

Old newspapers appeared and with them old events were coming into the room - “Shabby faces”, funny old-fashioned clothes, old news. How did people live?

What made them happy or unhappy? What has turned into history and what has flashed away leaving no trace?

Just a few years have passed and the world has changed. Has it got older or may be younger? Perhaps just newspapers have aged...and we have?

Tearing away “the worn-out” we were uncovering “the black and white past,”, in order to glue our walls with “the colourful present”. Five years have flown and here’s a repair again.

For project “Beyond time. Cuba.” I used my black and white photos taken in 5 years (2004-2009) and clippings from the main Cuban newspaper “Granma” of the same years.

Has anything changed? Will a tourist see anything absolutely new? No. Nothing. Is it to the worse or to the better? There is an English proverb: “No news is good news”.

Actually the world can’t remain unchanged and Cuba is certainly changing as well, but slowly and deep inside.

And from outside it is the same familiar Cuba – a wonderful country unlike any other. Havana, the beautiful, with picturesque shabby streets, a bygone luxury, old cars autos, kisses on seafront Malecon,

cheerful Cubans,colourful old men, chocolate children, rum, cigars, the same portraits in newspapers…

They are all looking at us from yellowed photos, breaking through the falling down plaster of time, blending with old newspaper articles. Beyond time…

We often want to keep, to hide our happy days, events, feelings from the time’s reach. But it is not possible; the time will inevitably discover everything, mix it and cover by a novelty that will very soon wear off.

Svetlana Zadorina