The last resort: Nikita Shokhov captures the colourful world of the Russian seaside

Photographer Nikita Shokhov’s images of Russian holidaymakers are mesmerising. From pictures of lobster-red sun-worshippers to night-time revellers, his series Black Sea Vacations offers a compelling insight into Russian beach culture. Taken at various beach locations including Sochi and Anapa between 2011 and 2012, the series recalls Martin Parr’s legendary photobook The Last Resort, which was shot in the UK in 1986. Like Parr, Shokhov turns his camera on the working class in a highly voyeuristic manner, often shooting his subjects from behind. And, like the British photographer, his photos are also saturated with colour. As Shokhov puts it: “The same bodies lying in the same attitudes consume the same boiled corn and warm their tender skin in the sun.”