My name is Alexandra. By day, I am a digital artist and web developer; by night, I am the unwitting chronicler of archival dramas.
This entire project began quite simply: I was searching for information about my own ancestors, ordinary peasants. However, as I delved deeper into the archives, I discovered that their lives constantly intersected with the fates of the landowners. These families held title to their land: the Stralborns, the De Rionzinis, and the Tregubovs. These intertwined destinies proved so intriguing – truly cinematic in scope – that I felt compelled to weave them into a single, cohesive narrative and present them in a visually compelling way.
I make no claim whatsoever to academic rigor here. It was never my intention to conduct an exhaustive historical study, particularly given the many gaping voids that riddle the archival records. I selected only those narrative threads that possessed the greatest literary appeal. Drawing upon my background in visual design and film editing, I strove for just one thing: to breathe life into these dust-covered documents, infusing them with a touch of “cinematic realism.”
I approach this entire endeavor with a healthy dose of irony. This is not a peer-reviewed academic dissertation, but simply a fascinating, intricate tale of intertwined lives; I serve here merely as the one attempting to translate it onto the “screen beautifully.”
