Curated by Carlotta Dorigo, Maria Teresa Fumagalli, and Giovanna Parravicini

In collaboration with Russia Cristiana Foundation, Casa del Faro Foundation (Moscow), Vera Foundation (Moscow)

In today’s Russia, a civil society exists that was born during the Soviet era, based on humanity and care, inspired by figures like Father Aleksandr Men’. A significant example is Casa del Faro, a pediatric hospice that assists over a thousand young patients and their families, and the network of hospices founded by oncologist Vera Millionščikova, present in various regions of the Russian Federation. These places are not just medical excellences but also spaces of life and meetings born from experiences of pain, affection, friendship, and questions about the meaning of life and death.

The exhibition, structured as a construction site, reflects a reality in progress and is divided into three sections. The first, through photos of moments of beauty and happiness, allows the fragile and sick to be rediscovered with new eyes, even by their families. The second section tells the stories of the protagonists, which started independently and then intertwined, showing how each step becomes a promise for the future with these people becoming beacons of hope in life’s storms. The third section narrates the stories of patients, families, and caregivers, exploring the great questions about life and death, testimonies of new life often beginning at the threshold of death.