When I was little, we had a book called ‘Masterpieces of Russian Painting’, which I loved to look through. On our first day on the boat, when we went out to the open sea, I couldn’t understand for a long time what this situation, which was so new to me, reminded me of. And then I realised that I was inside a painting. A painting from my childhood, from that very book. It was called ‘In the Blue Expanse’, and its author was the artist Rylov.

In this painting, I found myself every time we went out to sea. In the first days, I was simply there, sitting on the boat, listening to the wind, smelling the air. I hardly talked to anyone, was alone, and didn’t think about anything. Such a state and way of spending time are rare, and it felt very unusual. Gradually, I began to come out of it. I had a large textile project with me, which I am currently working on. I am glad I completed one of its parts during our boat trip. Our final destination was the island of Gotland, where we will have an exhibition next month. 

I brought five flags with me for it, which I sewed myself. We hoisted a new flag on the mast daily, and it was great. Previously, these flags had been displayed in exhibitions, and finally, for the first time, they were used for their intended purpose. I looked at them and rejoiced like a child. Before embarking on the journey, I was slightly afraid — my relationship with water is complicated. Sometimes, I am afraid to go into the water, fearful of the depth of the current and the waves. I didn’t know what it would be like to sail and not see the shore, with only the sea around. My worries were in vain — the sea accepted me. I felt no anxiety, only gentle rocking when we went ashore. I would like to sail more. I thought one week was a lot, but it was very little.