In the rural Moldovan village of Dobrușa, once home to 200 people, only one resident remained in July 2019: 65-year-old Grisa. The village had been in steady decline since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991, and when Grisa moved there in 2000 to start a sheep farm, the population had already dwindled to 70. By the time photographer Laetitia Vançon captured this image, he was the sole inhabitant, living with 120 ducks and other animals.
Just months before the photograph was taken, the only other remaining residents—a couple in their 40s—were murdered by a farmer from a neighbouring village. Their half-naked bodies were found beaten to death. After this dark incident, Grisa told Vançon he no longer felt safe living alone and was considering moving to a larger settlement.
Despite his isolation, Grisa found joy in his simple daily routine. He woke at 4am, started his day with a glass of wine, and tended to his animals, vegetables, and bees. He sold honey at a local market and lived a self-sufficient life. Vançon, who photographed him for an assignment on rural Moldova for the New York Times, described his existence as 'a little heaven'—a place of peace and quiet where he enjoyed reading and receiving visits from friends.
Vançon, a French photographer, sees her work as a bridge between cultures. 'I photograph intimate moments that offer a glimpse into scenes we all recognise,' she said. 'These ordinary moments reveal something extraordinary about our shared humanity.' Her solo show, Tribute to Odesa, featuring work from Ukraine, will be held at London's Oxo gallery from 11-18 February.
The image, taken at sundown, captures a reflective moment. 'Grisa’s little heaven was revealed in that moment,' Vançon said. 'It’s a tribute to what one man can do, to the magical place he created.'
