When Kirill Korobkov presented this video at this years Vladimir Filmfestival he was devastated by the Russian attack on Ukraine. It was also around the time when Russia tried to compensate for the losses and started the mobilization to send cannon fodder to the front. One of the first regions where they tried to get soldiers mobilized was the region of Dagestan. It’s far away from Moscow and people are poor. Months efore the Russian Regime went there to recruit young men to get killed in war, the Absurd team was there to have fun on skateboards. Here’s what Kirill Korobkov has to say about the trip:
“Dagestan is a land of mountains. Dagestan is a land of warriors. Dagestan is a land of very special people who live by the Caspian Sea. It's beautiful. It's controversial. It's very traditional. Sometimes it's hard to understand it and you got to take it the way it is. It's very different from any other part of the country known as Russian Federation. Many people are scared to go there. Others fall in love with it at first sight. It's the birthplace to one of the most ultimate MMA fighter invincible Khabib Nurmagomedov. It's the only place I know where local skaters go wrestling before skating because later they might have to fight for their right to skate. It's a place where local minister might give you a permission to skate the main entrance to his ministry and at the same time you might get in trouble because locals don't like the bright colors of your head-wear.
Going to a place that no one has skated before you always feels unique. Being the first team to go Dagestan for skateboarding felt extra-special. This was the last big Absurd trip before the list of things associated with Russia dramatically changed in February 2022. This video is our one last blast from the good old past.”
