There are 16 children in the Solovey (Nightingale) family — something extremely unusual in modern Russian society. 7 years ago, the family moved from Moscow to a village in the countryside.
Scroll down to see more
Ruslan Sukhushin
There are 16 children in the Solovey (Nightingale) family — something extremely unusual in modern Russian society. 7 years ago, the family moved from Moscow to a village in the countryside. In the family's loose-leaf calendar, there is not a single month without a celebratory date — 2-3 birthdays as a rule. The calendar photos were taken during Vasilisa's (center) wedding, which was held in the Slavic style.
Ruslan Sukhushin
Stepan (17) shows some parts from an old bulldozer engine. He took it to pieces himself and replaced many of the parts in order to sell it with a markup and buy a new one. All the heavy work falls on Stepan’s shoulders — after the death of his father, he was the eldest in the house (the other children are grown up and now live separately with their own families).
Ruslan Sukhushin
Stepan indicates how far his bulldozer sank. The oil needs draining, since water got in. It sank when Stepan was paving a road to the river to make it easier for his younger siblings to go swimming.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The elder children (those who still live with the family) have come to lend Stepan a hand. No large family is without the odd quarrel, but a common cause helps make peace in no time.
Ruslan Sukhushin
Everything in the family is shared equally, but the children think first and foremost about their mother. The girls, who manage the household, give their mother a slice of cake, and only then do they treat themselves.
Ruslan Sukhushin
Alena (6) and Grisha (5) are still small, but already try to help their elder siblings. Alena assists the girls around the house, while Grisha helps Stepan with technical stuff and domestic repairs.
Ruslan Sukhushin
Although Igor, the father of the huge family, died three months ago, Marina is still in mourning, but that does not stop her smiling and joking. But remembering her husband, she begins to cry. Marina is in need of moral support, but in some ways life has become simpler: the loss of the main breadwinner means that state benefits have increased threefold.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The Solovey family home lies on the outskirts of the village. However, this does not prevent the family from reaping the benefits of civilization: they grow potatoes using techniques learned on the internet, which Marina uses actively. Strekoza the cow is the family's "milk-winner." Marina, who was born and brought up in the city, taught herself how to milk a cow.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The cow produces 15 liters of milk a day, which the children use to make sour cream, curds, and cheese under their mother's watchful eye. There's even some left over for sale.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The second most important source of nourishment is the family’s chickens. The Soloveys also plan to buy a horse in the not-too-distant future.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The "Russian" stove Igor (father) built himself with help from his sons. It is not perfect, but has three modes: winter, summer, and cooking.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The photograph depicts the eldest and youngest of the sons still living with their mother. Stepan has already had a hand in the upbringing of several kids. The sisters say they envy his future wife.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The Soloveys got themselves a ramshackle log-house that Igor (father), assisted by all the children and Marina, turned into a splendid house. From the street, it looks small, but no one sleeps more than two to a room — Marina believes in the importance of personal space.
Ruslan Sukhushin
The last four children Marina gave birth to here in the village. The slightly elder ones want to move to the city, but Marina thinks that they are unprepared for the hardships that await them there.
