In The Cold: the Tajik migrants scratching a living in Russia

Ksenia Diodorova spent January 2014 in the Bartang valley of Tajikistan's mountainous Gorno-Badakhshan province. She lived with local residents whose sons, daughters, siblings, or parents are working in Russia. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

This is one of Tajikistan's most isolated regions. In winter, snowfall cuts off the valley from the rest of the world. Roads are often blocked, electricity supplies are sporadic, and only one village has mobile phone reception. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Eight people whom Diodorova met in the Pamir mountains went to Russia soon afterwards as migrant workers. They will set aside as much as possible from their meagre salaries each month to support relatives in Tajikistan. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Left: In Bardara, women knit traditional pamir dzhurabs, socks of goat or yak wool. This is Faridun's home. His brother, who has just returned from Russia, is sleeping.

Right: Faridun works at a car wash outside Moscow. In January, his wife gave birth to a baby girl. When he next sees her, she will be 18-months-old. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Left: The Kubaev family in Roshorv. Gulsara's husband and brother, Kadam, work on a construction site in St Petersburg.

Right: Kadam hasn't been to Tajikistan for seven years. His relatives would like him to marry, but he says his priority is to support his family. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Khairulo and Baskhotun live in Khuchez. Their son, Mirfaroz, has lived in Russia for seven years and works on a construction site. In April, he married his fiancee Fazila (pictured). His mother traveled all the way to Moscow for the wedding. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Left: Dzhuma's brother Alikhon went to Russia 17 years ago and hasn't returned since. Alikhon says he can't afford two tickets to Tajikistan for both him and his wife.

Right: The couple live near Moscow, but their kids are in Tajikistan. Their eldest son studies at a prestigious fee-paying school. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Left: In Roshorv, Dzhuma works in Russia so his brother can study at a technical school specialising in economics.

Right: In St Petersburg, Dzhuma offloads goods at a supermarket from 9am to 10pm, seven days a week. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Dzhuma's nephew is afraid of the dark. There are two light bulbs in his home, one of which is powered by a small solar panel and is left on all night. Almost all houses in Roshorv have solar panels, as part of a EU initiative. Power supply to the village otherwise is very poor; outages happen several times a day. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Left: Shakartokhun lives in Roshorv. Her son and daughter work in Moscow. Her husband was deported from Russia. Documents are expensive - it's $880 for a one-year work permit.

Right: Deportees have three days to leave Russia. If they can't afford a ticket home, they are placed in a detention centre. Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Diodorova says her project explores the climatic chill in Gorno-Badakhshan, and the cold social isolation many migrants experience in Russia. But she says the Tajiks she met "possess such inner strength...[they] never complain, in Tajikistan or Russia." Photograph: Ksenia Diodorova

Diodorova is raising money to publish a book on "In The Cold"