Rooted in nostalgia and subtle rebellion, Savasana Between Eras is a visual story set in a meticulously preserved Soviet-era apartment. Shot by photographer Katerina Chia and directed by model and artist Oksana Belkasemi, the editorial invites us into a quiet but layered world—one where yoga, identity, and tradition intersect in unexpected ways.
The idea sparked when Oksana came across an old copy of RARE Naked Yoga Magazine from 1972 in a vintage bookstore. “It just inspired me and got me thinking,” she shares. “I’ve been casually into yoga for a while, but I’d never seen it done in a full outfit — not workout clothes, but in a finished, put-together look you’d wear for your day. I hadn’t seen anything like this in creative spaces either.”
From there, Savasana Between Eras took shape—a fictional yet emotionally real story of a young woman in the 1980s practicing yoga in her grandparents’ Soviet apartment. A space where time feels frozen, yet quietly charged with transformation. “In my family, yoga and psychology were always seen as this weird foreign stuff,” Oksana explains. “In the Soviet Union, they didn’t even exist — people didn’t understand what these things were for.”
The story imagines a character searching for inner calm in a space that doesn’t quite understand her. Her grandparents, played by professional actors, linger in the background—curious, perhaps confused, but present. Visually, the series is a joy to explore. Each frame captures a compelling moment—layered with details, emotion, and domestic stillness. The darker lighting and styling carry a cinematic softness that mirrors the emotional tone. The apartment itself, preserved like a living museum, adds authenticity and texture to the imagery.
“The photo studio was an actual apartment in a residential building that’s been so well preserved from that time,” says Oksana. “And the grandparents — I originally only looked for a grandmother, but when I saw this charismatic couple together, I fell in love with their energy.”
Styling done by Yesenia Sergeenko
Creative Director & Model — Oksana Belkasemi www.instagram.com/ayaoksi
Photographer — Katerina Chia www.instagram.com/katerina_chia
Stylist — Yesenia Sergeenko www.instagram.com/eseniya.sergienko
