Cheryomushki is a deeply human photography monograph by Siberian artist Nikolay Bakharev, published by Stanley/Barker. The book brings together portraits made at river and lake beaches near the industrial city of Novokuznetsk, where workers and their families gathered to escape the rigid regulations of the Soviet state. These beaches represented a rare public “grey zone” where limited nudity was tolerated despite being technically illegal. Bakharev’s lens captures a sense of “edenic bliss” and everyday intimacy—parents embracing children, couples pressed close, and friends in the afternoon light. By fostering a collaborative relationship with his sitters, Bakharev recorded a mindset and society that no longer exists, revealing the enduring human longing for connection and freedom.