1/4
1/4
Weapons, Wine and Canapés
Weapons, Wine and Canapés
Nikita Teryoshin
December 15, 2025
Nikita Teryoshin: A model of a Swedish Bofors naval gun is the backdrop of a buffet at the MSPO fair. Kielce, Poland, 2016
Nikita Teryoshin’s work focuses on the often unnoticed absurdities of our modern world. With a keen sense of irony and compositional wit, he shows social contradictions, power structures and economic interconnections – be it within the farm industry, on his travels, or in everyday urban life. His approach combines documentary precision with surrealist amplifications and an idiosyncratic, even humorous visual language.
In recent years, the photographer has earned particular acclaim for his long-term series, Nothing Personal: The Back Office of War, in which he documents the hidden world of the global arms industry – specifically, the so-called defence trade fairs that take place under exclusion of the general public. Since 2016, Teryoshin has travelled to 17 countries on five continents, gaining rare access to an industry that usually operates behind closed doors. The weapons and technologies presented at these events ultimately make their way into armed conflicts worldwide.
Teryoshin’s observations stand in stark contrast to the familiar images of the devastation of war. Instead of suffering, ruins and destruction, his photographs capture the immaculate backdrop of a billion-dollar industry: pristine spaces in which freshly polished weapons are displayed next to canapés and refreshments. State-of-the-art tanks and rocket launchers are gleaming in carefully staged lighting; deals are broached in a relaxed lounge atmosphere. The scenes bring to mind an elaborate playground for adults, where people can browse through lethal technologies as if they were harmless consumerist goods.
Katrin UllmannIn recent years, the photographer has earned particular acclaim for his long-term series, Nothing Personal: The Back Office of War, in which he documents the hidden world of the global arms industry – specifically, the so-called defence trade fairs that take place under exclusion of the general public. Since 2016, Teryoshin has travelled to 17 countries on five continents, gaining rare access to an industry that usually operates behind closed doors. The weapons and technologies presented at these events ultimately make their way into armed conflicts worldwide.
Teryoshin’s observations stand in stark contrast to the familiar images of the devastation of war. Instead of suffering, ruins and destruction, his photographs capture the immaculate backdrop of a billion-dollar industry: pristine spaces in which freshly polished weapons are displayed next to canapés and refreshments. State-of-the-art tanks and rocket launchers are gleaming in carefully staged lighting; deals are broached in a relaxed lounge atmosphere. The scenes bring to mind an elaborate playground for adults, where people can browse through lethal technologies as if they were harmless consumerist goods.
ALL IMAGES ON THIS PAGE: © Nikita Teryoshin
LFI 6.2020+-
Nikita Teryoshin: Backyard Diaries. A different type of S photography: the Berlin photographer uncovers the hidden world of urban street cats More
Nikita Teryoshin+-
Born in St. Petersburg in 1986, Teryoshin grew up in Dortmund, where he completed a Bachelor degree at the University of Applied Sciences and Arts. In addition to his various personal projects, he is in demand as a press and magazine photographer, regularly published in Spiegel, Zeit and Vice. Teryoshin has received a number of prestigious photo awards – most recently the World Press Photo Award 2020. More
Nikita Teryoshin: A model of a Swedish Bofors naval gun is the backdrop of a buffet at the MSPO fair. Kielce, Poland, 2016
Nikita Teryoshin: A dealer goes to turn down the music after the presentation of the Finish Patria, a 6×6 armoured vehicle. Eurosatory, Paris, France, 2018
Nikita Teryoshin: On the deck of a ferry, while jet fighters, helicopters and cargo aircraft fly low in the sky. IDEX expo, Abu Dhabi, UAE, 2019
Nikita Teryoshin: A South Korean officer watches the show of the ‘Black Eagles’ aerobatics team, flying KAI T-50B Golden Eagle jets. ADEX, Seoul, South Korea, 2017