Posts Tagged "Moscow"
Nikolai: Unicyclist, Magician (2)
I have seen a few people in Moscow on a unicycle over the years, but almost always at a park. Nikolai was riding near a metro station and I asked why. He said he was a student at Moscow's circus and arts academy and was trying to improve his riding ability. He said his parents realized early on he wasn't headed for an academic career and enrolled him in Moscow's only grammar school with a circus focus. Nikolai says he hopes someday to organize his own circus show and knows his life will always be some way connected with the circus and/or magic performance.
Igor: Lenin Impersonator
He caught my eye as he nervously walked toward Red Square. He had some resemblence to actor William Defoe, but was dressed like Lenin. As this was Moscow and not LA, I suspected he was a Lenin impersonator, so I walked up to chat. Igor said he was on the way to meet a Stalin impersonator in the underpass below red square, but was nervous the police would see him and stop him. He said he only recently became a Lenin impersonator after taking a photo - and then chatting - with Stalin. The Stalin impersonator recommended he give Lenin a shot. Igor said the first two attempts at altering his image with a black goatee and mustache didn't work. His friend suggested trying red dye and they were both pleased with the result. Igor said he had recently moved back to Moscow from his native Ukraine to find work. This is not the first time. He said he was a trolley bus driver and construction worker in Moscow during the turbulent 1990s.
Igor: Moscow Skateboarder
I passed a new, outdoor extreme sport park at the edge of Moscow late on a cold, November Sunday night. A few guys and one girl were still skateboarding snd one of them - Igor - had just broken his board. He said he has broken several dozen boards (~50) over the years and destroyed many pairs of sneakers. Igor said he would continue to skate this winter until the snow comes.
Alexei: Russian with Spanish Roots
I will continue with the music theme today before moving on to Voronezh portraits. I saw Alexei in his unusual boots and just had to stop him for a chat. Just as he told me he played 'brutual death metal,' some other guy also noticed Alexei and came over to join us. The other guy interrupted me and started talking to Alexei about boots, music and something else, but I couldn't understand him well as he was quite intoxicated and his words slurred. Alexei gave him some change and he walked away, a bottle of dark liquor sticking out of his bag. Alexei then told me a bit more about his music and that he was also studying computer programming. He ended our conversation with his family history that I will share in my next post of Alexei.
Sergei: Street Musician with Saw
Sergei creates music using a saw, playing classical songs. He mainly plays in the underpass near Red Square. He said he grew up playing the guitar in Altai in Siberia and then studied the contrabass at university. About 15 years ago, he take up 'the saw.' The unusual skill has enabled him to travel abroad as well as around Russia.
Igor: Moscow Street Musician
Igor was playing next to the exit of a Moscow suburban train stop at the edge of the city. I askedif I coukd take his photo and he said yes if I gave him a beer or cigarettes. He asked where I was from and when I told him NYC, he said 'take me with you.' I asked him why he wanted to leave. He said people don't understand rock music here like they do in the US. Ironically, he was playing 'Smoke on the Water' by Deep Purple, thd favorite band of former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Roman: Moscow Street Musician from Minsk
Roman fit the stereotypical image of a European backpacker with his dreads, facial hair and guitar. However, he wasn't playing in front of a warm bonfire somewhere in Asia, rather in a cold pedestrian underpass in Moscow. Roman let me take his photo and asked for a copy, addressing me in a hippy fashion with 'hi man.' However, he didn't answer any questions, so was unable to learn something about him. But the social media page he contacted me from indicated he was from neighboring Belarus.
Maxim: Street Musician (2)
A close-up of Maxim, a street musician who plays rock music with his guitar. He said he lived and worked in my hometown of NYC in early 1990s doing home repairs/comstruction work. He also said he plays on the streets in Berlin, where he claims he can make as much as several hundred euros a day, several times more than he can make playing on the streets in Moscow.
Maxim: Street Musician
I will post a short series of Russian street music performers. I will kick it off with Maxim, who was playing in front of the metro near my apartment in Moscow. He said he had been playing for about 1hr in 0c (32F) degrees and that his fingers were numb. Thus, he sent his fellow musician to fetch a bottle of vodka to warm themselves up so they could pkay a bit longer. He offered me to try the vodka, adding it was a quality brand ('5 Seas' brand). He said he planned on playing another 45 minutes before heading home. I asked him what kind of music he played. He said rock and that he was inspired by Pink Floyd.
Moscow Dog in Camouflage
His owner was wearing blue camouflage.
