Posts Tagged "portrait"
Young Ukrainian Couple
Dima said many young Ukrainians are leaving the country and he and his girlfriend may soon join the exodus. He says officials are asking people to be patient and ”wait to 2020” when things will be better. ”But I have plans and I want to achieve them.” Among his dreams – the same I hear from Russians, Belarusians, and Americans – is to have a house and a car.
Alexei: Moscow Hipster, Apple Specialist
Alexei was holding a screwdriver, fixing some electronics equipment at a stand in a Moscow mall, when I notice the tattoos all over his hand. I stopped to chat with him. The 24 year-old said he went from bartending to becoming a certified Apple sales manager because he loves their products. ''I know all about Apple. It's not just my work, but my hobby.'' He said he got into repairing Apple products simply by watching Youtube videos. His first repair was an LCD screen. As for the tattoos, he said he has his parents, grandparents and brother's birthdays imprinted on the fingers on his right hand as they are the important people in his life.
Alexei: Crimean, Brother to US Navy Officer
While walking around the shopping mall near my house, I was struck by a food stand near the elevator: ‘Bakery by Men’ it read. In a country where the president flies in jets, cruises on submarines, practices judo and rides horses, ‘Bakery by Men’ seemed bold. I stopped by to talk to the guy working the shop that day. Alexei said he had moved to Moscow in early March 2014 from Sevastopol…just days after Russia began the process of annexing the region. He said he was planning to come to Moscow at the end of February as he had fallen in love with a girl from Moscow that he met through social media network Vkontake.
Sergei: Tattooed Youth
Sergei was crossing the Moscow River near the Moscow Financial District via a pedestrian bridge when I passed him. He immediately caught my eye as his face and hands were covered in tattoos that he said he designed himself. Sergei said he was turning 18 next month, unemployed, but looking at any job offers. I asked what he would like to do, mentioning that the tattoos would limit the jobs he could find. ''I would like to become a model,'' he answered. He said chest and legs were also covered in tattoos and that his brother was living in Brooklyn....not far from my home.
Ruslan: Voronezh Barber
Ruslan has been working as a barber for several years, having first started in Moscow before moving to Voronezh. I asked how he got into the business. He said his mother's best friend was a hair stylist and recommdnded he give styling a shot.
Japanese Ballerinas at Starbucks
As I have mentioned before, Starbucks in Moscow attracts an interesting crowd. These two young women were enjoying a salad and coffee as they played with their laptop, when I interrupted them. They said they were from Japan and had come to Moscow to study ballet. Russia is well known for its excellence in ballet, so not a surprise they would choose to study here. They said they were finishing their third and last year in Moscow and would like to dance in Europe.
Karina: Migrant Helping Grandson
It's a story I hear regularly...Karina came to Moscow from one of the former Soviet republics to earn money to help her grandson. She wants him to study in Europe, so she labors here - cooking and cleaning - to set aside money for his education. The Russian economic recession not only means that the rubles she earns buy less foreign currency needed for her grandson's study, but it means she earns fewer rubles as she has fewer clients these days. She is hoping to stick it out another year or two at the most and return home to see her family for first time in a decade.
Homeless Sleeping in Bank
Anna: Economics Student from Smolensk
Like Sasha (yday portrait) Anna also said the most memorable event last year was a real-life lesson. Anna, who comes from a well-to-do family near the Ukraine border, said she decided to donate lots of her clothing and toys to Donetsk refugees. However, she gave away her first childhood toys that had family meaning, so Anna had to go to the refugee camp to find them. Anna said visting the camp shocked her as she "had never seen people in such poverty before."
Yulia: Student Who Celebrated Halloween
Yulia, a soil science student from the Urals, said one of her most memorable events of 2014 was spontaneously deciding to celebrate Halloween in the dorm with about 10 university friends. While they found constumes, they didn't find pumpkins, so they bought oranges as an alternative. I asked if the dorm guards gave them a hard time: ‘’We weren’t too loud, so the dorm guards didn’t mind.
