Posts Tagged "portrait"
Nastya: Middle Ages Enthusiast
Anastasia was walking through the center of Minsk in nearly all black, including Gothic-styled boots. I expected her to talk about an interest in some obscure hard rock genre. Instead, she passionately talked about her interest in recreating 15th century German life with a club she joined a few years back on the recommendation of a now ex-boyfriend. She said her group consists of about 30 people, nearly split 50-50 between men and women. She said they take part in Middle-Age festivals around Belarus and neighboring countries. I asked what attracts women like herself to such clubs. "It's romantic - knights, beautiful dresses, music. You leave all your problems behind. It's an unforgetable experience." The red 'scarf' she is wearing is a Middle-Age replica she made.
Victor: Minsk Artist
Victor, 59, was sitting on a bench in the center of Minsk and I approached him to get his views on the city. He ignorned the questions and talked about his painting career. He said as a university student in USSR, he - like other students - was sent to a village to help with the potato harvest. While taking a break in a village house, he noticed a typical Belarusian rug with flower designs on a black background. The babushka let him take it. Twenty years later, he came across the rug amongst his stuff and it inspired a painting in his 'Snow in Black Square' series. The series itself is a play on 'Black Square' by Kazimir Malevich, who lived a few years in Belarus. Victor's site is: www.vitart.net
Artyom & Denis: Belarus Musicians
Artyom & Denis perform chillout and ambient music outside their regular jobs. Artyom said he started experimenting with music while attending a military school and played trance for a while. I asked how he got into these other music genres. "I was resting with a friend by a river early one morning outside Minsk, when we heard ambient music and it inspired us."
Anna: English Major, Rock Lover
Anna, an English-language student, was listening to 'Shadow Maker' by Finnish-rock group Apocalyptica as she walked toward her university, adding she 'can't stop listening to it. Higher up on her list of favorite groups is Canadian rock band 3 Day Grace. Anna said attending their concert in Minsk was the most memorable event in 2014, 'a dream come true.'
Lesha: Agro-Engineering Student
Fedya was wearing a 'From Brooklyn' winter hat while walking in a Moscow street underpass. He said he and his sister moved to Moscow from Bukhara, Uzbekistan. His mom passed away and his dad lives in Uzbekistan. Fedya has worked the last four years as a courier, racing around Moscow. He said he just entered university to study ecology, adding it should be a needed profession in resource-rich Uzbekistan. On a side note, NYC (Queens, not Brooklyn) is home to a large diaspora from Bukhara.
German: Mixed Martial Arts Fighter
German was serving me cofee at a restaurant in the center of Minsk when I noticed the tattoos on his arm. They were from the film Spartak, a culture which is an inspiration to him. He said he is a mixed martial arts fighter and has taken part in 3 bouts. He has 'Fight til the End' tattooed across his chest.
Vladimir: Retired Belarus Musician
Vladimir, 63, was playing in front of the Minsk food market on a cold, sunny December weekend. He said he retired from the state orchestra and occasionally plays at some private events, but prefers playing what he likes on the streets. He said he worked once as a musician on a US cruiseliner, a job his son found for him. Vladimir said he even played on the streets of NYC, once taking his trumpet to Chinatown, where he played a few hours. He said he prefers classical and Russian music though to American Jazz. "Russia has a lot of soulful music."
Elizaveta: Barista & Dog Lover
Elizaveta works at a cafe in Minsk to help pay for her university studies....and to save up for a Hungarian pointer dog, a photo of which is taped to the tip bowl. Elizaveta said she gives half her salary to her parents as payment for university. She said she would like to stay in Minsk to be close to family and friends, but 'decent, stable jobs' can be hard to find in Belarus. When I asked if she would consider work in Russia, she said she prefered heading westward as felt closer culturally to Europe.
Liza: Chinese Language Student
Liza, 17, is also studying Chinese, but for a slightly different reason than Valeria (previous portrait). Liza said she like Asian cultures as a child, including some Chinese songs. She said she felt there was a good future in learning Chinese and was confident she could find a job. There are about 1,000 studying English at her university but about 100 studying Chinese. "It's good to learn English, but it is also good to learn Chinese.
Anton: IT Programmer for USA
Following up on my previous post about IT outsourcing to Belarus...Anton is one of the thousands of Belarusian programmers working for foreign companies. He and a team of about 27 work on the design and performance of US clothing company Lands' End website. According to some statistics, Belarus programmers earn on average 1/5 of a US programmer. Anton said the biggest event in his life in 2014 was becoming an officer in the airforce and finishing his military service.
