Posts Tagged "portrait"
Minato: One of Remaining Oroki People
Sakhalin: Minato was walking down the street in Poronaysk town, when my guide recognized her as one of the native peoples of Sakhalin Island. Minato said she was an ethnic Oroki, one of nearly 400 in Russia. Minato said she teaches her native language, making her probably one of a handful of Oroki teachers in Russia. A mother of two, Minato said she would never have been born were it not for her 'strong and courageous' grandmother and then told us the following story. A plague hit Sakhalin and ''whole villages were dying.'' Her grandfather told his wife to take the children and flee immediately, telling her ''not to take anything from the house'' in case the items were contaminated with the disease. Her grandmother, whom she said was nearly two meters tall, ''walked and walked through the Taiga'' with her three children, saving them. Her grandmother never again saw here husband, who died from the plague.
Gypsy on Sakhalin
Sakhalin's high salaries attract people from around Russia and the former Soviet Union...including these Gypsies from Saratov on the Volga. This 22 year-old father said he arrived in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk just a few weeks ago. He already bought a car to help him and his wife get around town to sell blankets and clothing. He was watching after their one year-old in the car as his wife went into a store.
Alexandra: Sakhalin Mother
Sakhalin: Alexandra was walking down a road that lead from the sea as the sun shone bright and the snow stood tall in this small town in southern Sakhalin. I asked if it were difficult to raise children in this climate - with snow so high for so long. Alexandra, who has two daughters, said she grew up in the north of the island where temperatures get down to -40c and where the snow is even greater, so southern Sakhalin was relatively warm. Alexandra said she had no intention to leave the island for mainland Russia as she enjoys the nature and thinks the local people are kinder. As for her children, "I won't insist that they stay," she said. "It will be there decision." Alexandra said she hopes to have another child. "My husband wants another daughter, but I would like a son for a change.''
Alla & Rita: Mom and Daughter
Rita, 18, was helping her mom at a convenience store in a town near the Sakhalin coast that also served hot food and drinks, including borsch, pancakes and instant coffee. Located near the inter-city bus stop, it had a decent flow of customers. Alla was born in Vladivostok and moved to Sakhalin with her family were she was about six years old. Rita, who is finishing high school, wants to attend university in Vladivostok. ''I have relatives there, so I am not worried about her leaving home,'' said Alla, who has three children in total. Rita said she wants to leave Sakhalin as there are limited career opportunities on the island, a complaint many young people have. She said she would like to study interior design, but doesn't have good enough Russian language scores to get into that department, so she may chose public administration.
Yuri: Nearly 60 Years on Sakhalin
Yuri, 67, said his dad was from Ukraine and his mom from Siberia. They met and married in Vladivostok and moved to the Kuril Islands off Japan in 1947 after WWII to help develop the new territory. When he was eight, his family moved to Sakhalin Island. His parents had five children. Yuri said he played war games and cops and robbers with his siblings and friends. He also went fishing with his dad, something that has become a passion. ''I love fishing. If I can't fish, there is nothing for me to do.'' However, he said his younger brother, who still lives on Sakhalin, doesn't share his passion for fishing. Yuri said he was a construction worker on Sakhalin and built housing projects. Now he is a pensioner, spending his days fishing. ''Tell me, who receives a pension that is enough?'' he said, when asked about retirement benefits. ''Prices have been rising. The monthly communal housing costs are quite high. ''
Lyudmila: Specialist Invited to Sakhalin
Lyumila and Pavel, 29, were looking for pigeons in the central of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk late on a Thursday. Lyudmila is one of the many young specialists invited from the Russian 'mainland' to work on Sakhalin, where the pay is high due to the remote location. Pavel, her husband, supported the temporary move. ''I told her its a great opportunity, a chance to gain valuable experience,'' he said. ''And it was a chance to visit the far end of Russia. Sakhalin is beautiful. You don't get this kind of winter in central Russia.'' Pavel said he is taking advantage of Sakhalin's snow and mountains by picking up snowboarding since he and Lyudmila arrived seven months ago. The couple plans on moving back, though, to Nizhny Novgorod when Lyudmila's contract is up to be close to family and friends. Pavel, the son of a military officer and teacher, said he is developing a project with friends back home and works from the apartment in Sakhalin. He and his friends hope to raise money via crowd sourcing to finish their project.
Maria from Sakhalin
She was sitting behind me on a small bus as we traveled through the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. When I turned around to look behind me, I noticed her eyes. I asked her for her portrait after we exited the bus. She was suspicious, but let me take her photo, saying only that her name was Maria.
Alik: Kyrgyz on Sakhalin
Migrants from central Asia not only head toward Moscow and western Russia for work. With Russia trying to develop its Far East provinces, there is demand for construction workers in the region. And due to the tough environment and remote location, pay can be relatively high. Alik, 22 and a native Kyrgyz, was walking in the center of Sakhalin with his NY Yankee hat and work uniform. He said he was a construction worker for Russia's state rail company and has been living on Sakhalin for five years. He followed his dad, who has been working on Sakhalin for about 10 years. Alik's sisters live back home in Krygyzia. Alik said that he likes Sakhalin's nature, has a stable job and hopes to buy an apartment on the island. He said he already has a Russian passport.
Sakhalin Native, Ethnic Korean
She was running an errand at the Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk post office wearing a pink coat and long pink scarf, black leggings and high tops. She had blue eye lenses and her finger nails were painted in different colors - green, yellow, blue. She said he was of Korean ethnicity and grew up on Sakhalin, one of many ethnic Koreans here. She has visited relatives in Korea. I asked if she spoke Korean. ''I don't speak very good Korean because I grew up here speaking Russian.''
Young Mother on Sakhalin
One of the first things that jumped out as I walked around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was the number of people walking with baby carriages. This is most notable in the city's park, where I saw at least a dozen mothers and one dad walking their new borns. As one man told me, Sakhalin has been attracting young specialists from the Russian 'mainland' because of higher salaries and chance for an interesting experience. This young mother was walking her child in a baby carriage around sunset in the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalin. She said she was born on Sakhalin and has ''no plans to leave. I love the nature and life here is getting better. I think life on the mainland is more difficult.'' She also wants to be around her family and friends on Sakhalin. She said she didn't think about how difficult it might be raising a child - especially in a cold climate - until she had one. ''I probably won't have another child any time soon,'' she said. ''A baby needs constant attention. It is physically and morally exhausting.''
