Posts Tagged "russia"
Vladimir: Old-Fashioned Police Officer
Vladimir Ivanovich stands by the Kolomna Kremlin in Moscow region dressed in an old fashion Russian police uniform. He is as much a tourist attraction as he is a city worker. Before becoming a guard by the Kremlin, he said he was a senior engineer and traveled occasionally with work. Like tens of thousands of other engineers, he said the economic turmoil of the 1990s forced him out of his job.
German: Automotive Student
German, 16, was riding his 22,000 ruble ($400) bike around the historical Russian town of Kolomna. He said he was studying at an automotive technical school about an hour bus ride from Kolomna. He said there were about 25 students in his class, one of whom was a girl. He said girls study economics .... (If you have ever walked into a Moscow bank, you will almost always find women behind the desks). I asked if his father was also involved in the auto industry. 'I don't have a father,' he replied.
Roman: Wander with a Story
Occasionally, people I photograph tell some unusual stories, that I question their validity. This was the case with Roman, who approached us in a church in Kolomna (Moscow region). Quite knowledgable about history and religion, Roman said he has been traveling around Russia for the last few years after his wife and daughter were killed, leaving him with nothing really to live for as he put it. He said he was Uzbek by nationality, but raised in an orphanage mainly in Russia. He went into the army and served in Afghanistan. He said he was headed to the south of Russia where it would be warm and where the people are hospitable and may settle there.
Garich: The Juggler (2)
I met Garich, a juggler, in the Moscow metro in the summer. He invited me by for tea to see his apartment and juggling studio. A free-lance journalist for more than a decade, Garik said he was inspired to go full time as a juggler after an interview last year with a Soviet photographer that specialized in nude portraits. When Garik asked him how he managed to get away for so long with taking nude photos in USSR, he answered "if you really love something enough, you will find a way to do it." Garik now supports himself by juggling on Arbat street and teaching.
Harlem in Moscow
She was walking with her friend at a Moscow park and asked me if I knew where the ice skating rink ticket booth was. I said no, taking notice of her Harlem hat and blue eye lenses. I then asked her if she knew what/where Harlem was. She said no. I asked her why she bought the Harlem hat. She said she simply liked it. I could understand her, recalling the time I bought a jacket with Japanese writing, having no idea what was written on it.
Ukraine War Refugee
He said he had a good life - an apartment, car and his own small store - until fighting erupted in his hometown of Luhansk. A bomb damaged the roof of his store and he left for safer territory in Moscow, where he now sells boiled corn-on-cob at popular Moscow park. Half Russian, half Ukrainian by nationality, he will get Russian citizenship and says may end up settling in Russia, but he misses his home town and previous, stable life.
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.
Father of Peter the Great
He and Vladimir Putin have had the same work address since 2000 - Red Square. This Moscovite plays the father of Peter the Great, the Russian ruler Putin perhaps most admires. I asked him about the most interesting things he has seen over the nearly 15 years he has been working on Red Square - he immediately recalled photographing with various international stars such as Gerard Depardieu and members of Boney M, a group popular in Russia. As for 2014, the more memorable event was his trip to Montenegro. He plans on vacationing in Belarus next year.
Damian: Moscow Skateboarder
Damian was skateboarding with Igor (previous post) at the extreme sport playground on a cold November night. He wasn't a diehard skater like Igor, having taken it up only a year ago. He said he was looking forward to snowboarding, which was of greater interest to him.
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.
