Posts Tagged "streetphoto"
Akram: Kyrgyz Getting Russian Citizenship
The ruble decline impacts nearly the entire former USSR, not just Russia and Russians. Akram grew up in Kyrgyzia, lives in Chelyabinsk and currently works in Moscow like many of his former countrymen. He regularly sends money to his parents, who are raising his two youngest children in Kyrgyzia. Akram said his parents now get 20% less for each ruble he sends them. Akram said he is getting Russisn citizenship and hopes someday to build a home outside Chelyabinsk, where is wife is raising their eldest child.
Katya: Jehovah Witness
Katya, a nanny, was standing by a popular Moscow park offering interested people Jehovah Witness literature. While I often come across JW followers in NYC, I have met few in Russia and thus I asked Katya how she become a follower. Katya said she become interested in religion as a young child growing up in Siberia. She would often accompany her grandmother to church, asking her questions about Jesus and heaven.
Following a move to the south of Russia, her mother became friends with a woman who was a JW follower. Katya said her mother thought the woman had made a mistake joining JW and sought to convince her. Katya said her mother ended up with the reverse outcome - her mother ended up becoming a JW follower herself. Katya said she and her sister then also joined JW because she ‘found answers to the questions’’ troubling her
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.
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.
Igor: The ‘Prince’
Igor was sitting in the metro sporting colorful attire and huge sunglasses, the kind you might see a famous pop singer wearing. I asked him what his story was and he gave an unusual response: "I am a Prince. At least I feel that way." He said his family heritage included Italian descendents that were invited by the imperial family to design St. Petersburg buildings. Ironically, he continues that building heritage as a project design student.
Anastasia: Voronezh Cafe Social Media Director
Popped into a cafe/restaurant in Voronezh that serves burgers and unusual coffee drinks. As one local put it, a cafe 'for hipsters' where they show films on Friday nights. There I met Anastasia, a journalism student who works part time on the restaurant's menu and brochure design as well as its social media pages. She said she also gets to choose the films.
Babushka Nina from Voronezh
Nina was sitting on the swing, reading a newspaper one a cold, damp day in Voronezh. As I walked by, she asked for the time, so I stopped for a chat. She said she was turning 80 and tries to get out every day for a walk, despite a bad foot. She said she had a stroke many years ago and refused to take her doctor's advice to just stay in bed. Nina said that determination to keep moving helped her recover. She said she worked as an accountant at some engineering plant for decades till the turmoil of the 1990s, when around age 60 she was forced to became a merchandise trader - traveling to Moscow to buy goods and selling them for a profit in Voronezh. She said she did that to help her children and grandchildren. She said she took up sewing after her husband died in the 80s and that skill came in handy during the tough 1990s, when she often made clothes for her family. That turmoil may have shaped her philosophy of 'live for today' rather than saving money for the future (which can become worthless in times of crisis as she most likely knows from experience.)
Igor & Nikita: Future Train Drivers
Igor and Nikita were hanging out in a park in Voronezh when I met them. They said they were studying to operate trains - either passenger or cargo.
Dima & Liza: Voronezh Highschool Students
I was walking around Voronezh around 10am when I saw these two having a warm moment on a swing. Dima at 195cm was taller than me and I asked him if he was a college student. He said he and Liza were 14 and in high school together. They were skipping class to hang out and chat. Dima said he plays basketball and dunks without much effort. Liza said she likes art and would like to study abroad. When I asked her where, her answer surprised me. 'New York School of Visual Arts.' I didn't expect a young teenager far from Moscow to be familiar with NYC universities.
Ruslan & Evgeny: Voronezh Barbers
The trend of opening men's barber shop has spread beyond Moscow to the regions and Voronezh is a good example, where at least two hip spots have opened in the past year. I visited Mr. Right barber shop, which opened exactly one year ago. Here is a photo of the two young barbers Ruslan and Evgeny that work at Mr. Right. The photo is taken through the window.
