Denis: Family Empire Dream
MOSCOW: ''I dream big. I want to have my own brand, build a family empire" like Trump and Hilton, said Denis Andrievskiy, 20. He was dressed in ripped jeans and sunglasses as he walked in the center of Moscow around 9:30pm. Denis said he started producing leather bags and wants to next produce clothing under the name Andrievskiy Design. He is currently outsourcing the work to Ukraine, where he said labor is cheaper and leather better than in Moscow. However, he is considering moving it to Moscow due to the political instability. I asked if he was afraid of failure. He said a bit, "but what is the point of life if you live in fear?"
Alex: Bearded Runner
MOSCOW: Alex, a 26 year-old IT specialist, said he quit smoking and started preparing for the Moscow marathon last year just two months before the event. He finished in 4 hours and 15 min and was "overcome by such a rush of emotion" that he stuck with running. He now jogs 2-3 times a week. Alex said he will take part in the Moscowmarathon this year and is starting to prepare for a triathlon next year. He said he decided to sign up for the marathon after seeing a photo of his friend completing the marathon. ''I thought I am no worse than him,'' he said. Alex said he started growing his beard last year and it now reaches 17-18 centimeters.
Dasha: Economics Student from Tver
MOSCOW: Dasha, 21, was crossing a foot bridge in the center of Moscow as she listened to music on her phone. She was dressed in a large summer hat, a blue flower-patterned dress and turquoise converse sneakers. Dasha said she grew up in Tver town and studies economics at a university in Moscow. She said she has two more years of study and works part-time while finishing up her education. Her brother is also studying in Moscow, she said.
Svetlana: Teaching Children Crafts
MOSCOW: Svetlana was sitting in the Moscow metro dressed in a very colorful dress and hat. She said she was on her way to hold a master class for children. Svetlana said she loves to create things - drawing, scultping, seeing. "I like to express my feelings by creating something," she said. "This world inspires one to create." When I asked what she wanted to achieve in life, her answer wasn't typical, touching neither career nor material wealth. "I simply want to grow and develop in harmony with myself and this world. Sometimes I achieve this, sometimes I don't. But that is the path of co-creation with this world."
Artem: Father, Dancer, Business Owner
MOSCOW: Raised in a village on Sakhalin Island, Artem said he moved to Moscow in the early 1990s with this family after the collapse the Soviet Union. Following the 1998 default, he borrowed a $1,000 to buy a used computer, printer and scanner and started to make books and pamphlets. It wasn't initially easy as he had to learn the technology. But nearly 20 years later, his business is still in operation with about 40 people employed and printing books for major publishers. However, his passion is dancing. He started taking locking dance classes at the age of 33 after having downloaded videos that cost him $600 in Internet charges. Despite feeling like 'a tree' at his first few classes, Artem stuck with locking dance. Today, he teaches others and attends dance battles, juggling his passion with the responsibilities of being a business owner and father. Artem recently opened a cafe that is run by his wife, a former Starbucks barista. Artem said he wishes he could move back to Sakhalin as he prefers nature to city life. In the meantime, he is building a home outside Moscow near a forest and river.
Wedding in Moscow Park
MOSCOW: Another sunny summer weekend in Moscow, another series of weddings. Many newly wed couples visit Moscow parks - such as Gorky Park and Tsaritsino - to have their pictures taken.
Kerim: Punk Guitarist, Phys Ed Student
MOSCOW: I passed by a large group of youth belonging to various subcultures at a park in central Moscow. Many had colored hair, several were dressed in black and a few denim jackets with rock memorabilia. They meet once a week at this spot, they told me. I asked about how their parents react to their style. Several said their parents disapprove, but punk fan and bass guitarist Kerim said his parents "fully support" his style. "People think that because I dress in punk style, I am bad or a drug addict," said Kerim, 18. Karim said he is studying physical education at university, but wants to focus on working with people with physical limitations. He said Russia is behind the west in treatment of people with physical limitations and wants to change that attitude. ''They are people too, not any worse than you and me.''
Yana: Rollerblading with Dog
MOSCOW: Yana, 28, was rollerblading in a park, holding her 4 month-old dog to her chest as she passed a crowded area. Yana said she has been rollerblading for 3 years and normally spends several hours rollerblading in the park. This is the 3rd or 4th time she took her dog along.
Elena: Engineer, Fire Show Performer
NIZHNY NOVGOROD: Yulia and Elena (right) were practicing their fire show techniques under a bridge in Nizhny Novgorod before sunset. Elena, an engineer in the power industry, and Yulia, a lawyer met 2.5 years ago during a four-month street art project in Nizhny Novgorod. The aim of the project was to gather creative people in the city and together experiment with art forms, said Elena. Though they learned many things like ethnic dances and instruments, dance, it was the fire show that won Elena's heart. It is now her favorite hobby, she said. Elena said she parachutes, runs in races, does long-distance bike riding and travel with the help of couchsurfing, thus her work colleagues are not surprised she practices swinging fire in her free time, she said.
Alyona: Moscow Suburb Medical Student
MOSCOW: Alyona, 21, was sitting in the Moscow metro wearing sunglasses, a flower-pattern dress and pink sweater. She said she is from the Moscow suburbs, about an hour from the city by train. Alyona said she studies at a medical institute and works at the moment at a military hospital.
About Shades of Russia
Shades of Russia is an independent photography blog about people and life in Russia and the former Soviet Union. There are more than 500 portraits posted from about 15 Russian cities, Belarus, Ukraine and Caucasus. The first portraits date back to the summer of 2013.
