Timofei & Anna: Rock Fans
MOSCOW: Timofei and Anna, 17, were sitting on a bench in a Moscow park dresses in black leather coats. They said they were fans of rock and punk. Anna said Elvis is her favorite. She first heard about him during a school class about music when she was 12. She has been listening to him since and has his albums on her phone. Her favorite song is "'Any Day Now.' Timofei said his dad likes rock, but his friends listen to punk. Thus Timofei's favorite groups are Pink Floyd, Clash and The Sex Pistols. His favorite song is 'Brand New Cadillac' by The Clash. Timofei said he style was inspired by Jonny Depp in the film 'Cry Baby' about the 1950s.
Vladimir: 77 Year-Old on Skates
MOSCOW: Vladimir, wearing dark sunglasses, was talking to the babushka sitting next to him on a bench in Gorky Park as he took a break from rollerblading. The career machinist said he took up rollerblading three years ago at the age of 75 because he had always been good at ice skating. ‘’I taught myself to rollerblade,’’ he said. Vladimir said he first put on a pair of wooden skates around the age of 7 while growing up in Tver oblast. The wooden skates had a thin piece of metal wire at the bottom. He would hold onto a rope and be pulled. He said he recently taught a woman in her 30s to rollerblade. A master of sports in shooting, Vladimir said he will turn 78 in September. When I took a closer look at the photo, I noticed a metal ring with a skull on it, the type you might see a rock music fan wearing.
Svetlana: Mother of Three
TVER OBLAST: This is probably the youngest of the nearly 200,000 visitors this year to the annual Russian rock festival Nashestviye. He is one month old. Mother Svetlana, 27, has been coming to Nashestvie for 6 years. This is her 3rd child. The other two were with their grandmother during the three-day festival. Svetlana stayed at a hotel near the concert grounds during the three days.
Vera & Yulia: Twins from Siberia
TVER OBLAST: Vera and Yulia, 25, traveled from the Siberian town of Tyumen to attend Nashestviye. This is not their first time traveling to Nashestvie. Both attended a medical institute and work as pharmacists at different pharmacies. They feel Tyumen is a bit pretentious and thus dont feel comfortable or understood there. They would like to move to Urals town of Ekaterinburg, where they often go to see concerts (as many groups don't come to Tyumen). Upon arriving in Moscow, they really enjoyed observing the various people and various fashion styles in the capital.
Andrei & Tanya: Rock Concert Visitors
TVER OBLAST: Andrei, 19, and Tanya, 25, were chatting after sunset when I saw them. They said they met at the festival. Both traveled to the three-day Russian rock music festival Nashestviye in their own cars and planned to stay the full three days in the company of their friends. Muscovite Tanya works in logistics and is studying English. She likes the group Pilot. Andrei, who is from Moscow region, has his own small business. He likes Louna and Night Snipers.
Arif: Russia World Cup Worker
MOSCOW: Arif and Natalya were sitting on a bench park near the Moscow River at 10:30 pm, studying their laptop screen. Friends from school days, they said they were organizing their summer vacation. I asked why here and so late. Arif said he had always dreamed of attending the Soccer World Cup and got an internship at the 2018 World Cup committee in Moscow. He said he ended up wuiting university and going to work full-time for the World Cup games. Arif work office is right next to the river, where on the stadiums is. He said he works til late, explaining why they were sitting here at night. Arif said he liked his job and was proud that fans get to choose the mascot for the 2018 World Cup. His favorite is the firebird because of its association with fairytales. "And all fairytales have happy endings," he said.
Vika: Dreaming of Moscow Metro Career
MOSCOW: When an accident a year ago in the Moscow underground took the life of many people including a school friend, Vika said she feared entering the metro. To overcome her fright, she began to look for something positive in the underground. That is when, she said, she realized its beauty. A few months after the accident, she began to photograph stations and the activity grew into a favorite hobby. She has already visited half the 196 stations. Ironically, her mom works on new metro construction and Vika recently got the opportunity to visit a major construction site. She said she was blown away by the sheer size of the work...all this has influenced her future plans. The 3rd-year politics major wants to get a second higher education so she can 'participate in Moscow metro construction."
Evgeny: Street Food Kiosk Owner
MOSCOW: Evgeny, a historian by education, said he became interested in culinary arts about a decade ago as he began to travel abroad. He said he would try anything he could, asking questions about the ingredients. He also started to read culinary books, including Russian culinary history. Evgeny talks admirable of Duke Odoevsky, who wrote about food in the 1840s under the pseudonym Professor Puf. When Evgeny retired from a career as an industrial manager, he took up what he calls his ‘passion’ and opened a kiosk named 'Professor Puf' with a partner offering hot sandwiches with their own bread, sauces and recipes. The father says he didn’t let skepticism from friend’s and family stop him. ‘’If I didn’t do it now, I never would,’’ said the 50 year-old. Evgeny hopes to open more food kiosks in the coming years.
Anya: Pumping Gas in New Jersey
MOSCOW: Anya, 24, was practicing Irish Dance along the Moscow River in Gorky Park around sunset on a weekday. The IT-specialist said she began dancing five years ago after seeing people performing the ethnic steps at the St. Patrick Day parade in Moscow. As she spoke excellent English, I asked if she lived for some time in the US or UK. She said she worked two summers in New Jersey, one as a ride operator and one pumping gasoline. She said she enjoyed the job at the gas station as she met lots of people due to the fact that it was one of only three in the town. She also said she had a pleasant boss. Anya said she wore a shirt that said 'Jersey Girls Don't Pump Gas' while working.
Vladimir: Moscow Stylist
MOSCOW: Vladimir, 24, was walking toward the Moscow metro on an overcast summer day. He said he studied jazz at a musical institute, but decided to pursue a fashion career instead. He enrolled in a well-known Russian fashion school Gosh to become a stylist. After working as an assistant, he formed his own team (photographer, make-up artist, ect) and has worked for clients like Vogue Italy and Elle. As for fashion, he doesn't think that Moscow is behind Milan. He is optimistic on the future of Russian designers, pointing out that a few have already made it big. "We have a lot of creative people. In five years, we will know our young designers. They will prove themselves in the fashion world."
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.
