Vazgen: Artist Crossing Red Square
MOSCOW: Vazgen, 66, was walking across Red Square at sunset, wearing a red shirt, red shoes and bow tie with matching handkerchief. The graphic artist said he made the bow tie and handkerchief himself by cuting up a straight, long tie into three pieces. ‘’I love tying a knot,’’ he said, when I asked if he often wears a tie. An Armenian with roots from Nagorny Karabakh, Vazgen said he loves poetry and always buys bilingual books to practice his English. He loves the work of Emily Dickinson, am American poet who lived a secluded life, never marrying or having children. I asked the pensioner if his children were also artists. He said he didn’t have children, but still hoped to. ‘’I am not too old,’’ he said.
Arif: Working on World Cup 2018
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. His 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.
Sergei: St. Petersburg Fitness Instructor
ST. PETERSBURG: Sergei, 42, said he grew up in Riga, Latvia but moved between Russia and Germany right after the collapse of the Soviet Union. He said he later moved to the US, where he lived for nearly 10 years, working part-time in a gym. Since 2006, he has been in St. Petersburg working as an individual trainer. He says he hopes to go back to the US for visit in the coming years.
Sasha & Anastasia: Donut Cafe Owners
ST. PETERSBURG: When Sasha and Anastasia returned from their homey moon in the summer of 2012, they decided to quit their jobs, borrow money and start their own business producing donuts. Sasha, an engineer-turned-cook, wanted his own food business, but a restaurant was too expensive. Donuts were an empty niche in St Pete at the time in their view. They worked two months on the receipe, including watching youtube videos and holding test tastes, before launching production. Borrowing large sums at high rates was scary, said Anastasia. A year later, they opened a donut cafe. This year they expanded with a franchise in Penza and plan to open another.
Vladimir: St. Petersburg Shoemaker
ST. PETERSBURG: Vladimir recalled skateboarding in St. Petersburg as a teenager in the late 1990s. Some kids would add a layer of leather to their sneakers to prevent them from getting worn so quickly. Foreign made sneakers were expensive and hard to come by back then, he recalled. If someone got a pair of the latest sneakers, everyone would know about it. That gave birth to Vladimir's original interest in sneakers. Fifteen years later - and having read Soviet manuals and youtube videos - the 31 year-old is hand making sneakers and shoes in a small shop under the brand name Afour Custom www.afourcustom.ru His advice to young people wanting to start their own business: "be prepared to be your own cleaner, shipper, designer and economist."
Anya: St. Petersburg Shoemaker
ST. PETERSBURG: People are no longer afraid to start their own business," says Anya, a 28yo mother & founder of Z!Boot. She has been producing hand-made shoes in a 20sqm workshop in an old factory in St. Pete for the past 3 years. Like many start ups, she began making shoes at home. To learn to produce from scratch, she took a sewing course at night while getting her shoe design degree during the day. Now she has 4 workers, including her mom, and they produce weekly 50-100 pairs of shoes. While most of the shoes are sold to Muscovites, a few go abroad. Anya, who says she is a creative person, doesn’t dream of her own mass production. She wants to continue producing hand-made shoes and has given herself the goal of doubling output over the next year.
Oleg: Cappuccino on Red Square
ST. PETERSBURG: Alexei, 41, was hanging out on Nevesky on a Saturday afternoon offering pedestrians a ride on his motorcycle. Alexei said he first started riding at age 10, when he lied to get into a bike class for those 12 and over. A few years ago, while riding around St Petersburg in the early afternoon, he decided to have coffee on Red Square. By 10pm, he said he was sipping cappuccino on Red Square, having traveled 700 kilometers in about 8+ hours.
St. Petersburg Female Motorbiker
ST. PETERSBURG: This 47 year-old woman was getting on her moped in front of the Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg. She said she was offering rides around St. Petersburg on her bike for 500 rubles. A Vladivostok native, she first bicycled around St Pete for a few years to learn the city. Four years ago, she bought a moped after passing a new store that opened in her neighborhood. She said mopeds have become more popular in St Pete, including among women. For instance, she recalled seeing only one other women on a moped 3 years ago and now sees quite a few.
Mystic: Blue Man from St. Petersburg
ST. PETERSBURG: Mystic, 18, was walking near St. Petersburg's main railway station, sporting bright blue hair and several facial piercings. Part Turkish, Mystic said his hair has been blue for six years as he likes 'cold colors.' ''I feel very comfortable in blue,'' he said. Mystic does body piercings in addition to working at a store. He said he sometimes works as a model as well. He will soon be moving to Moscow for work. He said he enjoys philosophy, astronomy and animation, saying ''animation is a part of who I am.''
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.
