Posts Tagged "inspiration"
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.
Garich: The Juggler
Another photo of juggler Garich in his apartment. He lives on the ground floor of a 19th century building that was damaged by fire two years ago. His 'apartment' has no shower room or heating, though the electricity works. It reminds me of images of squatter housing in NYC in 80s. Garich built a fire place and is making a shower. He often sleeps on a hammock. The walls are bare except for some drawings by his school aged daughter, who lives separately with her mother. Garich said his daughter comes over occasionally and likes the unusual settings. He is hoping to find more juggling students in Moscow to incease his income, but his real goal is to have his own performance. He practices juggling to music by The Kinks, The Stooges and Thamusement in a bare room across the hallway.
Islam: Afghan in Moscow
Islam grew up in Afghanistan in a family of 10 children. A good student, he was sent to study in Russia for six years during the 1980s just as USSR troops were in his country. He returned to Russia in the 1990s as the Taliban took power. He now works in trade at a massive Moscow market that feels like a Asian melting pot. He counted off several countries where his siblings live - Austria, Norway, Canada. Of the 10 children, only two are in Afghanistan. He says he is getting to the age where money is less important and the desire to do some good greater. Islam says he would like to return home someday to help young people looking to start their own business.
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.)
