Capturing Russia from white to black, north to south, east to west

Posts Tagged "musician"

Stanislav: Seeing-Impaired Street Musician (2)

Another photo of Stanislav, the nearly-blind 77yo accordion player, who says he will play till the end. Here you can see his instrument on a cart that he was dragging through the snow. He has a stick in his other hand to help him walk.

Stanislav: Seeing-Impaired Street Musician

Before I continue with my Minsk photos, I want to post a two portraits from last 24h in Moscow to show how very different people were spending the holiday. I met Stanislav, a 77 yo accordion player, nearly a year ago at the Izmailovsky souvenir market, where he plays as tourists and Russians pass on their way to buy gifts. Today, I randomly saw him in the underpass near Izmailovsky as he dragged his accordion on a cart with one hand and used a sightseeing stick with the other. He had come to play for the holiday crowds, but the market was closed, so he was trying to find a populated place near the park. Nearly blind due - as he put it - to a bad operation, he says he won't stop playing regardless of how difficult it is to drag his stuff through the snow. "If I stop playing music, I will die. It is a holy cause." He said he was proud of his daughter, who has followed in his musical footsteps and often tours Europe to play.  

Sonya: Violin Player

Sonya was among a group of girls that sung at the opening of Moscow's largest mall. She said she also plays the violin, something she has been doing since the age of seven. Sonya said she initially wasn't interested in the violin, but her grandmother insisted. Now she enjoys it. 

Yaroslavl: St. Petersburg Fashionista

St. Petersburg: Yaroslavl was among the most creatively dressed people I came across in St Pete this week, combining 'street basketball' style with something akin to '1970s NYC retro.' I wasnt surprised to hear he is in the music industry and likes funk. 
 

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