Posts Tagged "portrait"
Musicians Chillin’ in Vladivostok
Vladivostok: ''We are enjoying the sun and the moment,'' said the musician on the left, when I asked these guys what they were doing for Valentine's Day. He said the three were collaborating on a hip-hop album and ''want to conquer the world.''
Nikolai: Butcher Shop Dreams
Nikolai, 25, was offering pedestrians tulips from the back of a car in the center of Vladivostok on Valentine's Day. He had bought 200 hundred tulips from a local producer and sold about 180 by the early evening, pocketing a nice profit. A former worker on a fishing trawler, he said he would like to open a chain of butcher shops because he sees weak competition and strong demand for meat. The current competitors don't understand marketing and he felt he could grab market share. He added that he is part of ''a trend of young people trying to start their own businesses.'' I asked if his parents were involved in food retail as well. He said was born at the end of the 1980s, during a very tumultuous period in Russia's history, and was raised in a village by his grandmother, who has since passed away. ''There are many of us in Russia,'' he said, referring to orphans.
Sergei & Lyubov: Nature Lovers
Vladivostok: Sergei and Lyubov were walking together in the center of Vladivostok on Valentine's Day, both wearing what looked like hiking backpacks. They said they met a month ago in Vladivostok via friends and ''have many things in common, including biking, hiking and outdoor tourism.'' They plan on visiting a cave in the region later this month, while their longterm plans include visiting Kamchatka, Sakhalin and Tibet.
Timofei & Dasha: Vladivostok Teenagers
Vladivostok: Timofei and Dasha, Vladivostok teenagers, were sitting by the shore as the sun set, taking in the beautiful view like many other couples. Timofei said they met a month ago via Russian social media - like so many others I have met lately. Russians normally give flowers on such a holiday, but I noticed that Dasha wasn't holding any. ''The most important thing [in a relationship] is not to be banal,'' Timofei said. ''You have to do something original.'' Apparently, he had something special planned for Dasha.
Valentine’s Day in Vladivostok (2)
Vladivostok: It was unseasonably warm on Valentine's Day in Vladivostok with the temperature breaking above zero Celsius and the sun shinning bright. That didn't seem to worry these two young lovers, who walked, ran, hugged and kissed on the ice for a good half-hour. They said the ice normally remains thick enough to stand on until the end of February. They exited the ice safely.
Valentine’s Day in Vladivostok
Artem and Yulia were slowly strolling along the seaside in Vladivostok at sunset on Valentine's Day eve. Yulia was carrying a bouquet of nine roses. They said they met via Russian social media about two weeks ago and had been writing each other since them. Today was their first date. ''I don't normally meet people through social media,'' Yulia said. ''He was lucky.''
Andrei: Fighting to Make it in Moscow
Andrei, 21, was smoking near a metro stopped, dressed in all brown and carrying a white bag. He said he had moved to Moscow about six months ago ”to test myself in this city.” I asked him how things were going. He said they were going well, until recently. He got a job at a hotel, but was downsized shortly afterward amid the crisis. He then got a job at a restaurant, but that went bankrupt….
Zhenya: H&M Employee
Zhenya was walking through the crowded Moscow metro around 4pm on a weekday in his 'Bronx' hat and leopard-pattered jacket. He said he was born in the south of Russia and now works at H&M located in a nearby mall. He invited me to visit the store.
Vlad: Rapper from Siberia
Vlad, 26, works in a fast-food kiosk in central Moscow around the corner from the $7.50-a-night hostel bed he is staying at. He moved to Moscow less than two months ago from the Siberian steel town of Novokuznetsk to pursue a rap career with his friend Misha, one of the three people he shares the hostel room with. ”We hit a ceiling there,” Vlad said. ”In Moscow, there is a chance to grow.”
Olya: Music Student from Moscow Suburbs
Olya, 15, was asking commuters for money as they exited the metro in the center of Moscow. She was carrying a violin, so I asked why she didn’t play for money. ”It is quite cold and my fingers go numb.” She said she just started a music academy and will study for four years. Olya said she lives in the Moscow suburbs and is one of 11 children by the same mom.
