Posts Tagged "Street Photography"
Alexandra: Sakhalin Mother
Sakhalin: Alexandra was walking down a road that lead from the sea as the sun shone bright and the snow stood tall in this small town in southern Sakhalin. I asked if it were difficult to raise children in this climate - with snow so high for so long. Alexandra, who has two daughters, said she grew up in the north of the island where temperatures get down to -40c and where the snow is even greater, so southern Sakhalin was relatively warm. Alexandra said she had no intention to leave the island for mainland Russia as she enjoys the nature and thinks the local people are kinder. As for her children, "I won't insist that they stay," she said. "It will be there decision." Alexandra said she hopes to have another child. "My husband wants another daughter, but I would like a son for a change.''
Lyudmila: Specialist Invited to Sakhalin
Lyumila and Pavel, 29, were looking for pigeons in the central of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk late on a Thursday. Lyudmila is one of the many young specialists invited from the Russian 'mainland' to work on Sakhalin, where the pay is high due to the remote location. Pavel, her husband, supported the temporary move. ''I told her its a great opportunity, a chance to gain valuable experience,'' he said. ''And it was a chance to visit the far end of Russia. Sakhalin is beautiful. You don't get this kind of winter in central Russia.'' Pavel said he is taking advantage of Sakhalin's snow and mountains by picking up snowboarding since he and Lyudmila arrived seven months ago. The couple plans on moving back, though, to Nizhny Novgorod when Lyudmila's contract is up to be close to family and friends. Pavel, the son of a military officer and teacher, said he is developing a project with friends back home and works from the apartment in Sakhalin. He and his friends hope to raise money via crowd sourcing to finish their project.
Young Mother on Sakhalin
One of the first things that jumped out as I walked around Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was the number of people walking with baby carriages. This is most notable in the city's park, where I saw at least a dozen mothers and one dad walking their new borns. As one man told me, Sakhalin has been attracting young specialists from the Russian 'mainland' because of higher salaries and chance for an interesting experience. This young mother was walking her child in a baby carriage around sunset in the center of Yuzhno-Sakhalin. She said she was born on Sakhalin and has ''no plans to leave. I love the nature and life here is getting better. I think life on the mainland is more difficult.'' She also wants to be around her family and friends on Sakhalin. She said she didn't think about how difficult it might be raising a child - especially in a cold climate - until she had one. ''I probably won't have another child any time soon,'' she said. ''A baby needs constant attention. It is physically and morally exhausting.''
Ilya: Sakhalin’s Colorful Teenager
Sporting long, multi-colored hair, several facial piercings, penciled eyebrows and sneakers, Ilya, 16, was not someone I expected to meet on the cold, oil and gas region of Sakhalin Island. The teenager, who was taking his three-year old sister to the playground, said he attracted a lot of unwanted attention. ''It is difficult, but I am used to it. My mother is supportive [of my style], but not my father.'' Ilya said he has some Spanish roots and that his family was moving to Spain in a few weeks. While he said he was happy to leave Sakhalin ''as there is nothing for me to do here,'' he doesn't want to live in Spain either. ''I would like to live in Moscow or St. Petersburg,'' said Ilya, who wants to pursue a career in fashion.
Sergei: Vladivostok Journalist
Sergei, 57, a Vladivostok journalist, has shelves at home filled with American films and western music and he knows rock-n-roll better than many westerners. He recalls the years albums were published and how many albums various groups recorded. The Beatles and Led Zepplin are among his favorite bands. He has coffee table books on The Beatles and Rolling Stones with photos. It doesn't mean he shares the same affinity for western or American policy. ''American culture is close to me - movies, music. I grew up on it. But I separate Americans and American culture from the American government.''
Lera: Vladivostok Fashionista
Lera, a Vladivostok high school student, was wearing black-rimmed glasses as a fashion statement as she walked the streets with her friend, both in Doc Martin boots. ''My classmates look at me oddly, '' she said, adding that she is happy to attract attention for her unusual style. Lera says she orders some of her clothing through the Internet because ''it is difficult to find interesting stuff'' at stores in Vladivostok.
Oleg: Gardner & Coin Collector
Oleg, a gardner and coin collector, was choosing books from a shelf placed on the street in front of the Vladivostok library to stimulate reading. He pulled out two Czarist coins dating from 1777 from a small flip book to show me and photograph with. When his wife, who was standing behind him looking through books, heard from a Russian colleague that I was an American, she warned her husband from having his picture taken.
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.''
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.
