Photography of Eastern Europe

“Born in Moscow, I was inspired by photography literally from the cradle, since my father was a professional photographer. Cameras that he never parted with, albums on the bookshelves, pictures shot by father and earlier ones painted by my grandfather—that shaped my ‘home sweet home’ environment. In due course, I continued the family trade—it all began with a simple and cheap Smena 8M viewfinder camera presented to me by my father. Today, I’m a staff photographer for The Moscow News daily newspaper in Moscow, but my greatest passion is street photography. I love to take photos not by order of the editor, or for the headlines on any burning topic, but just for myself. To grab a piece of life from the city bustle. It is not necessary for me to remain invisible in such situations—I like to communicate with people on the street, talk to them, even to charm them. Or, like a hunter, quietly sneak up to my ‘victim’ and make that single unique shot.”