April 15, 2013 at 11:45AM
Goodbye land of amazing food and people. #Georgia #food #Kacheti from Instagram: http://bit.ly/134Dyd1
from April 15, 2013 at 11:45AM
from April 15, 2013 at 11:45AM
April 13, 2013 at 12:13PM
Happy late garden breakfast in Tbilisi. from Instagram: http://bit.ly/12VwCPu
from April 13, 2013 at 12:13PM
April 01, 2013 at 07:55PM
Carnival in Odessa. from Instagram: http://bit.ly/13M3BX2
from April 01, 2013 at 07:55PM
April 01, 2013 at 07:14AM
Good morning porridge. from Instagram: http://bit.ly/14zgxPa
from April 01, 2013 at 07:14AM
March 31, 2013 at 11:16PM
Goodbye Transnistria, hello Odessa. from Instagram: http://bit.ly/13JBwzH
from March 31, 2013 at 11:16PM
Top Up Fund Photography
I am extremely happy to be amongst the winners of the Ideas Tap Top Up Fund Photography for an upcoming exhibition in Paris!
from Top Up Fund Photography
Maslenitsa in Voronezh
The mixed smell of frying pancakes, cotton candy and smoke fills the Lenin square in the centre of Voronezh, Russia. Under scrutiny of the Lenin statue, people celebrate the sixth day of Russian Maslenitsa, also known as the ‘pancake week’. ”Maslenitsa is happiness, sun, celebration, start of the spring and just life,” says Ludmilla Hribunova (53), a balloon seller who travels from one celebration to another and from city to city. Maslenitsa has its origins in Pagan and Christian traditions. For Slavic people, it marks the end of the winter and it corresponds to the Western Christian Carnival. Nowadays for most of Russians, Maslenitsa is a celebration to greet spring and it is the last week before the Great Lent.
“Today there’s no snow, but normally I would go sledging and have a snowball fight during the week of Maslenitsa,” laughs the 85-year-old Vassili Serjonovits. Building snowman, other games in the snow and sleigh rides are an important part of the celebrations. There are also competitions about showing strength. “Davai-davai-davai! Climb!” shouts the crowd to cheer the young men who climb on a pole wearing only shorts to reach the top for a prize. Aljona (45) points to a cow mascot to show her 3-year-old son Vasja where the milk comes from. “And milk is in bliny, remember?”. The boy nods and from the glance in his eyes you can see, that he really likes the thick pancakes, usually covered with sugar, marmalade or sour-cream. As it is the last week before fast during which you can traditionally eat meat, milk, cheese and other dairy products, bliny are highly appreciated not only because of their high concentration of fat.
Three girls in national clothes are in a festive mood and laugh giggly when people ask to take pictures with them. “We made these clothes ourselves because of our profession, but otherwise only few people wear them for celebrations as they are not cheap. Our grandmothers wore them in daily life, but today we are like a moving museum display model”, laughs Daria (23). She, Julia (24) and Olja (24) run quickly to the stage to perform songs and dances with the other members of the national group Pavete. A Cossack on a horse brings a decorated straw effigy to the stage. The women-shaped figure is held up by the traditionally dressed group of women and children. “Oh, she’s beautiful as the sun!”, shouts Alexandra Samotyagina, the leader of the folklore ensemble Pavete as the group sings a song for the bright day. As the highlight of the week of Maslenitsa, the effigy is set on fire on Sunday to say goodbye to the winter.
© 2013 Liisi Mölder / Fabian Weiß
from Maslenitsa in Voronezh
Nominated for the CNN Journalist Award 2013
I am extremely happy and honoured to see my story on lesbian women in China being nominated for the CNN Journalist Award 2013!
from Nominated for the CNN Journalist Award 2013
March 14, 2013 at 09:16AM
With my new Cossack friends. from Instagram: http://instagr.am/p/W1SMnNjl3Q/
from March 14, 2013 at 09:16AM
March 07, 2013 at 06:02AM
How nice, they have even a little aquarium here in the bus. from Instagram: http://instagr.am/p/Wi6dDGjl1N/
from March 07, 2013 at 06:02AM
Reise nach Voronezh
Posted in photographsrussiatravel
In Berlin startete ich meine Reise nach Voronezh (Russland), wo ich nun seit Anfang Februar für fast zwei Monate leben werde. Um 21:00 rollte der Bus aufs dem dunklen ZOB Berlin mit Ziel Tallinn, wo ich meine Freundin treffen werde, um mit ihr weiter Richtung Russland zu reisen. Meine polnische Nebensitzerin unterhielt mich für die ersten drei Stunden zwangsweise und während des Verzehrs einer Flasche Weißwein über die Eigenheiten (Sie trinken viel!) und Wünsche (Sie wollen heraus aus Polen, werden jedoch von den Behörden durch langwierige VISA-Prozeduren aufgehalten) der Polen und Polinnen. Nachdem Sie ausgestiegen war, machte ich es mir auf meinen zwei Sitzplätzen gemütlich – Wechsel der eingeengten Schlafposition alle zwei Stunden inklusive. Am nächsten morgen wachte ich auf umgeben von einer der tristesten Landschaften, die ich bis dahin gesehen hatte. Nie dachte ich, dass die winterlich verschneite Landschaft in Polen und Litauen so erschütternd karg sein kann.
Die nächste Etappe folgte ebenfalls per Bus von Tallinn nach St. Petersburg, während welcher sich die Einreise nach Russland als wesentlich einfacher und unkomplizierter gestaltete als erwartet. Ein paar freundliche Damen in Militärkleidung verteilten hier und da Stempel (eine Tätigkeit, die den Russen und Russinnen sehr große Freude zu bereiten scheint!) und schon bald bewegte sich der Luxexpress weiter Richtung Norden.
Die letzte Etappe meiner Reise nach Voronezh folgte per Zug, Mehr als 30 Stunden Zugfahrt südwärts standen vor uns. Nachdem ich die russischen Busse und Züge schon gesehen hatte, war ich zu allem bereit. Schreiende Kinder, stinkende Socken, viel Wodka und eine Nacht auf einer harten Pritsche hielt ich als mögliches Übel im Hinterkopf. Die Realität jedoch war eine völlig andere: wir schliefen mehr als 12 Stunden auf weichen Matratzen und hörten nicht einmal ein Schnarchen aus den anderen offenen 4-Bett-Abteilen.
from Reise nach Voronezh
February 28, 2013 at 08:27AM
Posted in Uncategorized
That’s where all the Swedish busses go… from Instagram: http://instagr.am/p/WRJaRFjl5_/
from February 28, 2013 at 08:27AM
