As a child, I dreamed of becoming an astronomer and exploring the depths of the Universe. Inspired by the romance of this idea, I entered the Astronomy branch of the Physics Department of Moscow State University. Later I defended my dissertation in the field of elementary particles, and for many years worked in the area of nuclear physics, diving into the depths of the matter.

Photography slowly entered my life, step by step, along with numerous solo trips in Karelia, the Urals, the Altai, the Kola Peninsula, and Kamchatka. At first, I just wanted to preserve the impression of what I saw. Then I realized that documentary photography is not able to convey the magic of the moment, the uniqueness of the fragrance, the fatigue in the muscles, the fury of the waterfall, the heat of delight and the weight of longing. I began to create and explore a world in which the surrounding space is intertwined with my own vision, perception, and emotions. This world is a world where individuality and particularity are more important than objective truth.

Any landscape and any still life is a story in which a person is present anyway. The jumble of stones will remain as impassive chaos until someone recognizes it as a fortress, a maze, a herd of elephants, or an asteroid belt. Sometimes a still life or landscape tells about a person, about life, about people in general, much more than portrait or reportage photography.

Moving away from documentary photography does not mean moving to pointless fantasy. As the brilliant Marc Chagall said, "our inner world is real, even more real than the world around us." That is why I am so engrossed and detailed in my dialogue with a traveling cloud and a burning match, with a leaning post and a cabbage head, with an oddly shaped tree and an old rusty key. They tell a lot of interesting things. Stories which you can see on this site have been born from these long conversations.

I am glad to have the opportunity to open the door to this strange world and hope that you will find cozy corners in it. All photos have a high resolution and can be printed in a large format with high quality if desired.