Humans of Moscow

Humans of Moscow is a project created by photographer Nick Kondratyuk. The author wanted to let the world know that there are lots of interesting, talented and open-minded people in the city. One shouldn't think that all Muscovites are rude and reserved, it's a myth. Nick believes that his blog will make everybody admire Muscovites as much as he does.

'It’s been fifteen years since I came to Russia but I speak Russian very badly. I have my own business here. And I love Moscow. There are lots of educated people who love arts, classic music, have a knack for literature, who are fond of ballet and attend different kinds of cultural events despite their social background. In some countries you have to belong to a certain level of society, say, to elite, to understand jazz, for instance. I used to live in the States, Europe and Turkey but only Russia has such a rich culture and a beautiful language and hence such people. Here everyone has this feeling for the beautiful. And that’s the most precious thing about this country.'

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'We first met each other when we were waiting in line to get theatre tickets. But it took us some time to get closer. Right after our acquaintance we started to constantly see each other in theatres, in shops and even just on the streets. So we got married in the long run. We’ve been together for thirty years. Is that really long? We’ll check out your blog for sure. But if we don’t look good enough in pictures, don’t post them!'

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'When my beard turns gray, I’ll start dressing up as Santa for New Year's. I work at a children’s channel and can get on really well with kids. They always try to pull my beard.'

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'Everything about my looks is just a way to express myself, I don’t actually think about it. Every tattoo stands for a certain important moment of my life. I’m happy to have all these moments with me.'

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'How did you meet?'
'I came from Crimea a year and a half ago. Once I went to my friend's housewarming party and saw him playing his songs there. I remember the lyrics were like ‘hit on the eyebrow, make scars, you are in Crimea and I’m in Moscow…’ Just right a month before that I got a scar above my eyebrow. There was something mysterious in such a coincidence, I was quite impressed. Since that day we’ve started to hang out together. We created our own music band and go on tours.'

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'I like driving convertibles because I always smoke cigars.'

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'Intelligence isn’t the best quality for a woman. Generally, it is a plus, but demonstrating intelligence next to a man is, probably, a minus. When you just smile and wave your hand, people tend to like you, and nobody likes a smartass.'

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'It doesn’t matter where you were born. I think your home is where you feel good. I feel good in Russia. I’ve been living in Moscow twelve years already. My wife is here, my son is Russian. And I like it here.'

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(Seen at Afrofest)

'We’ve come from Donetsk. It’s just impossible to stay there now. Constant bomb attacks and fire, tanks are riding around the town. We are really worried about our relatives and friends there. We had our own place there, a car, work and we lost everything in one moment. Many families broke up because half of the family members support. Russia and the other half is against it. We are for a peaceful sky above our head. We’ve just come here but already found a job and going to settle down here. We hope that the conflict can be resolved peacefully.'

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'I’m Scottish. I had a heart attack about 10 years ago. My Russian friend suggested me to come to Moscow after the surgery to recover. I came, met a wonderful woman, got married and stayed in Moscow. Later after my heart attack I was diagnosed with cancer. I came back to Britain for another surgery. But… I’m quite lucky! I’m still here!'

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'You have to learn to listen to yourself. There’s only one way to do it. You just ask yourself a question and listen what your heart tells you. It will immediately say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. You just have to aspire to do something because some ambitions are rooted in you. And if there are any side ways on your main way to your goal, you have to ask yourself if you really need it or not.'

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'I’ve been working as a flight attendant for a year and a half and lots of stories occurred during the time. Once we flew from Vnukovo to Palma de Mallorca. After all the passengers had taken their seats and it had been announced that smoking and alcohol drinks were not allowed, two men still didn’t pay any attention to that and kept on brawling on the twenty-sixth raw. I took their boarding passes, passports and alcohol, but they only got more angry and started to push around even more. We made a report about them breaking the law. They were arrested right when we landed in Spain. They paid three thousand euro fines and their visas were taken away for the next ten years. Their wives and kids went on holiday alone while they were deported. We were given gratitude letters, but unfortunately we didn’t get payed extra.'

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'Most of all, I regret not expressing my feelings when I could. When I felt that fountain, shimmering inside me, and wanted to express my feelings, I kept them to myself. Possibly, had I opened up about it, it would’ve changed a lot in my life.'

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'I dreamt about becoming a kindergarten teacher when I was a kid. But I got a veterinary degree instead. I used to work as a deputy chief vet, a chief vet, a vice director and even a director of a sovkhoz. Then everything changed and I was sacked. I moved to Moscow. So I have a kind of long working experience and good education, but no promotion prospectives here. Seems like they are not okay with my looks and only Europeans can be hired. But anyone can be a good person. And personally I’m ashamed of working as a security guard.'

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'I try to teach my son what kindness and truth are. Kind people don't live easily these days, however there still are more good people than bad people. And the point is not to expect anything from others - you have to do good yourself. Sooner or later you get it all back, same with all the bad thing you do. And kids always see an example in their parents. Somebody growing up into a bad person is definitely an upbringing problem.'

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'I served in the marines in the Soviet era. Five trips to Africa, and I’m still alive. We were shipping seventeen Cargo 200’s from there at a time.'
(cargo 200 refers to zinc coffins in which bodies of Soviet soldiers were shipped home)

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'We’ve been friends for four years already. But we are not best friends. We are just good reliable friends. I don’t really like it when people say they're ‘best friends’, this kind of friendship exists only during school years, it’s totally different. I believe in women’s friendship. You cannot be friends with a man but can be friends with a woman.'

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'I always write song lyrics on green paper. Do you know that Vysotskiy composed songs looking at a white wall? So, like, it’s the same thing with me, but with green paper.'

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I watched this dog for about ten minutes and all this time the dog stood still, as if paralyzed. So almost none of the passers-by could remain indifferent. (The sign reads “Donate to pets”).

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