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Russia, through my lens!

Writer's picture: Kaisern ChenKaisern Chen

Updated: 2 days ago

This blog serves as a continuation of my original work Russia, uncovered! (2015 ~ 2022) celebrating my deep love for Russia and its people—the unforgettable memories that have enriched my journey.


In Russia, I felt a profound sense of humanity for the first time. Unlike the color prejudices I faced in Mississippi and Washington, I experienced acceptance and validation. It was a transformative moment that made me truly appreciate my own humanity.

— Paul Robeson, American bass-baritone


"The strongest of all warriors are these two—Time and Patience."

— Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace


"Russia, Through My Lens" will continue to explore and capture the authentic lives of ordinary Russians, and the journey goes on.



2023


Each year, from late summer to the first chill of fall in October, the rain intensifies, marking the season when people across Russia and many Slavic nations engage in mushroom picking, a beloved national pastime.


Mushrooms, a type of fungi, thrive in backyards, parks, and untouched forests throughout Russia from April to October. However, it is during the late summer to early fall that a notable surge in mushroom picking occurs, revealing the region’s rich bounty. I have no doubt that these mushrooms are among the finest in the world; their flavors, whether raw or cooked, have confirmed my belief.


In the picture, a farmer selling mushrooms at the roadside generously offered me a large specimen as a welcome gift, recognizing me as a curious tourist. It’s common for Russians, especially those in the villages we visited, to share their homegrown produce—tomatoes, cucumbers, potatoes—as well as tea or raw honey with strangers like us, all without expecting anything in return. Their kindness truly embodies the spirit of hospitality!


Mushroom vendor on the roadside, Yaroslavl Oblast   August 2023
Mushroom vendor on the roadside, Yaroslavl Oblast August 2023

Father Maksim family ready for the school opening ceremony, a cultural event across Russia and some nations of former Soviet Union,  Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 1, 2023
Father Maksim family ready for the school opening ceremony, a cultural event across Russia and some nations of former Soviet Union, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 1, 2023

Babushka on the bench, school opening day, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 1, 2023
Babushka on the bench, school opening day, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 1, 2023

Village girl on her first school opening day, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 1, 2023
Village girl on her first school opening day, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 1, 2023

Sasha, game after dinner, DOM Kultury Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Sasha, game after dinner, DOM Kultury Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Grisha, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
Grisha, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Boys on the street, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
Boys on the street, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Liza Khomyakova, 17, a Russian actress who came to Rybinsk to film a series which she plays a role and, together with the filming crew and other actors and actresses, stay here - Na Vvedenskiy Hotel - a lovely hotel situated right on the bank of the Volga River, owned by my dearest friend, Yury Chernykh, who purchased the property, a former custom house building, and turned it into a lovely and homey hotel. Na Vvedenskiy has been like my home in Rybinsk for many years. I stumbled into Liza at the hotel and took a few quick snaps with her.


The first few snapshots of Liza exhibited very much her youth therefore I asked her out to shoot in the early morning the next day for some different pictures, and this is one of those.


Liza Khomyakova, Russian actress, by the Volga River, Rybinsk   September 2023
Liza Khomyakova, Russian actress, by the Volga River, Rybinsk September 2023

Famers and their mushroom collected from the forest, on the ferry to Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
Famers and their mushroom collected from the forest, on the ferry to Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

The farmer, a veteran used to station in East Berlin more than 30 years ago when he bought this Chinese-made harmonica, on the ferry to Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
The farmer, a veteran used to station in East Berlin more than 30 years ago when he bought this Chinese-made harmonica, on the ferry to Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Marina, Safronovo, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Marina, Safronovo, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Marina, Safronovo, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Marina, Safronovo, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Village farmer fetching water from well, Safronovo, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Village farmer fetching water from well, Safronovo, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Yury, Timokhanovo, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
Yury, Timokhanovo, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Apples, Timokhanovo, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
Apples, Timokhanovo, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Man's best friend, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Man's best friend, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Father Alibij and his church, Uchma, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Father Alibij and his church, Uchma, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

A charming, although somewhat small, where Father Alibij ministered in Uchma, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast, is to go on an expansion which draws my curiousity to revisit in the future.


The construction worker who is working on Father Alibij's church, Uchma, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
The construction worker who is working on Father Alibij's church, Uchma, Myshkin, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

The young teens of Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
The young teens of Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Sun bath, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Sun bath, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Grocery shopper on his bike, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Grocery shopper on his bike, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Kids on the swing, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Kids on the swing, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Village kid on bike, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast    September 2023
Village kid on bike, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

After school, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast    September 2023
After school, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

After school, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast    September 2023
After school, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Yury and Vladimir, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Yury and Vladimir, Fofantsevo, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Kharovsk, Vologda Oblast    September 2023
Kharovsk, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Nina, 80, Kharovsk, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Nina, 80, Kharovsk, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Vyacheslav Levy with his Rolleicord, Sokol, Vologda Oblast     September 2023
Vyacheslav Levy with his Rolleicord, Sokol, Vologda Oblast September 2023

District administrator, Ust-Kubinsky, Vologda Oblast    September 2023
District administrator, Ust-Kubinsky, Vologda Oblast September 2023

"в споре рождается истина"

Truth is born in dispute ~ Russian Proverb


Vladimir  “The Truth is Born in Argument”, Ustye, Vologda Oblast   September 2023  - Vladimir, a knowledgeable Russian friend, like many of my Russian friends.  We have many arguments on things we believe of different perspective, and no small amount of arguments we made, gentleman arguments.
Vladimir “The Truth is Born in Argument”, Ustye, Vologda Oblast September 2023 - Vladimir, a knowledgeable Russian friend, like many of my Russian friends. We have many arguments on things we believe of different perspective, and no small amount of arguments we made, gentleman arguments.

Olga Nikulina and her husband, Viktor, in front of their farm land, Ust-Kubinsky, Vologda Oblast    September 2023
Olga Nikulina and her husband, Viktor, in front of their farm land, Ust-Kubinsky, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Vera, Ust-Kubinsky, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Vera, Ust-Kubinsky, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Elena, Nikol'skoye, Vologda Oblast   September 2023
Elena, Nikol'skoye, Vologda Oblast September 2023

Veronica Butalina, an independent musician based in Yaroslavl City, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia, who composed her own scores, recording her own play of instruments and vocal.


Veronica became a friend of mine purely by accident as she was a member of a music band, before she turned independent, performing on a private Volga River Cruise where a good friend of mine threw a birthday party that included the live band and singing which Veronica was a part of. It was at beautiful sunset time that I was on the top deck of the cruise taking pictures and spotted a lovely young girl in light purple dress that matches the ambient color of the beautiful August sunset in northern Russia, I had to take some pictures of her! And so started the never ending photo sessions each time I visited this part of Russia.


Veronica came all the way from her city, Yaroslavl, about 80km away, to visit me in Rybinsk, to have some conversations, coffees and of course pictures! Again around the place I stay, right on the bank of the beautiful Volga River.


Veronica Butalina, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Veronica Butalina, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Night reading with man's best friend by the Volga River, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast    September 2023
Night reading with man's best friend by the Volga River, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Feeding chickens, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Feeding chickens, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Farm workers, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast  September 2023
Farm workers, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Autumn day, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Autumn day, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Alexander, about to cook the fish soup, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast   September 2023
Alexander, about to cook the fish soup, Rybinsk, Yaroslavl Oblast September 2023

Farmer,  Ust-Kubinsky Vologda Oblast  September 2023
Farmer, Ust-Kubinsky Vologda Oblast September 2023

Love in Moscow - Dasha and Jan, Dorogomilovo District, Moscow   September 2023
Love in Moscow - Dasha and Jan, Dorogomilovo District, Moscow September 2023

Zlata Zagranovskaya, a lovely young Russian I spotted while wandering around Moscow on e-scooter and asked to photograph, Moscow   September 2023
Zlata Zagranovskaya, a lovely young Russian I spotted while wandering around Moscow on e-scooter and asked to photograph, Moscow September 2023


Sophia and Ivan, Love in Moscow, Russia   September 2023
Sophia and Ivan, Love in Moscow, Russia September 2023

Anastasia, Moscow  September 2023
Anastasia, Moscow September 2023

Anna Borodina, Moscow   September 2023
Anna Borodina, Moscow September 2023

Sofie, on Moscow Metro   September 2023
Sofie, on Moscow Metro September 2023

Praskovya Vinnik, Moscow   September 2023
Praskovya Vinnik, Moscow September 2023

Nazgul Ibragimova, Mezzo-soprano, relax at the park after her performance at the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow   September 2023
Nazgul Ibragimova, Mezzo-soprano, relax at the park after her performance at the Bolshoi Theater, Moscow September 2023

2022


Mikhail Kolomytsev, the master accordionist ,Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia
Mikhail Kolomytsev, the master accordionist ,Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast March 2022

The Kolomytsev kids at home, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia
The Kolomytsev kids at home, Tutayev, Yaroslavl Oblast March 2022

Winter day, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast
Winter day, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast March 2022

Winter day, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast
Winter day, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast, Russia March 2022

Farmer, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast   March 2022
Farmer, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast March 2022

Winter day, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast
Winter day, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast March 2022

Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast
Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast March 2022

Farmer at work, Golovinskoye, Yaroslavl Oblast, Russia
Farmer at work, Golovinskoye, Yaroslavl Oblast March 2022


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