I was born and raised in Moscow. I studied journalism, specialising in documentary film directing, and, driven by my natural curiosity, I travelled extensively across Russia, from Vladivostok to Kaliningrad, and Ukraine. Through the Sefer and Sambation programmes, over several years I travelled, filmed, and led film workshops in Jewish shtetls across Ukraine, Russia, and former CIS countries.
In 2014, when Russia launched its military intervention in Crimea, it became one of the decisive moments that led to my relocation. Before that, I had never really considered leaving Russia or emigrating at all. But at that point, I realised that if within this political logic it was possible to send an army into another country, then in a few years it might also be considered acceptable for soldiers to enter my own home and take everything I have. I began looking for opportunities abroad, reaching out to directors whose work resonated with me, and it happened that I had the opportunity to join the DAU project, whose post-production was taking place here in London. I worked there until the project closed in 2019.
The full-scale war in Ukraine became another turning point in my relationship with Russia. I have not returned home since my last visit in 2021. This is partly due to my strongly expressed anti-war position, my anti-war project providing free education in photography and filmmaking to Ukrainian teenagers, and the
new legislation in Russia, where simply holding such views, as well as my photographs of anti-war protests, could lead to imprisonment.
