Extreme Russia

Roofing and spelunking underground passages are so 2011. So says 22-year-old Vadim Makhorov, whose photos from atop vertiginous towers, about crumbling Soviet-era factories, and inside tunnels of working metro systems have wowed internet users and made his blog one of the most popular in Siberia. Seeking both adrenaline and just the right shot, the Novosibirsk native is now venturing into “infiltration”: accessing sites that are closed to the public and oftentimes guarded. His blog, which is located at dedmaxopka.livejournal.com, provides a glimpse into Russia’s industrial system: rusty, gigantesque, and out-of-this-world. Editor Maria Antonova caught up with him...

Russian Life: How do you find objects of interest for your photographs, especially in cities that you don’t know well?

Vadim Makhorov: It depends on the type of object. If it’s a tall structure, you can see it as soon as you climb on any roof in the city and look around. Underground objects are a little bit more difficult. In order not to spend too much time finding them, we search for information in advance on the internet. Often we find people in unfamiliar cities that also like exploring underground passages and roofs, and they help us.