Yekaterinburg

by Daria Kozinova

Name: Daria Kozinova

Age: 26

Profession: Photographer

City: Yekaterinburg

How long have you been doing photography? Since 2010. First I worked for a long time in journalism, then in documentary photography. I studied at the faculty named for Galperin and in courses at the Fotodepartament Gallery in St. Petersburg.

What style or genre most interests you? Right now, I am most interested in the interaction of documentary and art photography.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for? Yekaterinburg is the capital of the Ural region, one of the largest cities in Russia, and is located on the border between Europe and Asia. Since it was founded the Ural region has been one of the country's main industrial centers; there are a large number of big production enterprises here. Uralians are people with a fiery temper and a strong character, are welcoming to guests and truly love their country. Yekaterinburg is actively developing and keeping up with the times.

What are some things that only locals would know about the city? Just as St. Petersburg is considered Russia's "window on Europe," Yekaterinburg is considered the "window on Asia." There are several "Europe-Asia" monuments on the edge of the city, where local youth like to photograph themselves.

Residents of the Urals, and of Yekaterinburg in particular, have their own dialect. They speak quickly and accent the letter O when it appears in words.

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city? In Yekaterinburg one should visit 1905 Square, the city's main square, where they build an ice city every winter. Then stroll along ulitsa Lenina, which crosses the city pond, and along which one can find several unique buildings from the Constructivist era. You can also take a ride on the metro and see some interesting stations.

The Yeltsin Museum is interesting, as is the Ural Affiliate of the State Center for Modern Art, the Museum of Fine Arts and the photography museums Dom Metenkova and Mart.

Theater lovers should of course attend a play in the world famous Kolyada Theater.

Anything else? Yekaterinburg is a very compact, but develped city that is pleasant to live in. People come here who are tired of the more frenetic rhythms of Moscow or St. Petersburg, yet still want to live in a large, contemporary city whose cultural life offers a full range of interesting events.

Instagram: @yavarovna

Yekaterinburg is the capital of the Urals, the fourth largest city in Russia, and a big economical and industrial center. It had sought to host EXPO-2020, and it will host games in the 2018 World Cup. It is a Russian city that selected its mayor itself, thereby marking its freedom-loving character. The amount of skyscrapers here is starting to surpass the number of historical buildings, among which there are examples of Ural Constructivism. In 2015, the Third Ural Industrial Biennial of Contemporary Art will take place here. It is a city with a lot of cultural activities such as street-art, in particular, the works of Timofey Radya. Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
Yekaterinburg is a city of numerous and sometimes unexpected monuments. There are monuments to to Michael Jackson, Vladimir Vysotsky, Gena Bukin, a shoe seller from the TV series "Happy Together". To the worker who gets out of the well, and even to the credit card. You can meet them in any part of a city (not necessarily in the center), and also in business and shopping centers. Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
About 20% of residents are pensioners. Many of them spend all their time at home, and their main contact with the outside world is through newspapers and television. For example, a veteran of the Second World War Matryona Ivanovna (94 years old) loves to read the Evening Yekaterinburg newspaper, to watch the Wheel of Fortune, and Let's Get Married! TV shows. She moved to Yekaterinburg seven years ago from Kirov, to be near her daughter, when her husband died. Six months ago Matryona Ivanovna broke her leg, but fully recovered in just a couple of months. Can you imagine how strong the will to live is in such a woman?
Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
The Iset river is a gathering place for Yekaterinburg residents at any time of the year. It doesn't freeze in winter and goes all the way through the very city centre, so you can take pleasure in feeding the local birds. The flow of the Iset river is controlled by a famous dam, situated on Lenin Street, forming a city pond. Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
Yekaterinburg is surrounded by mountains, and winter here is very long. That is why everyone does winter sports from a young age: skiing, skating and snowboarding. Winter sport lovers, as a rule, don't leave their equipment at home, and are extremely avid. Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
The desire to leave one's mark in history can appear in surprising places. If you drive from Yekaterinburg to Nizhny Tagil, such marks can be seen on the mountains along the road. Each stone is inscribed with the names of people who passed. It feels most impressive in one's childhood, because it is unclear how had they ended up here. Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
Maslenitsa. Every family bakes pancakes and sets a table. At the end of the week, people burn a scarecrow, which marks the end of a long winter and the beginning of long-awaited spring. Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna
The burning of a scarecrow is an obligatory ritual that marks the end of Maslenitsa. Usually it turns into a feast for the whole day. It is also the so-called Forgiveness Sunday – a day when all ask each other's forgiveness for the harmful things they have done in the past year. It is an excellent opportunity to make peace with someone.
Photo by Daria Kozinova / @yavarovna

Everyday Russia

Yekaterinburg

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