Rostov-on-Don

Name: Sveta Balashova-Kuzmina

Age: 30

Profession: Photographer 

City: Rostov-on-Don

How long have you been doing photography? What style or genre most interests you? I have been taking photos for over 10 years, 6 in commercial photography. My favorite genre is portraits of women. I love to reveal the beauty and sexiness of women through portraits.

Can you give us a short description of your city? Where is it located? What is it famous for? Rostov-on-Don is the capital of the Southern Federal District. It has access to five seas: the Sea of Azov, the Caspian, the Black, the Baltic and The White. Also there is a port. It is one of the largest and most technically equipped ports in the European part of Russia.

What is something about your city that only locals would know?

In Rostov there is no storm water diversion. So every time when it rains the streets flood heavily (in the center and in the outskirts). The water drains slowly into the Don River because the city is located in the hills.

In Rostov-on-Don, the locals. Maybe this is due to the lack of normal leisure activities... :) There are a huge number of restauratnst on the left bank of the Don. The most important local dish to sample is crawfish. 

Which places or sites are a must for someone to see if they visit your city?

The famous flea market on the Stanislavsky Street. It is in the oldest part of the city center. You can find coins from the tsarist era, antique statues, Soviet memorabilia and more. 

Paramonov's Warehouses are a complex of nineteenth century storage facilities along the banks of the river Don. It is a historical monument. But today the warehouses are in ruins, decorated with springs and waterfalls. Thanks to the constant temperature of the springs – 9° C –  Paramonov's Warehouses have their own microclimate. Nearly all year round the grass is green here.  

The old Central Market of Rostov is included in lists of the top 10 markets in the world. Products are brought from different parts of the region, and neighboring southern countries.

The beautiful old staircase – "staircase artists" on Pushkinskaya Street. The house is over a hundred years old. Once, the entire staircase was decorated with canvases. On the third floor there are often local photographers with glamorous girls, and there is a "smoking room" for employees of the dentistry practice on the second floor.

Anything else? In 2018, Rostov-on-Don will be a host city for the World Cup. A huge sports complex is planned for the left bank of the city.

Website: www.svetasts.com

Instagram: @svetasts