Bust of a Bearded Old Man
Rembrandt
This painting (c. 1630) by Rembrandt van Rijn exemplifies the tronie genre, focusing on character over identity. The expressive face of the elderly man, rendered in oil on panel, showcases Rembrandt’s mastery of light and shadow. As one of his smallest works, it explores themes of old age, capturing the nuances of human expression and emotion, marking an early exploration of the artist’s fascination with the human condition.
Cave Painter
Luis Alberto Acuña
In this mural (1960-75), Acuña imagines a prehistoric family gathered as the father paints on a cave wall. The scene blends idealized innocence with artistic origin: music, fire, and breastfeeding evoke harmony, while the act of painting becomes a metaphor for humanity’s first attempt to narrate its world. This work reflects Acuña’s fascination with the roots of civilization and his desire to forge a national artistic identity that honors both primitivism and cultural continuity.
Chiminigagua and the Origen of Chibcha
Luis Alberto Acuña
This mural (1960–70s) reimagines the Chibcha creation myth. At center, the god Chiminigagua releases radiant birds to bring light to the cosmos. To his right stands Bachué with her son Iguaque, founders of the Muisca people. At left is Chaquén, guardian of lands and borders. The scene is set at the sacred Iguaque Lagoon, the cradle of Muisca origin.
The Prayer
Einar Jónsson
Created in 1909 and later cast in bronze, this sculpture shows a kneeling woman embracing a praying child, merging maternal love with spiritual devotion. Jónsson, pioneer of Icelandic sculpture, wove Nordic symbolism into works that joined earthly care and divine aspiration. His 1909 donation of all his art to the nation ensured the founding of Iceland’s first art museum in 1923, making pieces like The Prayer central to national identity.
Pentheus Attacked by Bacchic Women
The Oxford Group Workshop
This Apulian red-figure plate (360–350 BC) shows Pentheus arming himself against Dionysus’ cult. In myth, he is seized by Bacchic women, including his mother Agave, who mistake him for prey and tear him apart. The scene warns against impiety and defying divine power, embodying the tragic cost of resisting Dionysian ecstasy and communal worship.
Painted Orthopedic Corset
Frida Kahlo
This hand-painted leather corset (c.1944), worn by Frida Kahlo, illustrates both her physical suffering and creative defiance. After spinal injuries and repeated surgeries, Kahlo turned orthopedic braces into canvases, inscribing them with personal symbols. She transformed medical necessity into art, merging pain, identity, and resilience.
A Dangerous Whisper
Luis Alberto Acuña
This mural (1950s) by Luis Alberto Acuña depicts a man whispering seductively into a woman’s ear while she listens with a mix of curiosity and restraint. The intimate gesture contrasts with the servant above, who quietly performs her duties, reinforcing themes of gender dynamics, social roles, and the tension between desire and decorum in colonial society.
The Lute Player
Caravaggio
This painting (c. 1596) portrays a young musician absorbed in performance. Before him lie a violin, scores, and fruit, symbols of sensuality and transience. Caravaggio uses natural light to animate the delicate textures of skin, cloth, and petals. The figure embodies the Renaissance ideal of harmony between music and emotion, while also hinting at life’s fragility and fleeting pleasures.
Grotesque Fantasy with Beasts
Perino del Vaga, Rietti Domenico
This fresco (1545–46) shows a rainbow-like arch filled with hybrid beasts, winged creatures, feline predators, and playful putti (cherubic child figures) arranged over a pale ground. The painters adapt the Roman taste for grottesche (fantastic ornamental motifs) rediscovered in ancient ruins. Their dense fantasy best reveals how Renaissance courts used such imagery to turn walls into imaginative spectacle.
Expulsion from Eden
Maître des Médaillons
This French manuscript miniature (early 15th c.) shows Adam and Eve after the Fall, modestly covering themselves with leaves. An angel descends with a robe, while the Tree of Knowledge burns red above them. To the right stands a stone building, symbolizing exile from Paradise. The vivid colors and fine detail reflect late medieval devotional art.
Inframundo Maya
Rina Lazo
In this mural (2019), Lazo reimagines Xibalba—the Mayan underworld—through the lens of the Popol Vuh. The Hero Twins traverse rivers, deities oversee sacrifice and desire, and spirits haunt the sacred landscape. Blending myth and memory, the artist fuses political vision with ancestral wisdom in her final celebration of Maya cosmology.
Adoration of the Child (detail)
Fra Bartolomeo
This tondo or circular painting (c.1495), Mary and Joseph kneel in reverence before the infant Christ, who rests on a sack amid delicate vegetation. The ruined architecture behind them symbolizes the fall of paganism, while the balanced composition and radiant palette reflect Bartolomeo’s early embrace of Renaissance ideals.
Christ the Judge
Rogier van der Weyden
At the summit of the Last Judgment Altarpiece (1445–50), Christ sits enthroned on a rainbow, resting his feet on a golden globe that symbolizes dominion over the world. He raises his right hand in blessing, while his left gestures toward judgment. The sword and lily flanking him signify justice and mercy, balancing wrath with compassion. Draped in vivid red, Christ embodies divine authority, anchoring the entire altarpiece in the promise of eternal judgment and salvation.
The Garden of the Hesperides
Lycurgus Painter
This Apulian red-figure volute krater (360–345 BC) shows maidens guarding the golden apples gifted by Gaia, with the serpent Ladon coiling around the sacred tree. Heracles is tasked with retrieving these apples in his final labor. The scene symbolizes the hero's triumph over peril, reflecting the ancient Greek themes of challenge and victory.
Saint Michael the Archangel
Pellegrino Tibaldi
This fresco (1545–46) in the Sala Paolina at Castel Sant'Angelo depicts the Archangel Michael sheathing his sword, symbolizing the end of the plague in 590. His muscular form and gilded armor convey divine justice and Roman salvation, highlighting the spiritual and civic authority of angelic intervention.
“When the path is beautiful, do not ask where it leads.” — Zen proverb
Welcome to my travel photography!
“When the path is beautiful, do not ask where it leads.” — Zen proverb
Welcome to my travel photography!
For as long as I can remember, my path has been one of discovery—seeking beauty, timelessness, and connection in every corner of the world. It has also been a journey of deep learning and understanding. I’ve been an avid traveler (or perhaps a travel addict?) for most of my life. My love for travel began long before I ever left home: as a child, I drew a fantasy map of my grandparents’ apartment and “traveled” through it with my cousin Sonya, imagining adventures in every corner. Nearly 90 countries and countless moments of awe later, I’m excited to share this journey with you.
Thanks to the tireless and ingenious programming of Diagilev, we’re now able to present about fifteen percent of the images I’ve accumulated over the years. More will be released in small batches depending on your interest. While the first release leans toward museum photography, later ones will include more nature, architecture, culture, and general travel experiences. If you’d like to receive email notifications about new releases, feel free to reach out—no commercial use, ever.
Throughout my travels, I’ve been drawn to two intertwined kinds of discovery. One is intellectual: learning why the world is the way it is. History became my guide, shaping my perspective and filling my camera roll with museums and old buildings. To me, history is not the past—it is the key to understanding the present and how the world became what it is. The other is emotional: seeking moments of elevation—spirituality, beauty, harmony—often found in nature, monasteries, and ancient sacred spaces. Together, these impulses shape my photography. It invites you to learn, admire, and soar—to rise above the mundane and see the world through a lens of curiosity and wonder.
Much of my later travel became possible thanks to my job with Delta Air Lines, but the wanderlust began years earlier. By the time I joined the industry, I had already visited over 35 countries and lived in several—largely thanks to a backpacking journey around the world with Luis León, whose face appears in many early photos. I grew up in Ufa in the USSR, and since leaving it I have lived, studied, and worked in Latvia, the United States, France, South Korea, Canada, Spain, Italy, Brazil, Japan, and Colombia.
A life of near-constant movement may seem a little crazy, but it has deepened my understanding of the world and produced the photography you are about to see. Over the years, my style has evolved—more intentional, more refined—yet its core remains the same: a search for understanding, timeless beauty, and a connection to those who walked this earth long before us.
I hope these photos stir something in your soul, just as they did in mine. I’d love to hear from you—whether reactions, suggestions, corrections, or a request to be added to the email list for new releases (no commercial use, I promise). You can learn more about my travels here, and my academic life here.
Enjoy our shared journey!