Horizons
Francisco Antonio Cano
Horizontes (1913) presents an idealized vision of Colombia’s settler frontier. The man's outstretched arm signifies hope and destiny, while the woman and child convey continuity and rootedness. This work by a leading Colombian academic painter uses the peasant family to symbolize national identity and the forging of a future in the Andean landscape.
St. Andrew's Church
Bartolomeo Rastrelli
St. Andrew’s Church (1747–54) crowns a Kyiv hill with gilded domes and turquoise ornament typical of late Baroque design introduced by the Italian architect Bartolomeo Rastrelli. Its dynamic composition and elaborate detailing adapt Western forms to Orthodox liturgy. The church stands as a landmark of 18th-c. imperial architecture in Eastern Europe.
Orestes Pursued by the Furies
Painter of the Birth of Dionysus
This Apulian red-figure krater, used for mixing wine and water, (410–390 BC) depicts Orestes defending himself with a sword against the Erinyes, avenging his mother's death. Apollo, seated with a bow, offers protection, symbolizing divine sanction amid human guilt. This scene illustrates the complex interplay of justice and retribution in Greek mythology.
Judith Beheading Holofernes
Jacopo Tintoretto
This painting (c. 1577) by the studio of Jacopo Tintoretto depicts the biblical scene where Judith beheads Holofernes, an Assyrian general, to save her people. Executed in the Mannerist style, it emphasizes tension and emotion, typical of the Late Renaissance. The scene symbolizes courage and divine justice, reflecting the era’s interest in heroic narratives.
Portrait of Indigenous Person
Luis Alberto Acuña
This striking 1934 oil painting reflects the artist’s deep engagement with indigenous identity and pre-Columbian heritage. The stoic, symmetrical face, wrapped in a red hood beneath a wide-brimmed hat, evokes dignity and resilience. Acuña, a key figure in Colombian modernism, often highlighted native ancestry as a counter-narrative to Eurocentric ideals.
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.
Apollo and Daphne (detail)
Gian Lorenzo Bernini
In this electrifying detail from Apollo and Daphne (1622–25), Daphne’s transformation peaks: her fingers stretch skyward as they fracture into laurel branches. Bernini’s carving achieves an uncanny fluidity—Apollo’s embrace contrasts her fleeing limbs, while bark and hair blur into motion, embodying divine metamorphosis and tragic escape.
The Comedy, Parody, and Tragedy
Rodel Tapaya
This painting (2018) from Tapaya’s Urban Labyrinth series swirls with hybrid beings, masks, and mythic figures at a chaotic table. Angelic wings, demonic grins, and spectral visages blur folk imagination with urban satire. Tapaya weaves Philippine mythology into contemporary critique, where humor and menace mirror the fractured realities of modern city life.
Instant Gratification
Rodel Tapaya
This work (2018) reinterprets the Filipino fable of The Monkey and the Turtle, placing its lesson within a crowded jungle of gambling stalls and restless figures. Monkeys embody the tale’s impatience and hunger for quick gain, while a small turtle-the steady effort outlasts reckless desire. Log piles, patterned trunks, and theatrical foliage frame a world driven by instant gratification and easy profit. Tapaya adapts indigenous storytelling to expose modern cycles of greed.
The Rape of Proserpina
Bernini
This angle captures the emotional arc of Proserpina’s resistance as she twists away from Pluto’s grasp. Her outstretched arm and flowing hair dramatize the violence of the abduction. Cerberus, the infernal hound, reinforces the mythological setting, while the composition’s spiral motion showcases Bernini’s virtuosity in carving living flesh from marble.
Christ Blessing
Bernardino Luini
In this serene image of Christ (c. 1520), Luini captures divine benevolence with a gentle gesture of blessing. The soft modeling of features, rich red garment, and delicate curls echo Leonardo da Vinci’s influence, yet Luini’s style emphasizes a tranquil spirituality. The raised hand unites authority with compassion, inviting personal devotion.
Sudden Awakening
Zhang Huan
This large Buddha head sculpture (2006) lies fragmented on the ground, its heavy upper section slightly shifted above closed eyes and rough, ash-coated features. Formed from ash and steel, it draws on materials linked to ritual burning and industrial residue. The broken, weighty face reveals how contemporary Buddhist art confronts impermanence and the tension between spiritual ideals and material collapse.
Apollo
Phidias
This ivory mask (5th c. BC) represents Apollo-Greek god of light, music, and prophecy-and once belonged to a chryselephantine statue (a prestigious cult image of ivory and gold). Attributed to Phidias, the master sculptor of classical Greece, it is an exceptionally rare survival of this luxury art form. Looted in 1995 and recovered in 2003, it now serves as both a rare survival of luxury cult sculpture and a reminder of ongoing threats to archaeological heritage.
Earth (Mother Earth)
Einar Jónsson
Einar Jónsson’s sculpture (1904–1908) portrays a monumental figure cradling a smaller, draped form symbolizing Earth. Blending allegory and myth, it reflects Icelandic spirituality and cultural narratives. The work embodies humanity’s protective yet dependent bond with nature, inviting reflection on cosmic order and the fragility of existence.
Hercules Defeating the Nemean Lion
Baldassare Peruzzi
This fresco (c. 1511) in the Loggia of Galatea shows Hercules wrestling the invulnerable Nemean Lion, one of his Twelve Labors. The hero’s twisting nude body and the lion’s straining muscles emphasize physical struggle and controlled force. As part of a zodiac cycle, the scene represents the sign of Leo and links mythological heroism to Renaissance interests in astrology and humanist virtue.
“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!