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.
David with the Head of Goliath
Caravaggio
This haunting composition (1609–10) shows David holding Goliath’s severed head—modeled on Caravaggio himself. Rather than triumph, the mood is remorseful. The intense chiaroscuro, psychological realism, and moral ambiguity turn this biblical victory into a meditation on guilt, mortality, and inner torment.
Council of the Gods
Raphael
In this scene (1518), Raphael depicts the gods deciding Psyche’s fate. Right to left: Minerva (helmet), Diana (with crescent moon), Jupiter (eagle below), Juno (blue robe), Neptune (trident), Pluto (bident, dog Cerberus), Venus (semi-nude, pointing), Mars (helmet). On the far left, Mercury (caduceus) leads Psyche to Olympus. Cupid kneels before Jupiter, pleading for Psyche’s immortality. The council embodies divine justice, granting the soul eternal union with love.
Retrato alegórico de la injusticia
Dustín Muñoz
In his powerful Allegoric Portrait of Justice (2018), Muñoz portrays a masked judge seated atop chaos, weighing gold bars against an empty scale. His gavel and gas mask signal institutional blindness and moral decay. Painted in acrylic on canvas, the work denounces injustice as systemic, silencing truth and privileging wealth over human life.
The Saviour Not Made by Hand
Simon Ushakov
This mid–late 17th-c. fresco depicts Spas Nerukotvorny (The Saviour Not Made by Hand), an image understood as a direct imprint of Christ’s face and a sign of his enduring presence. Ushakov follows Byzantine conventions yet introduces soft modeling and spatial depth drawn from Western art. The work reflects a moment when Moscow blended inherited Orthodox forms with new artistic influences to express religious renewal.
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.
Zacatecas Landscape with Hanged Men
Francisco Goitia
This 1914 canvas exposes the horrors of the Mexican Revolution. Two skeletal corpses hang from a barren tree, their twisted bodies blending with the lifeless landscape, while an owl perches above as a symbol of death. Goitia, who witnessed the battle of Zacatecas, rejected heroic depictions in favor of brutal realism. His work stands as both testimony and condemnation, capturing the trauma of a nation torn by war.
The Holy Family with Sts. Francis, Anthony, Magdalene, John and Elizabeth
Bonifazio Veronese
This oil on canvas (1525–27) shows the Holy Family seated outdoors, with Mary offering fruit to the Christ Child held by Joseph. At their side stand the young Saint John the Baptist and the Archangel Raphael guiding Tobias, who carries a fish. The combination of figures from different episodes may connect to Renaissance interest in linking domestic piety with protective intercession.
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.
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.
The Last Supper (with Cuy)
Diego de la Puente
De la Puente’s 1658 painting uniquely blends Spanish colonial art with Peruvian culture. It depicts Jesus and his disciples eating cuy (guinea pig), a local delicacy, instead of lamb. This substitution reflects how Catholic imagery was adapted to local customs, offering a clear example of the visual and cultural hybridization that shaped colonial Peru.
The Penitent Magdalene
Caravaggio
This painting (1594–95) shows Mary Magdalene seated in repentance, jewels cast aside at her feet. With downcast eyes and folded hands, she embodies both sensual beauty and spiritual transformation. Caravaggio merges naturalism with sacred symbolism, turning penitence into a deeply human, intimate moment of grace.
Adoration of the Christ Child
Bramantino
In this tempera panel (c. 1485), the Milanese innovator arranges the Nativity as a cool study of space. The Child rests on a stone slab, flanked by Mary and Saints Bernardino, Francis, and Benedict, while angel musicians provide a celestial motet. Rigid perspective, sculptural figures, and an architectonic backdrop reveal Bramantino’s quest for mathematical order within devotional feeling.
Earth
Einar Jónsson
This sculpture (1904–08) depicts a human figure cradling a smaller, draped form, symbolizing the Earth or nature. Jónsson, an Icelandic sculptor, is known for his symbolic and allegorical works exploring mythology, spirituality, and the human condition. This piece reflects his exploration of humanity’s connection to the natural world and the spiritual realm.
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.
“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!