Venus and the Doves
Raphael
In this fresco (1518), Raphael presents Venus, goddess of love, gracefully accompanied by doves, her sacred birds. The flowing ribbon emphasizes her divine beauty and motion, while the doves allude to purity and erotic desire. The image echoes Venus’ central role in the myth of Cupid and Psyche, where love governs both divine and mortal fates.
Mapiripana
Luis Alberto Acuña
Inspired by a myth from La Vorágine (a novel by José Eustasio Rivera), this 1950s painting depicts Mapiripana, a river spirit who guards silence and nature’s purity. When a missionary attempts to capture her, she punishes him by birthing monstrous twins—a vampire and an owl. In his final feverish agony, he sees a blue butterfly, symbol of his soul’s escape and eternal remorse.
St. Jerome Writing
Caravaggio
This introspective painting (1605–6) shows Saint Jerome translating the Bible, immersed in thought. A skull atop the desk serves as a memento mori (remembrance of death), while dramatic lighting and vivid red drapery highlight the tension between divine labor and mortal fragility. Caravaggio transforms study into a spiritual battleground of flesh, faith, and time.
Indo-American Scene
Luis Alberto Acuña
A lone, naked rider on horseback drinks from a forest stream, immersed in a lush tropical setting. Acuña's painting (1950-60s) evokes a primordial connection between Indigenous people and the natural world, blending mythic and symbolic elements into a vision of harmony, solitude, and ancestral presence.
A Man with a Glove
Titian
This introspective portrait (c. 1515) captures a bearded man in mid-turn, scroll in hand, his gaze piercing yet reserved. Rendered with Venetian richness, the work highlights the sitter’s intellect and social poise. The subtle play of light on fabric and flesh reveals Titian’s early mastery of psychological depth and painterly nuance.
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.
Head of a Youth
Michelangelo
This charcoal head of a youth (1511–12) fills a shallow lunette, the face turned sharply upward and modeled with dense, sculptural shading. Created while Michelangelo worked at Villa Farnesina, it is understood as a visual homage to Raphael’s work in the same setting. The fusion of muscular anatomy with a calm, idealized profile demonstrates how Michelangelo engaged directly with Raphael’s Renaissance style.
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.
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.
Temple of Love
Richard Mique
Erected in the gardens of the Petit Trianon (1778), this neoclassical rotunda shelters a sculpture of Cupid and symbolizes Marie Antoinette’s idealized vision of romance and pastoral escape. Designed by architect Richard Mique, the temple reflects Enlightenment-era aesthetics and the queen’s longing for simplicity within Versailles’ opulence.
Venus Appeals to Ceres and Juno
Raphael, Giovanni da Udine
In this scene (1518), Raphael depicts Venus appealing to Ceres and Juno for vengeance on Psyche, but both goddesses refuse. The fresco illustrates the tension between divine power and mortal love. Da Udine’s elaborate botanical festoons frame the composition, enhancing its Renaissance richness.
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.
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.
The Council of the Gods
Giovanni Lanfranco
Lanfranco’s grand ceiling fresco (1624–25) fills the Sala della Loggia with divine spectacle. Jupiter reigns at the center, surrounded by Roman deities including Venus, Mars, Pluto, and Juno. Designed to dissolve architectural limits, the illusionistic sky transforms the ceiling into a heavenly theater of Baroque power and myth.
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.
“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!