A professional photographer for more than a decade, I specialise in the genre of staged photography - a genre that empowers me to reveal images that are born in my head. My passion is to create my own worlds, combining reality and fantasy. I am a Philologist by education, with a particular focus in Mythopoeics, a narrative genre in modern literature and film in which an artificial or fictionalised mythology is created by the writer of prose, poetry, or other literary forms. This interest continues in my work as a photographer, incorporating symbols and metaphors in my photos. I am fascinated by the topics of life, death, and rebirth. I have created several series based upon mythological subjects, wherein I rethink them to achieve new meanings. I also explore the topic of gender and consider myself a queer artist. This theme was not immediately apparent in my work but became increasingly evident through a journey of self-awareness. Most of my works of the last 5 years are in some way dedicated to my girlfriend. Being a voice in the queer community is very important to me - to speak out against anti-gay laws, censorship, and propaganda in Russia. It is important to hear each other and provide support. Throughout the course of my career in photography, I have worked in various styles. On one of my early shoots, I created a stylised lighting reminiscent of that found in the works of the Old Masters. I like the interplay of light and shadow. I like the appearance of models who seem to have come from another era. I rarely apply makeup to my models and avoid retouching my photographs. My new project will be in the style of surrealism. I love doing staged shoots with multiple models. The narrative is very important to me. I highly value understatement, when the viewer is given the opportunity to reflect upon the photo and find their own interpretations. The Art of Cinema often serves as an inspiration to me. My favourite directors are Ingmar Bergman, David Lynch, and Lars von Trier.