I, Superhero

The Feeling of Logic not Being Welcome

20th September 2022 (Langkawi, Malaysia)

The chess game shown is a tribute to the Russian chess grandmaster, film actress, and model Alexandra Kostenyuk. Particular criticism (especially from the established male-dominated chess circles) aroused her tendency to repeatedly advertise herself and the sport of chess in the glamorous dress and appearance of a fashion model. Her motto is, “Beauty and intelligence can go together.“

The Feeling of Wasting Time 1

24th February 2023 (Death Valley National Park, USA)

The war has been going on for one year now.

The Feeling of Wasting Time 2

24th February 2024 (Berlin, Germany)

The war has been going on for two years now.

The Feeling of Wasting Time 3

24th February 2025 (München, Germany)

The war has been going on for three years now.

Photo taken with Pussy Riot’s member Maria Alekhina.

The feeling of Students becoming the masters

2 March 2025 (Hannover, Germany)

On February 24, 2025, a note was left one of the girls’ restroom in a school in Severodvinsk, mourning the lives lost on both sides of the war. The letter was folded like an envelope and contained a handful of candles. The school’s director reported the student to the police.

The note states:

"Exactly three years have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine. During this time, many people have died on both sides, for no reason at all. I urge everyone reading this to honor the memory of those who died on the fronts (on both sides) and the political prisoners who died in prison. When home, light a candle for them. Not out of pathos, but simply out of their own desire. I will not be able to physically provide candles to everyone who wants one, but at least this is something. And that is the main thing: Not to give up and continue to fight for a peaceful Russia. After all, even such a small gesture like lighting candles can help to get through this difficult time. Remember that you are not alone."

The Feeling of Being a Little Bit Baba Yaga

5th November 2022 (Hanover, Germany)

Baba Yaga is a female character of Slavic mythology and folklore. She lives in a wooden hut that stands on chicken feet. Baba [derogatory for old woman] Yaga is supposed to be an ugly old woman who possesses items that are endowed with magical powers. Most often she is a rather negative character, but sometimes she acts as an assistant to the hero. Baba Yaga can either help or hinder those who encounter her. Furthermore, she can play a maternal role.

The Feeling of Being Arty

12th October 2022 (Tel Aviv, Israel)

The beige bag in the picture was given to me in the ‘90s, when I was still living in Russia. It was a gift from an old couple from North Germany my family befriended. The couple sent one help-package to the newly-opened Russia via the Red Cross organization. Inside were sweets, instant soups, and different kinds of canned foods. In the distribution hall was a huge pile of boxes from Germany. I was five years old and I chose what appeared to me as the most delicate, little box. My family sent a thank-you note. The family from Germany answered. Again, we replied. What developed was a deep, intergenerational friendship that lasted for decades. They are the reason my family was brave enough to move to Germany.

The Feeling of Promoting Nontraditional Sexual Values

17th November 2022 (Hanover, Germany)

According to Putin, the “West“ is moving towards pure Satanism by fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights, allowing same sex marriage, and sex-change operations.

The Feeling of Being in the Wrong Movie

15th November 2022 (Hanover, Germany)

The green stuffed toy covered by tape goes by the name Crocodile Gena. He is one of the protagonists of the eponymic famous Soviet children’s books and cartoon series. Gena’s nostalgic birthday song is even more popular in Russia than the standard “Happy Birthday.“ It starts with the following lyrics:

Let them run awkwardly,
Step in puddles clumsily,
Let the water from the asphalts flow away.
And it’s not clear to the strangers
On this day with the failures
Why today I am cheering “hooray.“

Alexander Timofeevsky, the writer and composer of the song died in January 2022, just a few weeks before the beginning of the war.

The Feeling of Being the Only One Left

27 November 2022 (Anneux, France)

In 2022, Russia faced three major emigration waves:

The first wave happened directly after the invasion in February. By migrating, many people hoped to avoid criminal prosecution. Publishing “fake news“ about politics and military operations could lead to a prison sentence of up to 15 years. Among the refugees was Bolshoi Ballet’s prima ballerina Olga Smirnova.

The second wave happened in summer because many people with children waited for the school year to end in order not to hinder their children’s education.

The third wave began with the announcement of partial mobilization on 21st September, with mostly men fleeing the country.

Among others, Istanbul and Tbilisi are popular cities where Russian citizens found a temporary home. The urban art there has changed since then. Graffiti and anonymous art statements appeared in the streets - statements such as: “Poo-tin“ (Tbilisi, 13 December 2022) and “I can’t get home,“ or “Sometimes, I feel like I am dead,“ and “Me too,“ added in another person’s handwriting (Tbilisi, 23 January)

The Feeling of Being so Last Season

14th December 2022 (Hanover, Germany)

In the beginning of December 2022, Time magazine published a column by Alexei Navalny’s daughter, Daria Navalnaya, in which she talked about her father’s conditions in prison. One week before I made this portrait, Navalny was suing the authorities at the penal colony to which he had been sentenced who had not given him winter boots.

Daria writes on her Instagram account: “Can you imagine?! In the 21st century, a prisoner in Russia has to sue to receive winter shoes!“

The Feeling of Playing the Same old Songs Over and Over Again

26th November 2022 (Paris, France)

In January 2021, Navalny, together with his team, published an investigative, pop culture style documentary. Their hilarious presentation of a palace located on the Black Sea coast near Gelendzhik that allegedly belongs to Putin caught the attention of the public. Navalny and his team described the rooms of the palace in detail, listing the estimated prices of the exact furniture, revealing the total value of the estate - $1.3 billion.

One especially mysterious room in the palace, “The Aqua Discotheque,“ was immediately picked up by young musicians and creatives. Several popular Russian artists, including TMNV, Andrei Gudkov, and Pussy Riot, have produced protest anthems and music videos about “Akvadiskoteka“, the war, Russian politics, and satirizing President Putin. Peremeni, [“Changes“ in Russian], by ’90s rock star Victor Tsoi has been revived and has been played by demonstrators, recently in Petersburg on Nevsky Prospekt by people that were driving by with their cars in order to support the people who actually went out demonstrating.

In keeping with the current definition of “free speech“ in Russia, the tracks above are listed as unsafe to listen to.

The Feeling of Getting Married for the Wrong Reasons

29th October 2022 (Hanover, Germany)

According to Russian law, couples usually have to wait for four weeks after the initial registration to be allowed to marry. Under special circumstances, however, this waiting period is waived. The military mobilization counts as such. Recruits can thus get married on the same date. The procedure takes up 20 to 30 minutes only. Many drafted Russians are said to have taken advantage of this rule, because only the legal spouse is allowed to see her husband or receive a compensation if he was wounded or killed during war. Even if a couple has lived together for many years, the partner has no comparable rights without an according marriage certificate. Since the partial mobilization, the number of marriages has risen rapidly.

The Feeling of Saying Goodbye

13th October 2022 (Tel Aviv, Israel)

The travel bags depicted were THE travel companions for a whole community that migrated from Russia in the ‘90s. Called “Ba-ul,“ plural “Ba-ul-y“ (and they always come in plural), they transported whole households and the dearest memories of many people who were on the move from Russia to other countries - mostly to Germany, USA, and Israel. In the time period from 1990 - 2005 around 113,000 people of Jewish heritage and 2 million people of so called “Russia-German“ descent migrated to Germany. As of August 2022, Germany has taken in 70,000 immigrants from Ukraine. Statements by politicians that Germany is willing to take in Russians who are hostile to the war or unwilling to fight and to grant them asylum have no effect, as there are currently no direct flight connections to Germany.

The Feeling of Being Alive

8th February 2023 (Los Angeles, USA)

By Reflecting on the weight of the collective Russian guilt that many of us feel, this feeling is for everyone who is scared of what is happening right now. In those quiet, ordinary moments, when we can’t grasp what’s happening in the world, it is important to remember that there is a superhero in each of us - however she may look like.

The Feeling of Surrendering

17th September 2022 (Langkawi, Malaysia)

Sometimes, it feels as though things cannot be changed, and giving up the Russian official identity (citizenship and passport) seems like the only option. According to The Moscow Times—which has been labeled a “foreign agent” by the Russian government—in 2021, 4,055 citizens renounced their Russian citizenship.

The Feeling of Being out of Tune

24th December 2022 (Groningen, Netherlands)

The typical Christmas decorations in the city of Saint Petersburg (and other big cities in Russia) have been updated to include pro-war symbols, such as the letters “Z” and “V.” Military-themed toys for children are featured at Christmas markets, along with life-sized toy soldier displays and other patriarchic leitmotifs.

The Feeling of Finding the Right People

30th December 2022 (Aachen, Germany)

A photo taken with Pussy Riot’s member Masha Alekhina. Masha fled Russia while she was in domestic detention. In April 2022, she disguised herself as a „Delivery Club“ food courier. Shortly before her escape, it became clear that Masha would be sentenced to a penal colony.

The Feeling of Recreating Tank Man

8th February 2023 (Mojave Desert, USA)

As the war is continuing to the fullest, numerous videos and photos are circulating on social media showing a variety of Tian’anmen-esque situations where Ukrainians try to stop the invading tanks. Consuming them I really wanted to create a „superhero tank“ photo, right from the very beginning of the war. However, my various photo requests at the German Tank Museum ran into the void.

Traveling from Los Angeles to the Death Valley, my path took me through the Mojave desert along the Interstate 15. How big of a surprise was the sight of two military tanks, a huge head of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin and a replica of Beijing’s Forbidden City to my right hand side in the middle of the desert. Online research has shown that a group of political dissidents from the PCR, are behind the so-called „Liberty Sculpture Park“ initiative. One of their main goals is to draw attention to human rights violations by the Chinese government. That’s how the Grumpy Superhero found her tank.

The Feeling of Being Spiritually Betrayed

16th February 2023 (Fort Ross, USA)

Fort Ross, a former Russian establishment on the west coast, was a branch of the Russian-American Trading Company in California from 1812 to 1841. Apparently, according to some family tree researches, Alexander Rotchev, the last manager of Fort Ross, is “my second great uncle’s third cousin’s wife’s ex-husband’s second great uncle’s wife’s first cousin twice removed’s ex-wife’s grandfather”.

The Feeling of the Past Calling

5th June 2023 (Sofia, Bulgaria)

The “Red Flat” is a replica of a typical Soviet apartment. The museum serves as a memorial and nostalgic place full of memories. Our apartment in St. Petersburg wasn’t nearly as well-equipped, but I was immediately taken back to my childhood days right after entering this place.

The Feeling of Going Beyond Natures Bounds

7th June 2023 (Sofia, Bulgaria)

On the night of June 6, 2023, the destruction of the Kakhovka Dam at the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Station in Southern Ukraine unleashed one of the most devastating war crimes. Towns were swallowed by floodwaters, leaving behind a stench of rot, poisoned landscapes, and a humanitarian crisis where the chances of survival largely depends on the possession of a Russian passport.

The Feeling of Imposed Family Values

19th November 2023 (Hannover, Germany)

As of November 13th 2023, Patriarch Kirill, the head of the Russian Orthodox Church, called for a federal law banning the ‘inducement’ to have abortions, while at around the same time, all private clinics in annexed Crimea have ceased performing abortions under government pressure.

The Feeling that I shouldn‘t be here in the first place

21st February 2024 (Hanover, Germany)

Hanover‘s unofficial monument to Alexei Navalny. The cemetery of honor on the north bank of the Maschsee in Hanover is a cemetery built in 1945 in honor of a total of 526 prisoners of war and concentration camp inmates of various nationalities. It was chosen by the Russian speaking population of Hanover to be the place of memory to Alexei.

The Feeling of Cartoons Speaking the Truth

10th March 2024 (Hannover, Germany)

This saying actually goes like that: “I’m not greedy, I’m just thrifty” - it’s a quote from a Soviet cartoon about a little house spirit Kuzya. According to the news magazine Paperpaper.ru, at least 44 objects in Mariupol are being restored by five St. Petersburg companies. Those companies are: Modul Zenter, Newskoje R.E.U., MagMaGroup, Smart Systems.

The Feeling of Reading a Book That Should Have Never Existed

31st October 2024 (Hanover, Germany)

This photography is an homage to Sarah Jessica Parker aka Carrie Bradshaw who, as reported by the Vogue, was photographed on the set of „And Just Like That,“ holding a hardcover copy of Alexei Navalny’s memoir.

The Feeling of Lost Playgrounds

1st January 2024 (Hannover, Germany)

The United Nations Children’s Fund chose a photo of playing children as the photo of the year 2023. The photography, taken in the Ukraine by the Polish photographer Patryk Jaracz shows children at play and a burning oil storage in the background.

The Feeling of a Plot Gone Wrong

30th July 2024 (Hannover, Germany)

After major Hollywood studios exited the Russian market, cinemas began screening pirated copies of films under the disguise of so-called “pre-show services.” Despite efforts to promote Russian films, their box office performance was exceptionally poor, forcing cinemas to resume showing Hollywood content as the only alternative to closure.

The Feeling of Living in a Toxic Environment

5th January 2023 (Sibbesse, Germany)

According to Centre for Eastern Studies (OSW), areas in Eastern Ukraine was already facing severe environmental issues before the Russian invasion in 2014, with some areas in Donetsk and Luhansk resembling ecological disaster zones. Now, as intense destruction have left regions like Bakhmut and Avdiivka so contaminated with chemicals and metals that they may remain uninhabitable for decades, requiring massive resources for cleanup and restoration. However, due to the ongoing war, detailed analysis and assessments of soil and groundwater degradation are currently impossible.

The Feeling of Thirst for Justice

8 September 2022 (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia)

The image is for everyone who is afraid of what their actions or even thoughts, once spoken out loud, can cause: political consequences, but also fights and cuts in the parental home, and alienation from friends and family.

In quiet, ordinary moments, when we can’t grasp what’s happening in the world, it is important to remember that there is a superhero in each of us – however she may look like.