Big Cherry

After the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war began, I, like many young Russians, left for Georgia. Big Cherry captures my personal journey in Tbilisi, exploring complex emotions of isolation, belonging, and identity through intimate portraits and cityscapes.

After the start of the full-scale Russia-Ukraine war in 2022, many young Russians left their homeland to escape increasing political repression and military conscription. They moved to countries like Georgia, one of the few allowing visa-free entry. Despite Georgia’s liberal immigration policies, the country's history with Russia is marked by a series of invasions and conflicts, leading to a tense, often contradictory atmosphere in Tbilisi, where old wounds resurface alongside the influx of new arrivals. In recent years, Tbilisi has become a vibrant hub, attracting people from various countries seeking opportunities, studies or refuge, adding further complexity to its social fabric.

Big Cherry is an intimate exploration of this tension, documenting the photographer's personal experiences navigating geopolitical dynamics. Through portraits, cityscapes, and everyday encounters, the project captures the fragile balance between connection and isolation, resilience and vulnerability, while reflecting on the immigrant's shifting sense of identity.