Rub Paw Press

along the bank of the frozen river Томь (Tom)

This photograph was successfully taken after walking through waist-deep snow in order to reach the river bank where the snow was actually somewhat packed and therefore easier to walk upon. I had ended up at this place because I had recently found Ljubisa on the street. Found? I was walking home from work one day when I saw a man who ‘was looking around like he was new’. He also had a suitcase/was wearing a northface jacket and therefore looked ‘decidedly not Russian’. I decided to tail him slightly, just for a few seconds, in order to figure out his ‘deal’. Using my extremely sneaky stalker-esque skills (don’t know why I’m admitting that) I noticed that the book in the pocket of the suitcase he was pulling behind him somewhat clumsily (snow/ice/slush everywhere) was definitely not printed in the Cyrillic alphabet.

Then I walked by him, all whilst trying to decide whether I should say something to him, or at least offer my help. Finally decided it would be better to ask. So, in what was probably a ‘decidedly creepy move’ (apparently I like the word decidedly today) I made an about face, walked up to him and asked him “Do you need any help?”

Further inquiry led me to find out that he was a photographer from Paris, on the last leg of his trip to take photographs of Russia/the Taiga/Wilderness/Open spaces. He had come to Tomsk in order to see ‘what all the hype was about’. We hit it off very well, met some friends at a cafe and from there it was decided that he was to stay at my apartment instead of at a hotel. What followed were two very lovely days of showing him various empty type places in Tomsk for him to photograph (his are better than mine above). Sometimes it’s good to talk to strangers.

PS – His name was Ljubisa Danilovic (a decidedly slavic name [Serbian]). You can find his photographs here (I like them)

Granted I did edit this photo somewhat, but the sky is actually the same color as the ground these days.