Top Picks: Russia 2014 in Photos

In 2014, Moscow Times photographer Pascal Dumont took more than 100,000 photographs — some depicting political events widely covered in the news like the annexation of Crimea and anti-government protests, others 'just' reflecting the ordinary life of Russians.? 



We asked him to select his favorite photos of the year and share the stories behind them.






"I was walking past Red Square on an exceptionally quiet Friday morning and suddenly an old Lada appeared out of nowhere, loaded with luggage stacked on its roof, quietly sailing by. It couldn't have been a more typically Russian moment."





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9 Things to Do During Your Moscow Layover (Photo Essay)

"This was the first protest that I covered in Moscow and I was really surprised by the heavy police presence at the rally."




To see more:? 

Hundreds Gather in Moscow for Anti-Fascist Rally (Photo Essay)

"Living in an obshaga, or Russian student dormitory, is an important stage in many Russians' lives. Most students will spend between 5 to 10 years in a dormitory, so it plays a large role in their development. I myself lived in an obshaga in the middle of Siberia for five months and wanted to document the experience after I returned to Russia."




To see more:

Dormitory Life of Moscow's Students

"At this protest rally in support of the Bolotnaya detainees, police officers were randomly targeting protesters, picking them out one by one to break up the crowd. The activists tried to resist them by forming a human chain, but the chain only held for a few seconds."




To see more:

7 Bolotnaya Defendants Given Prison Terms, Navalny Detained Outside Court

"I arrived in Crimea a few days before the referendum [to join Russia]. To find these Tatar protesters, we had to travel outside Simferopol, Crimea's capital, onto the highways, because people were too afraid to stage rallies inside the city."




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Crimea Residents Days Before The Referendum

"While waiting for a press conference in Simferopol, we started chatting to some Cossack guards on Lenin Square. At first, they were quite distant and suspicious, asking why we there, and whether we had met the 'fascists' in Kiev yet. They said they had come to Crimea to protect the Russian population."




To see more:

Russian Cossacks Take Foothold in Crimea

"This photo was taken on the day the results of the Crimean referendum were announced. The mood was one of elation — there was drinking, dancing and cheering in the street. Russian and Crimean flags were everywhere, young and old gathered on Simferopol's main square to watch the fireworks and Putin's alleged favorite band "Lyube" performed at a Russia-themed celebratory concert."




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Pro-Russian Crimeans Celebrate Outcome of Referendum

"After Crimea, I traveled to Donetsk in eastern Ukraine. People united in thousands around the central square's Lenin statue, asking for the return of ousted president Viktor Yanukovych and demanding a referendum on joining Russia. In western Ukraine, Lenin statues were being toppled as a sign of independence from Russia, while in the east of the country, the statues were seen as a symbol of brotherhood with Russia."




To see more:

Pro-Russian Rally in Donetsk on March 22

"Maidan Square was a surreal battlefield. Smoke, tires, tents, garbage, stacked up cable stones, fences, armed masked people walking around the street — it all added to the square's ominous atmosphere.? 


After spending several days strolling around the square in late March, I met Marta, one of the people who moved to Maidan to support the uprising. A rough-looking soldier was braiding her hair, and I wanted to capture this powerful contrast between the battlefield-like setting and the beautiful moment of camaraderie."





To see more:

Revisiting Maidan a Month After the Riots (Part 1)

Revisiting Maidan a Month After the Riots (Part 2)

"I took this photo at the March for Peace in Ukraine, held in Moscow. The sun was shining straight into my lens, so I was lying on the street, face down, when I captured the shadows of the people holding their protest banner."




To see more:

Moscow's Mass March for 'Peace in Ukraine'

"At one point during the long night of my 24 hours in Moscow project, I spotted a girl celebrating her bachelorette party — a common sight in Moscow. The woman's entourage was colorful, beautiful and overdressed. As soon as the future bride spotted my lens she sat down to pose on an American motorcycle parked on the street."




To see more:

24 Hours of Moscow

"When I asked one of Russia's most famous roofers, Kirill Vselensky, for an interview he replied: 'I'll contact you.' One night, at 1 a.m., I received a text message asking me to meet him at a certain location. Kyrill and several other roofers picked me up and we drove to one of the Stalin-era Seven Sisters skyscrapers.
? 
For three hours, we made our way through a labyrinth of staircases, back entrances, squeezing through passages inside walls, dodging water pipes and electricity wiring. When we were almost at the top, we tried ten doors before finding the one that would lead us to the roof.? 




We got there at 5 a.m., just in time for sunrise and a scenic view of Moscow and the Kremlin. Kirill is now in jail for his ties to a Ukrainian activist and roofer."

"Russia has earned a reputation — at least in the YouTube community — for reckless driving. Moscow has now begun making a name for itself as the capital of concealed license plate numbers.? 
? 
Despite Moscow city authorities' announcement in April that cars with hidden license plate numbers would be towed, some of the city's delinquent drivers have maintained the practice.? 





The most cunning motorists have come up with creative ways to dodge fines related to parking and other traffic violations, especially since the city introduced paid parking in its downtown core in late 2012. "







To see more:

How to Hide Your License Plate, Russian Style

"What do you do when you're about to photograph the last Soviet statesman? You set up everything for the shoot as meticulously as possible on one side of the room, just to have Mikhail Gorbachev change seats at the last moment.? 




The interview was one of the most relaxed ones I have ever experienced; he was extremely friendly and open and when you're with him he doesn't behave like someone who used to be one of the most powerful people in the world.? 





We hadn't exchanged a single word (since reporter Ivan Nechepurenko was doing the interview) but as I was packing up my gear he came up to me, looked at my modest beard and said: "You should shave."





To see more:

Gorbachev on Russia and Ukraine: 'We Are One People' (Exclusive)

"Since Murmansk is above the Arctic Circle, I expected to land in the middle of the taiga, but instead found a populated industrial city. This photo was taken at a large concert in the center of the city, held to celebrate the beginning of winter. The square was packed with dancing residents, but I was on the other side of the stage and captured this zebra effect caused by the spotlights."




To see more:

Murmansk Braces Itself for an Arctic Winter

"Hundreds of Russian old ladies, affectionately called "babushki" (grandmothers) in local speak, gathered?  for a walk down central Moscow's main street to mark the end of a two-week festival dedicated to the traditional whole-fruit preserve, varenye. "




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To see more: Russian Babushkas Take to the Street

"I first met Yulia in Tomsk four years ago, and when I heard she'd moved to a communal apartment, or kommunalka, in Moscow, I got in touch with her again as part of my project to document the life of young Muscovites. I'd been there a couple of times without taking out my camera, but the way she lit up her cigarette had caught my eye. So when one afternoon she announced she was going to smoke, I sprinted past her to the kitchen to finally capture the moment."




To see more:

Last Hurrah in the Kommunalka

"Most Russians have long commutes from their home to work and back. Commuters tend to switch off — no one looks at each other, everyone is in their own world with their private thoughts."




To see more:

A Day in Murmansk

"Press conference photos tend to be lifeless so you have to get your shot either before or after a press talk. Gerard Depardieu was walking around, showcasing the watches he was promoting, while being cornered by assertive journalists. I was trying to find the right angle, when suddenly he turned to look at one of the watches, while a camera spotlight was being shone onto his face, and I captured his surprise reaction through the glass display."

Happy new year from Moscow!




To see more:

Moscow Never Sleeps