Simply Some Photos

General Boris V. at his house in Star City, Russia, 2007. “Star City is a self-contained city for cosmonauts about an hour from Moscow. Astronauts still come from all over the world to get trained there. It might look dated but, underneath, the important stuff is all working. As well as a training centre, it has a launch site, a technical department, a school, and a hospital – everything really. During the cold war, when there was a lot of money going into the space race, it was an important place. That’s not so much the case now. We are all awed by space – and, although there is something old-fashioned, even funny, about this image, it is still noble. The subject’s name is General Boris V. and I took his portrait back in 2007. Originally, the Yuri Gagarin Cosmonaut Training Centre had agreed to let me shoot on their premises, but when I got there they asked for money. In Russia, to get anything done, you need either money or vodka – so we went to the cafeteria and started drinking. After an hour or two, Boris suggested we take the spacesuit to his house and just do it there. It took eight months to set up the visit to Star City – and just half an hour to get the shot. He’s only had that suit on for less than half an hour, but it was so heavy he could hardly cope. You can tell he’s struggling – his expression is 100% natural. Taking the picture at his house made it so much more interesting. I love the contrast between this futuristic idea of space and the old-fashioned wallpaper. The bit of wood on the right is actually the corner of his son’s bed. (Photo by Vincent Fournier/The Guardian)
Simply Some Photos
   
  Military Woman Gallery

Must See Places

Google Ads Privacy