BALLET MEETS PHOTOGRAPHY is an incredible creative project that we started with Dasha Popova many years ago. I want to share with you some results of this beautiful creative cooperation and a glimpse of why photographers love to have ballet under their cameras.

We continue the discovery of Saint Petersburg through its many palaces dating from the imperial era, today with the magnificent palace of Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich.

Visiting such museums is a journey through time to discover another era and another society that lived by cultivating refinement.

The Heart of Chechnya Mosque was chosen to be Russia’s most popular visual symbol, and it's truly nowadays a symbol of faith and unity for the residents of the Republic, in the image of the entire country.

Today I want to share with you what my eyes have had the pleasure of discovering, which is considered to be Grozny's crown jewel:

The Akhmad Kadyrov Mosque.

There are so many unexpected places like this in Russia, of such beauty, waiting to be discovered.

For the joy of your eyes and soul, follow me and let's discover today a place little know about : the beauty of the State Museum-Reserve of Alexander Pushkin, "Mikhailovskoye».

Somewhere, far from the agitated civilization, there you can come back to your roots and remember the beauty and essence of being alive, here and now, surrounded by Pushkin's presence, poetry and inspiration.

Having visited the Tretyakov Gallery, I decided to visit the New Tretyakov Gallery.

It's a modern art gallery in a Soviet-style building, located in front of the Gorky Park's entrance, that offers monumental temporary exhibitions.

This time I have been lucky to visit a world I know little about 20th-century Russian painting. Growing up in France, I know more about European painting, among them, we find Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Edvard Munch, Joan Miró, etc., but less about Russian art.

Today we will discover more about Russian-Eastern European artists of the 20th-century.

Enjoy !

The Yelagin Island is a haven of peace filled with poetry and nature. Whenever I have a little free time, it's one of the places in Saint Petersburg where I particularly like to escape for several hours, surrounded by majestic trees, calm stretches of water, hyperactive squirrels, enchanting birdsong, and gentle gulf winds.

Dom Knigi ("House of the Books") has been St. Petersburg's most popular bookshop for over ninety years, being a focal point of cultural and intellectual life in the city.

It's located in one of the most beautiful buildings on Nevsky Prospect, known as the Singer Company Building, innovative and sumptuously decorated in an "Art Nouveau" style.

Discover one of these places in Saint Petersburg, that is endlessly trendy and beautiful.

Ballet and physical fitness are a rather risky and controversial theme. Nevertheless, by constantly receiving questions about my weight and my eating habits from non-dancers, it seemed interesting to open this subject here on this open platform.

Finding this balance in a demanding environment like ballet is not always so simple, and it would be a lie not to admit that many dancers encounter difficulties with body weight.

In a world that promotes body positivity, what about ballet weight?

How is it possible to be skinny like a ballerina ?

Funambule is a restaurant of Russian-French cuisine in the very center of St. Petersburg, on Malaya Konyushennaya, in the heart of the city, where Boris Grebenshchikov once lived.

You can taste dishes of French origin here; it's definitely a place for romantics or nostalgics.

Have a look and BON APPETIT !

I am not a painting connoisseur but more of an art lover. As an artist, I explore the works of other artists for worldview and inspiration. Inspiration comes from my sensations and my emotions.

Today I wanted to share these works of art, which, among so many masterpieces, have particularly attracted my attention because they unexpectedly created a deep impression and a fascinating desire for contemplation.

All these paintings are exposed at the Tretyakov Gallery, in Moscow.

SAVIV BISTRO is located in the very center of St. Petersburg, on Bolshaya Konyushennaya Street 9, in the beautiful old Sleptsov mansion.

It's definitely worth taking a look at and feeling the old Saint Petersburg vibe.

The menu offers a large choice of dishes and I should not admit it, but all the desserts are pretty damn tasty and original.

Most people outside the ballet world have an opinion about ballet after watching movies like Black Swan with Natalie Portman. I would say it's a pretty dark vision of ballet, potentially realistic but undoubtedly limited.

As a professional ballet dancer, I thought it would be interesting to show you from the inside, a true portrait of this art life, closer to reality, than the illusions or filmmaker's fantasy.

Is there a toxic atmosphere in ballet or positive competition ?

There are an endless number of palaces in Saint Petersburg and its region, since it used to be the capital of the empire for more than two hundred years, probably the most cultural years too, following the creation of Saint Petersburg by Peter the Great in 1703.

Gatchina Palace is not the most famous one, but one of the biggest.

Let’s discover this incredible place together !

The Bolshoi Ballet and The Mariinsky Ballet are two very powerful theaters with old history and traditions, which make them still the most famous in the world.

Today i want to share with you my vision on the situation as a ballet dancer from The Mariinsky Theater, who sometimes also dances on the Bolshoi Stage.

As people love to compare them, i will try to compare them not to chose which one is the best (because i believe it's a question that will never be resolved) but more basing myself on the facts.

HOW DIFFERENT ARE THEY ?

Moscow being the capital of Russia is a cultural city, and if we talk about culture in Russia, it can't exist without ballet.

Ballet is still very well respected and admired, a little bit like football in England.

Discover today the most famous ballet in Moscow.

My dream to work at The Mariinsky Theater came naturally, since I loved the Kirov's ballerinas, their style, manners, purity and beauty. My first trip to Saint Petersburg confirmed that my soul here felt at home, a strange feeling.

I decide to share with you today what I consider to be Saint Petersburg's unique footprint, these specifics and unique ballets that are linked to this theater ; they can be exclusive to our theater repertoire, or they originate from this theater.

The New Holland is a trendy green zone to rest for young people and families, enjoyable all the year, though especially in the summer. If you want to discover not a place of tourism but more a place of typical Saint Petersburg life, take some sun, have a nice lunch and enjoy your time, make a stop !

Saint Petersburg and Moscow being the main cities of Russia, are like two opposite worlds, as if there were not from the same country.

Today, I want to share a funny vision of the contrasts between the two biggest cities of Russia : Moscow and Saint Petersburg.

In which way are they the example of two different lifestyles and mentality ?

I want to share with you today my experience, and why I believe having a mentor in general is not only the most beautiful gift you can receive, but also the true key to success.

The Kupetz Eliseevs Food Hall (Елисеевский магазин) is the most striking building of St. Petersburg Art Nouveau architecture, located on Nevsky Prospect 56.

A very small and local Russian Harrods !

"I am thankful for today" and "Mickey Monkeys" are probably the most Instagrammable places in town, so make sure not to miss them when you visit Saint Petersburg.

Meet today with the Saint Petersburg-based ballet photograph Evgenia Matvienko.

She will share her vision for Art, Ballet and Photography.

Let's discover and share together the traditions of this world today—with a culinary pleasure in complement ! Maslenitsa, La Chandeleur ... A very old and tasty celebration.

Discover the Yusupov Palace, one of the few surviving and well-preserved aristocratic mansions in St. Petersburg, which has belonged to the wealthy Yusupov family for five generations.

This is the top place I would advise in town, if you just want to have a tasty and fulfilling breakfast in a chilling and comfortable atmosphere.

Today we welcome Vladimir, a massage therapist with Golden Hands.

His therapy is something unique and wonderful, which is why I decided to add in a complementary interview with him. Maybe it will bring a deeper understanding, or at least new ideas.

DISCOVER the Stroganov Palace, a splendid example of Russian Baroque with Classicism interiors.

Located on the main avenue (Nevsky Prospect), The Stroganoff Palace used to be the residential building of the Stroganoff Family, a long-established family of industrialists and Art collectors.

As I wrote this title, I started smiling. For most ballet dancers, the notion of self-care and self-love is unknown. We all know what hard work, sweat, pain, and diligence are. Ballet will never teach you, until you learn them yourself.

DISCOVER MY SELF CARE.

Baryshnikov always inspired me. I admire in him, the ability to dance so easily, as if it didn’t cost any power or struggle, and also to dance everything so brightly. If a dancer is great, he/she is great at everything.

So what about this division in Russian Ballet about Character and Classical Dance ?