The two main characters in this image are my mother, Zinaida, and my seven-year-old daughter, Maria. I and my daughter were visiting Zinaida at her house in Nizhny Novgorod, Russia, for her 62nd birthday when this photo was taken. Having trained in rhythmic gymnastics since she was three, Maria was performing a routine for her grandmother, who was taking pictures on her phone and reading celebratory text messages from friends. The trio were joined by my son, Roman, who can be seen watching in the window.
The most important thing in this photo is life in all its various manifestations. A family in which everyone has their own interests and still makes room for one another. There is no, “I’m reading here, you’re disturbing me with your jumping” or, “I’m jumping here, can you move the chair or at least not sit in it?”
Despite the shot’s simplicity, I like to think that viewers could interpret it in any number of ways – and perhaps imagine their own caption. “Grandma, the photo we sent to our relatives isn’t right, I’ll try again” or, “Maria, you’ll be leaving soon … I’ll take a photo as a souvenir to remember this moment.”
