Seven sleepless days in Moscow’s squats
- Text by Niall Flynn
- Photography by Jon Cuadros
Jon Cuadros has always been fascinated by the idea of Russia. For the Columbian-American photographer, the country represented a great unknown; a distant, otherworldly place, veiled by a mythology that preceded it. Naturally, when a friend – originally from Kazan – invited him to stay with her in Moscow, he jumped at the opportunity to uncover the country for himself.
Despite only having a week-long visa, Cuadros (who’s based out of Berlin) was determined to take in as much of the city as physically possible. In seven short days, he managed to capture the entire spectrum of Moscow’s weird, wild and wonderful – from young lovers and squat-dwelling artists, to a close-knit community of ardent aviculturists, Cuadros’s lens followed him into some of the city’s most secluded corners. Sleep, it transpires, was very much a second thought.
“I stayed with a friend living in a quaint, post-Soviet-type neighbourhood out in western Moscow,” he tells Huck. “Babushka meetings in the playgrounds, apartment complexes like giant concrete slabs, people selling melons on the sidewalk – it was beautiful. I reject sleep, especially when it feels like there are windows of opportunity shutting around me.”
“Since I had a visa for only one week I felt the internal pressure to see, do, and absorb as much as possible. I didn’t want to sleep – I ate breakfast walking most days, and my feet were aching by day two or three. Even when I caught a cold (during) the last few days, I just powered through it. As an anxious person, hard and fast and manic is my modus operandi.”
The subsequent series, Moscow Kiss, portrays a relentless, week-long period in which the city’s fringe characters are spotlighted with monochromatic fascination. Focusing on subtle intimacies – between friends, lovers, strangers, photographer and subject – the images are a whirlwind snapshot of the city, compiled of stories that would otherwise go untold.
“I’ve spent time in big cities like Tokyo or New York, but no city has ever felt so grand to me. Between the ultra-wide streets, statues, monuments everywhere and the Stalinist architecture tapering into the sky, I felt like a tiny person dropped into a city of giants.”
See Moscow Kiss as part of NIGHT & DAY at FK Kollektiv on October 7.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
Vintage photos of London street life at the turn of the millennium
London 1995-2005 — In her new photobook, Joan Piekny reflects on a decade shooting the styles and subcultures of the UK capital’s streets, just before technology .
Written by: Miss Rosen
Princess Julia: “I always state my age as I can’t believe I’m still around”
First lady — As the latest Artist-In-Residence of Huck 83, the London nightlife legend speaks to Josh Jones and provides a few recommendations and words of wisdom.
Written by: Josh Jones
A luminous portrait of Black life over six decades
Shared Memories — As staff photographer for The New York Times, Chester Higgins captured Black culture and spiritual connection like no other. A new exhibition celebrates his life and impact.
Written by: Miss Rosen
An intimate window into New York’s ’70s lesbian scene
We Others — An exhibition at The Photographer’s Gallery combines Donna Gottschalk’s unearthed photographs of LGBTQ+ activists and friends, along with Hélène Gianneccini’s written histories.
Written by: Miss Rosen
A tender portrait of life and ritual from Mexico City’s streets
Órale — For the last six years of his life, photographer, collector and designer Michel Hurst documented death rituals, street life and religious pageantry in contemporary Mexico. A new monograph showcases his work.
Written by: Roxana Diba
In photos: Washington DC’s Black communities facing up to gentrification
A Language We Share — A new exhibition featuring the work of Beverly Price and Gordon Parks preserves historically Black neighbourhoods in the USA, before development and economic forces made them disappear.
Written by: Miss Rosen
