I was born in Russia, raised in Virginia, and am currently based in NYC. 

One of my earliest companions was my Baba Valya, an artist whose career spanned painting propaganda posters to building miniature dioramas for museums. She taught me how to make paper dolls and costumes, recalled stories from her war-torn youth, and drew still life next to my scribbled figures on the chalkboard we had at home. 

My mom grew up amidst the chaos and camaraderie of the atelier my Baba Valya worked in. When it came time for university, my mom studied physics and dreamt of becoming a cosmonaut after growing fascinated with science fiction tales. However, her bohemian upbringing found its way back to her, and she frequented her drawing pad more than the moon, during a stint as an animator after graduation. 

My dad’s side was similarly inclined to make things. My Deda Borya was a carpenter and met my Baba Taya, a wood chemist, in the furniture factory where they worked. With a shed full of tools, my dad grew up building things, mostly wooden model planes and boats. Consciously or not, his knack for making things out of unlikely objects inspired in me a desire to do the same. 

Although my 3-D paper homes did not amount to an impressive career in architecture, I translated my interest in building and design to pedagogical practice, shaping an academic and artistic education from scratch. I attended the NYU Gallatin School of Individualized Study on a full-tuition scholarship, and graduated in May 2025 with a degree in Environmental Humanities and Systems of Technological Innovation. 

I mention my family members because their experiences are my inheritance – the meaning of which my writing and visual art attempt to parse through.