In my fourth year of living in America, I was completely consumed by a kind of homesickness. Feeling nostalgic for the country of my birth, I started collecting pictures of Russia from Pinterest, specifically images of ancient Russian culture and design. As many can relate, only by living abroad for a time will you begin to understand the rich culture of the native land you’ve left behind. As I reflected it became clear to me that almost everything is unique in Russia: fonts, costumes, architecture, design. I tried to combine all this in a new calendar imbued with my love for my mother country.

For extra visual zest, I incorporated a fantasy design element I call Russo-Futurism (by way of the “Afro-Futurism” design of the film Black Panther), an imaginative glimpse of the idealized Russia of the future. Here, in a wonderful science fiction haze, everything is a Russian Utopia. Technology has advanced far beyond reality but at the same time the people have decided to preserve traditional culture and art. While I hope the art speaks to everyone, for anyone knowledgeable on the history of Russia, there are many small references and jokes on every page.