Gulkevich

In this project, I worked on a series of illustrations dedicated to the city where I lived for 18 years. Gulkevichy is a small town in Kuban. At first glance, there is nothing remarkable or interesting about it—just residential buildings no taller than five stories and gray educational institutions. But for me, Gulkevichy is the most cherished and vibrant place, and I tried to capture those impressions in the illustrations by depicting significant events.

The tradition of preparing dumplings with fortunes for the Old New Year originated in Southern Russia. On this day, families gather around the tables and compete for lucky dumplings (filled with coins, bay leaves, and sugar), while unlucky individuals have to choke down salt and pepper.

In my city, spring arrives very early, so the first flowers are blooming already in early February. When I was a child, it was a real event—my grandfather and I would specifically go out to the forest to hunt for snowdrops.

In March, the central city square is bustling with grandmothers selling every kind of bouquet gathered from courtyard gardens. However, you won’t be able to enjoy the beauty for long—there is a high probability of encountering a swarm of bees.

In Gulkevichy, the Samoylova Balka River flows. In April, it becomes truly warm, even hot, so you can enjoy the evenings by the riverbank or try to spot swans.

May is a real celebration for kids because the amusement park opens!

In June, the outskirts of the city are always crowded because everyone comes to take pictures in the poppy field. Here, you can meet joyful graduates, families, and friends.

July brings to mind fields, evening bike rides searching for the most beautiful sunsets, blooming sunflowers, and delicious corn.

District Day in August was one of the main summer events. As a child, I especially looked forward to this festival because huge inflatable trampolines were brought to the main square, and in the evening, a beautiful fireworks display was set off.

Near the city is the Voskhod Stud Farm, which could be called a true landmark. It is here, in the last century, that the most remarkable and famous horse of the USSR, Anilin, was born and raised. In reality, this stud farm has given the world many outstanding horses, and I decided to depict some of their portraits in the illustration.

In 2021, «Voskhod» became the best stud farm in Russia!

There is an old estate belonging to the Nikolenko family in the Gulkevichsky district. The building itself doesn’t strike me as inviting—rather, it’s quite off-putting—so I decided to depict the estate as a haunted house. Who knows, maybe the family spirits are still wandering the garden…