My love of myths began when at the age of ten I read “The Legends and Myths of Ancient Greece” and discovered a world of fantastic, fabulous creatures, beautiful and powerful; theirs was a world of great beauty and light, but in its shadow another world existed -- a world of darkness and danger, inhabited by hideous beasts and monsters. The stories are fascinating even on the surface, but they always left me with the nagging questions: What do they really mean? Who are these gods and goddesses? What are the hidden messages in the stories? When I was little my mother used to read me Russian fairy tales and I still love reading these repositories of wisdom. In Russia there is a saying that although a fairy tale is a lie, there is a hint in it and a lesson for a goodhearted youth. A similar idea about myths is expressed by Shyam Ghosh: “There is no myth.... that is not rooted in some reality; at worst it is fiction based on facts, at best it is the nearest approach to absolute truth!” 

Having earned a degree in philology from St. Petersburg State University, I taught English at the Technological University in St. Petersburg until my marriage and subsequent move to the USA. Growing up in St. Petersburg was magical, as it is one of the most beautiful and mysterious cities in the world, where myth and reality are inseparable. Together with Art (who shares my love of the city) we wrote the definitive English-language history of St. Petersburg, which won a prestigious literary award in Russia in 2005. My love of poetry and St. Petersburg resulted in a short film (“A Dream Within A Dream”) based on the poetry of two Russian poets, Anna Akhmatova and Nikolai Gumilev, which won Best Visuals award at New York International Film and Video Festival. My other projects have included a short film “Cynthia” based on poems by a leading St. Petersburg poet Elena Shwarts, and a play “St. Vladimir” staged in both Moscow and St. Petersburg, and later made into a movie at Lenfilm with leading Russian actors.

My interests range from poetry, history, art, photography, myths and religion to psychology, astronomy, and quantum physics. I love to travel, learn about different cultures and traditions, and make new friends. 

When we are little, gods, goddesses and other divine beings come to us in fairy tales and myths, but they are here for us to take us on a journey of self discovery; they are our teachers and guides, who help us navigate through the stormy seas of life so we can achieve enlightenment and reach the blissful shores of Paradise. It is a difficult journey, a lifelong journey, but it is the most important and satisfying thing we can do in our lives. That is why we are here.