Partying with Gosha’s gang in a Kaliningrad club

A couple of weeks ago, Gosha Rubchinskiy held his AW17 show in Russia, drawing the fashion crowd all the way to Kaliningrad – a little piece of his mother country located between Poland and Lithuania. As well as the launch of a collaboration with adidas, it was a show that featured a street-cast line up of young Russians, with the soundtrack comprised of recordings of them describing their own lives. Having previously turned his lens to skateboarders in his native Moscow, photographer Stas Galaktionov headed to Kaliningrad himself to capture what went down at the show and the after party, staged in a small-town Kaliningrad club. He tells us more.

Why did you want to travel to Kaliningrad for the show?

Stas Galaktionov: Gosha is a friend of mine, we’ve known each other for a long time. So when he told me about Kaliningrad I just knew I had to come. It was a special moment for Gosha and for all of us as it was a start of a new story. I wanted to be there and wanted to see everything with my own eyes.

What was the atmosphere like? 

Stas Galaktionov: At first it looked a bit weird to see all these trendy people in a place like Kaliningrad. I looked at the attendants (at the venue) and they were astonished. They’ve lived in Kaliningrad for the whole lives and never seen anything like that. The same was true at the party, though the vibe was really nice and friendly. 

How was the party?

Stas Galaktionov: When I came to the party I felt like I was in a late-80s or early-90s Russian movie. To me, it was such an uncommon experience – it’s very different to anything you would see in the fashion capitals. The music was great, the party was great and it was very ‘Russian’. I think everyone there felt that way and I remember I heard someone saying, ‘Look at this! That’s the new Russia!’

“(The models) are the ‘New Russia’...the new young generation that will soon create their own things.” – Stas Galaktionov

Did many other people travel there? Who is in the images?

Stas Galaktionov: Lots of different people came to Kaliningrad for the show and I think even for the Russians it was very interesting as only a few people had visited Kaliningrad before. Also lots of friends came to support Gosha and it felt like a community because all the people came to Kaliningrad especially for the show. Most of the people in these images were models at the show. Some of them are Gosha’s close friends and some were cast from different parts of Russia. I find it really cool that all models were street casted and that they’re all Russian. They’re all from 16 to 23 years old, so in fact they are the ‘New Russia’ as they are the new young generation that will soon create their own things. 

What do you think about Gosha returning to Russian soil?

Stas Galaktionov: I think it’s a great moment in Gosha’s career – as I said before, it’s the start of a new story. I think Russia has a lot to offer and a lot of different things to show. So I think it’s fascinating for those who are into Gosha’s vision. 

@stasg_