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Sergei Stroitelev

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Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

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Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Women's handbags have always been a mystery to me. As a kid, I was convinced that my mom and her friends just had to carry around all sorts of magical items, plus a couple of bricks. I thought that was the law—in case they needed to save the world or something.

As a grown man, I can't really say I find purses any less puzzling. So, driven purely by curiosity, I decided to ask a bunch of women I know, as well as a few strangers I bumped to on the street, to let me photograph the contents of their bags.

I spent the couple of months wandering around my home town St. Petersburg, asking every woman I met to "show me what's in your bag." Some thought I was a mugger, some thought I was insane, and some complied. Those who consented to my request, I noticed, took great care to arrange whatever items they possessed on a black piece of cloth I carried around in my own backpack, before they allowed me to photograph their composition.Finally, I also asked these women to let me snap their ID photos. I feel that the combination of each portrait and the subject's personal items gives a striking first impression of who these women are.

Alena, 17 years old, student

1 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Alena, 17 years old, student

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

2 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Alexandra, 26 years old, hippy-freelance designer

3 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Alexandra, 26 years old, hippy-freelance designer

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

4 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Elena, 56 years old, business lady

5 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Elena, 56 years old, business lady

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

6 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Katya, 37 years old, journalist

7 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Katya, 37 years old, journalist

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

8 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Kristina, 19 years old, art student

9 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Kristina, 19 years old, art student

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

10 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Kseniya, 31 years old, photographer

11 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Kseniya, 31 years old, photographer

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

12 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Liza, 21 years old, currently unemployed

13 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Liza, 21 years old, currently unemployed

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

14 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Lubov, 31 years old, director of the gallery

15 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Lubov, 31 years old, director of the gallery

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

16 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Masha, 56 years old, jeweler

17 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Masha, 56 years old, jeweler

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

18 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Natalia, 58 years old, security guard

19 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Natalia, 58 years old, security guard

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

20 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Olga, 33 years old, currently unemployed - looking for a job

21 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Olga, 33 years old, currently unemployed - looking for a job

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

22 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Olya, 42 years old, professional stalker and mother of two

23 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Olya, 42 years old, professional stalker and mother of two

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

24 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Polina, 29 years old, seamstress

25 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Polina, 29 years old, seamstress

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

26 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Svetlana, 24 years old, administrator

27 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Svetlana, 24 years old, administrator

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

28 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Tatiana, 51 years old, director of a social institution

29 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Tatiana, 51 years old, director of a social institution

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

30 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Ulyana, 22 years old, philosophy teacher

31 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Ulyana, 22 years old, philosophy teacher

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

32 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Vera, 62 years old, kindergartener

33 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

Vera, 62 years old, kindergartener

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

34 of 35 © 2024 Sergei Stroitelev

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Thumbnail of Alena, 17 years old, student

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Alexandra, 26 years old, hippy-freelance designer

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Elena, 56 years old, business lady

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Katya, 37 years old, journalist

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Kristina, 19 years old, art student

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Kseniya, 31 years old, photographer

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Liza, 21 years old, currently unemployed

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Lubov, 31 years old, director of the gallery

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Masha, 56 years old, jeweler

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Natalia, 58 years old, security guard

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Olga, 33 years old, currently unemployed - looking for a job

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Olya, 42 years old, professional stalker and mother of two

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Polina, 29 years old, seamstress

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Svetlana, 24 years old, administrator

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Tatiana, 51 years old, director of a social institution

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Ulyana, 22 years old, philosophy teacher

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Thumbnail of Vera, 62 years old, kindergartener

Thumbnail of Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Public Project

Russian Women's Bags from the Inside

Copyright Sergei Stroitelev 2024

Updated Aug 2022

7,100

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