This picture was taken in Jerusalem, a year after I had moved to Israel. It’s a sheet of paper folded into a six-pointed star — Magen David. Magen David is a symbol of Judaism, Zionism and Israel itself. At the same time, the text is a text of a Christian gospel written in Arabic. This combination of almost incompatible things represents Israel quite perfectly, as I see it. A country of an endless conflicts and permanent compromises, a country that celebrates the Pride parade every year but one can be beaten in a religious quarter for bare shoulders, a democratic country without a constitution, a country of numerous startups with no public transport on Saturday, a country whose very existence is inexplicable, a country were you can be whoever you want and how you want. At some point, Israel for me embodies the idea of freedom, and this picture embodies Israel.

My name is Varvara, I was born in Moscow, Russia. In 2014 I came to Israel, to Tel Aviv, and immediately fell in love with this city. I didn’t plan to move, I basically never thought about emigrating. However, just six months after my stay in Israel, I realized that my country may not have any foreseeable bright future. So I decided to leave Russia.

I have been living in Israel for almost 8 years, which are sometimes difficult and challenging, but overall these years are happy and fruitful. I’ve tried many things, different jobs, and I’ve grown a lot as a person. I believe that an experience of living in a new country expands horizons and teaches how to be a better person if one’s willing to learn.