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Portraits Of Boston: A Parallel Universe

“I grew up in Russia, and I came to Provincetown because I’m gay. People were telling me that this is the right place for me where I would be accepted. So far, I’m loving it. It’s like a parallel universe. I’m learning a lot about myself. I’m opening up, but I’m also experiencing mixed feelings. On the one hand, I’m happy I’m here, and it’s awesome that I can be myself. But I grew up in Russia, and even though I don’t agree with some of the things people were telling me, they stayed in my mind. So sometimes I’m tempted to judge and overreact. It’s like a conflict in my mind. I’m getting used to it, and eventually I will, but then I’ll have to go back to Russia to finish my education.”

*In Provincetown


Portraits of Boston is a project of independent photographer Ivan Velinov. He is regularly sharing some of his favorite portraits with WBUR. Visit his website to see the hundreds of portraits he has taken on the streets of Boston.

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