18. May 2026
To the rhythm of the wheels, vast barren stone mountains flickered past the window — giant titans, guardians of the Iranian plateau. From this side, the Alborz mountains looked exhausted by the sun and almost lifeless. Almost — because just a few dozen kilometers later, the train was already passing through ripe pomegranate orchards.
13. April 2026
Everything around us glowed in golden-red tones, endlessly stretching under the watchful eye of a giant star called the Sun. A third of Iran’s territory is silent and uninhabited. Vast salt marshes rule here.
After sunset, twilight engulfed us — the red desert slowly faded and disappeared into darkness. We were approaching the city of Nain, still a few hours away from Yazd. We decided to stay there for the night. Another reason was the hotel — very old, built in a traditional style.
04. March 2026
The strict dress code has, after all, influenced my attitude toward clothing. In Kyiv, after living in Tehran, I began to prefer simple and comfortable things. Comfort became more important than the desire to please everyone; I no longer wanted to attract attention on the street.
At the airport, we were met by an old friend who immediately asked, "What is there to miss in Iran?" I don’t answer—I know he wouldn't believe me anyway.
29. December 2025
The room fell silent as everyone drifted away. Sunlight slowly poured through the two large windows — in Tehran, there is always an abundance of it. Sitting at the warm desk, I wondered how often we judge people we know nothing about. If I had been born somewhere in those mountains between Pakistan and China, wouldn’t my fate have unfolded differently? Would I have been a strict Muslim woman? And would anyone have even thought to ask me?
KOLO · 21. December 2025
It turned out that there was, after all, a difference between Iranian women and me. They simply could not understand how one might not love gold. All our arguments about the fact that it was not such a profitable investment usually ended with my promises not to refuse expensive gifts. For me, this questionable asset had always felt like a burden.
KOLO · 17. December 2025
Abdullahan once again tried to begin a new life. This time — in Tehran, the greenest and most prosperous capital of Persia. Things began to improve, if only slightly. The dreamer found work as a translator at a foreign embassy. He worked almost every day, and in the evenings he visited a friend’s photo studio and continued to play the dutar outdoors, surrounded by nature. In photographs, everything always seemed fine, and music helped release the emotions that had long held him captive.
KOLO · 12. December 2025
The days rushed forward unnoticed; I spent most of them at the university, continuing to study the Persian language. My second Nowruz was approaching. At some point, the streets of Tehran became surprisingly empty. Although the peaks of the Elburz Mountains were still smoking with white snowstorms, the city was already noticeably warming up.
KOLO · 12. October 2025
A drop leaves its native earth —
and again returns to the oyster
that awaits its pearl...
Jalaluddin Rumi
KOLO · 07. September 2025
In 1916, a terrible disaster struck Azerbaijan — a wave of cholera swept through towns and villages. Abdullah Khan then set out for Persia, to Mashhad, as if fleeing from the darkness and disease. But the epidemic soon reached that city as well. He believed that here he could begin a new life, fulfilling his long-cherished dream — to open his own photo studio. The money he had earned from David Rostamiani he guarded like seeds for a future garden.
29. July 2025
The moment finally arrived: we were driving towards the Caspian Sea, heading north into the province of Mazandaran. In the Middle Ages, this region was known as Tabaristan, and human history here stretches back to the mid-10th millennium BC.