A few kind words about me

I was born and raised in the Arctic Circle – town Kirovsk of Murmansk Region, among the mountains and snow of Khibini tundra.

My parents Mikhail and Uliana Stepanenko bought me a small camera "Smena-8M", when I was 12 years old.

I became interested in photography in kinofotostudio "Youth Khibini" (Kirovsk). My first phototeacher - Maria Kedrova. I continued my creation in urban photoclub "Khibiny" (director – Mars Khanov).

I worked as a driver "BelAZ" after serving in the Soviet Army.

I entered the journalism faculty of Moscow State University in 1985. The head of our photoshop was Vladimir Vyatkin, photojournalist of Press Agency "Novosti".

I like to shoot all the forgotten hinterland and the hard life of rural residents. Pulls me to the ground - sincere, simple, and therefore wise as would say my second university mentor Pavel Kryvtsov.

Married, filmed the birth of my sons.

1991 – member of the People's studio "Murmansk" Regional Palace of Culture.

1991 - 2001 – photojournalist Murmansk regional newspaper "Polarnaya pravda".

1998 – member of the Photo Union of Russia.

2000 – album by "The Reindeer People" (Murmansk).

2002 – author of the documentary book " The Death by Shooting of a Family" (historical essays on the Kola Sami).

2002 - 2009 – Senior Lecturer, Department of Journalism Murmansk Humanities Institute.

2007 – Chairman of the Murmansk branch of the Union of Photographers of Russia.

2010 – author of the multimedia album "The Saami of Russia" (Murmansk).

2012 – author of the multimedia album "With Love to the North". Author - singer-songwriter Ivan Matrekhin (Murmansk).

2014, 2017 – author of a set of cards "Reindeer" (16 and 12 photo postcards).