Could you tell us briefly about yourself?
My life is tightly tied to nature: I am a biologist, after graduating from the Moscow State University, I worked as a biochemist specialized in molecular oncology. After I got my Ph.D., I came to realize I would prefer creative work to science. The year 2004 was a landmark in my career: I started making perfumes not only for my own needs but also for my friends. Since that time, many changes have taken place.
In 2007, I opened a Natural Perfumery community in Livejournal. We organized the first Natural Perfumery trade show in 2008. In 2009, I wrote a book on the natural perfumery; two years ago I re-edited it, and last autumn the book was published. 5000 copies are sold to this moment, so, I’m very proud of it!
I moved to Slovakia a few years ago but still visit Moscow quite often. My second book about the Art of olfaction is in progress.
When did your passion for perfume begin?
I never paid special attention to fragrances when I was a kid. They constituted my background, not more than for any other kid living in a city. Perhaps even less so: I was growing up in Moscow. My mother was a doctor and infrequently used any perfumes at all, while my father still hates intense scents up to now. But sometimes he enjoys wearing my Wind from Kailash! We had barely any spices in the kitchen, and I had no particular interest in food anyway. But one fine day, I became passionate about cooking, and then about perfumes as well. Gradually, I learned to distinguish among the bright colours of the world and enjoy them. Fragrances have been my faithful companions in this breathtaking journey.
I began composing fragrances following my inner calling. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been in awe of scents in both nature and in the city; I’ve started to collect them in my memory. As soon as we got the opportunity to buy some natural essential oils, I began experimenting with them. Recreating a specific moment in a fragrance, making a perfumery sketch, or drawing a portrait in aromas – at the end of the day, composing a perfume that makes one emotional – that is where I find interest and inspiration.
I continue exploring the endless possibilities offered by the natural essences, and I appreciate every chance to improve my skills.
What was your first perfume you used?
I can’t remember it quite clearly, to be honest. Maybe it was one of Dzintars family perfumes.I snatched it from my mother’s shelf occasionally. Btw, I own the vintage Zilite Dzintars (The acorn) and it’s absolutely amazing, earthy-mossy chypre in its glory.
What was the first perfume you created?
One of the firsts perfumes I created was Green moon, I’ve made it for my friend. And the second one was Dark side of a Goddess, it’s still in my collection and one of the bestsellers, actually! The Dark side has been reformulated twice since the moment of creation (2004)
Did you get any education and help about creating perfume ?
I have been working as a Biochemist for years, and my chemystry skill honed through my Ph.D. It helps me to work with perfumes, of course! But I’m self-taught perfumer, nevertheless.
What are the perfumes you use other than your brand? And favorites?
I’m very curious about perfumery, so, I use hundreds of them occasionally. I love vintage Guerlain and Dior perfumes, and old chypres from Estee Lauder, and Frederic Malle fragrances.
Then, I love Ayala Morial’s works and I'm honoured to call her my friend. She, herself, works with natural essences only and creates very distinctive perfumes.
What is your favorite vintage perfume?
Diorella Dior. Absolutely in love with it.
What are your inspirations while creating perfume?
I encounter things that inspire me to create perfumes all around me! An 18th-century poem or a piece of contemporary photography can trigger my inspiration. Each time I get inspired, or I discover a rare and beautiful aromatic component, I can’t help making another perfume! When I got a hold of a black tea absolute and a white cedar absolute, I thought it would be a crime not to mix them. I was completely blown away by this composition, so I added immortelle and some flowers, and animalistic notes of castoreum, jasmine, and fleur d’orange… So, Second skin was born)
This year I create a new fragrance dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’s adventures – as an exclusive project for Bloom perfumery london. It names Hold my Pipe and has notes of peat from the Grimpen Mire, the smoke of the Baskerville hall grand fireplace, Lestrade's smoking gun, the fruity tobacco blend from Sherlock’s pipe, sweet opium fumes, Tokay wine, spices from the Andaman islands and more. I mixed the tar, Osmanthusm Peru balm and many other essences to recreate the mysterious atmosphere of the novel – it’s stunning, dark beauty inspired me a lot!
Which your perfume is your favorite?
I think the newest one) New smoky-leather perfume for my regular collection is in progress, I’m totally addicted to its power.
Whats is your favorite notes?
I adore so many different notes! I love sweet narcotic tuberose, and the scent of the dust, sprinkled with rain, which came from baked clay attar - mitty attar I mean.
İs there any perfumer you liked works?
I am a huge fan of Edmond Roudnitska. And Dominique Ropion – I think that Superstitious for FM (and all other his works for Malle brand) is absolutely brilliant!
We know that you use natural ingredients in your perfumes. What do you think about synthetic notes?
I think a lot of beautiful and amazing perfumes can be done with synthetic notes. But I prefer to create from natural essences. My blends are more like smell experiences or perfume escapes, pure fun for connoisseurs looking for something beyond perfumes created with the help of modern synthetic materials.
Natural only blends have a very peculiar projection: close to the skin, quiet but excitingly complex upon a closer sniff. But you know, it could be interesting! For example, Luca Turin, who isn’t exactly a fan of natural perfumery made an exception for my line.
Russia is a closed country. We do not know any perfumers except Russian Adam. Is there really not much work on perfume in Russia or we do not know enough?
Actually, few famous perfumers came from Russia (in general))). Calice Becker was born in France to a pre-revolution Russian immigrant family for example. Ernest Beaux was born in Moscow, Russia)) And nowadays there are a lot of local indie-perfumers in Russia, unfortunately, all info is in Russian.
Could you tell us briefly about your next perfumes?
Yes, it will be strong, brave leather-smoky chypre, with fir balsam, clove and oakmoss. The pine tar, labdanum, very complicated and rich.
What would you say perfume lovers in Turkey?
Thank you for the interest to my perfumes! I’m so touched by it! I’ve been in Istanbul once and fall in love with this beautiful city! I dream to visit Turkey and see more!
My life is tightly tied to nature: I am a biologist, after graduating from the Moscow State University, I worked as a biochemist specialized in molecular oncology. After I got my Ph.D., I came to realize I would prefer creative work to science. The year 2004 was a landmark in my career: I started making perfumes not only for my own needs but also for my friends. Since that time, many changes have taken place.
In 2007, I opened a Natural Perfumery community in Livejournal. We organized the first Natural Perfumery trade show in 2008. In 2009, I wrote a book on the natural perfumery; two years ago I re-edited it, and last autumn the book was published. 5000 copies are sold to this moment, so, I’m very proud of it!
I moved to Slovakia a few years ago but still visit Moscow quite often. My second book about the Art of olfaction is in progress.
When did your passion for perfume begin?
I never paid special attention to fragrances when I was a kid. They constituted my background, not more than for any other kid living in a city. Perhaps even less so: I was growing up in Moscow. My mother was a doctor and infrequently used any perfumes at all, while my father still hates intense scents up to now. But sometimes he enjoys wearing my Wind from Kailash! We had barely any spices in the kitchen, and I had no particular interest in food anyway. But one fine day, I became passionate about cooking, and then about perfumes as well. Gradually, I learned to distinguish among the bright colours of the world and enjoy them. Fragrances have been my faithful companions in this breathtaking journey.
I began composing fragrances following my inner calling. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been in awe of scents in both nature and in the city; I’ve started to collect them in my memory. As soon as we got the opportunity to buy some natural essential oils, I began experimenting with them. Recreating a specific moment in a fragrance, making a perfumery sketch, or drawing a portrait in aromas – at the end of the day, composing a perfume that makes one emotional – that is where I find interest and inspiration.
I continue exploring the endless possibilities offered by the natural essences, and I appreciate every chance to improve my skills.
What was your first perfume you used?
I can’t remember it quite clearly, to be honest. Maybe it was one of Dzintars family perfumes.I snatched it from my mother’s shelf occasionally. Btw, I own the vintage Zilite Dzintars (The acorn) and it’s absolutely amazing, earthy-mossy chypre in its glory.
What was the first perfume you created?
One of the firsts perfumes I created was Green moon, I’ve made it for my friend. And the second one was Dark side of a Goddess, it’s still in my collection and one of the bestsellers, actually! The Dark side has been reformulated twice since the moment of creation (2004)
Did you get any education and help about creating perfume ?
I have been working as a Biochemist for years, and my chemystry skill honed through my Ph.D. It helps me to work with perfumes, of course! But I’m self-taught perfumer, nevertheless.
What are the perfumes you use other than your brand? And favorites?
I’m very curious about perfumery, so, I use hundreds of them occasionally. I love vintage Guerlain and Dior perfumes, and old chypres from Estee Lauder, and Frederic Malle fragrances.
Then, I love Ayala Morial’s works and I'm honoured to call her my friend. She, herself, works with natural essences only and creates very distinctive perfumes.
What is your favorite vintage perfume?
Diorella Dior. Absolutely in love with it.
What are your inspirations while creating perfume?
I encounter things that inspire me to create perfumes all around me! An 18th-century poem or a piece of contemporary photography can trigger my inspiration. Each time I get inspired, or I discover a rare and beautiful aromatic component, I can’t help making another perfume! When I got a hold of a black tea absolute and a white cedar absolute, I thought it would be a crime not to mix them. I was completely blown away by this composition, so I added immortelle and some flowers, and animalistic notes of castoreum, jasmine, and fleur d’orange… So, Second skin was born)
This year I create a new fragrance dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson’s adventures – as an exclusive project for Bloom perfumery london. It names Hold my Pipe and has notes of peat from the Grimpen Mire, the smoke of the Baskerville hall grand fireplace, Lestrade's smoking gun, the fruity tobacco blend from Sherlock’s pipe, sweet opium fumes, Tokay wine, spices from the Andaman islands and more. I mixed the tar, Osmanthusm Peru balm and many other essences to recreate the mysterious atmosphere of the novel – it’s stunning, dark beauty inspired me a lot!
Which your perfume is your favorite?
I think the newest one) New smoky-leather perfume for my regular collection is in progress, I’m totally addicted to its power.
Whats is your favorite notes?
I adore so many different notes! I love sweet narcotic tuberose, and the scent of the dust, sprinkled with rain, which came from baked clay attar - mitty attar I mean.
İs there any perfumer you liked works?
I am a huge fan of Edmond Roudnitska. And Dominique Ropion – I think that Superstitious for FM (and all other his works for Malle brand) is absolutely brilliant!
We know that you use natural ingredients in your perfumes. What do you think about synthetic notes?
I think a lot of beautiful and amazing perfumes can be done with synthetic notes. But I prefer to create from natural essences. My blends are more like smell experiences or perfume escapes, pure fun for connoisseurs looking for something beyond perfumes created with the help of modern synthetic materials.
Natural only blends have a very peculiar projection: close to the skin, quiet but excitingly complex upon a closer sniff. But you know, it could be interesting! For example, Luca Turin, who isn’t exactly a fan of natural perfumery made an exception for my line.
Russia is a closed country. We do not know any perfumers except Russian Adam. Is there really not much work on perfume in Russia or we do not know enough?
Actually, few famous perfumers came from Russia (in general))). Calice Becker was born in France to a pre-revolution Russian immigrant family for example. Ernest Beaux was born in Moscow, Russia)) And nowadays there are a lot of local indie-perfumers in Russia, unfortunately, all info is in Russian.
Could you tell us briefly about your next perfumes?
Yes, it will be strong, brave leather-smoky chypre, with fir balsam, clove and oakmoss. The pine tar, labdanum, very complicated and rich.
What would you say perfume lovers in Turkey?
Thank you for the interest to my perfumes! I’m so touched by it! I’ve been in Istanbul once and fall in love with this beautiful city! I dream to visit Turkey and see more!