RUKAVESHKA
Welcome to the website of blogger and journalist Anatolij Zajaczkowski aka Rukaveshka.
I shoot documentaries, interviews and travel stories from different parts of Europe and the Balkans, enjoy watching!
Documentaries
Gaudi’s dark secret: What was the architect hiding from the world?
Immerse yourself in a fascinating investigation into the life of Antoni Gaudi, Spain’s most enigmatic architect, whose creations became the face of Barcelona. This documentary will tell you about the incredible paradoxes of the fate of a man who built grandiose cathedrals and died in poverty, being mistaken for a homeless man. We will reveal unknown facts and debunk the myths surrounding Gaudi and his iconic works.
He deceived the system: how to build a dream house and sail to the ends of the world
Friedensreich Hundertwasser is one of the most extraordinary artists and architects of the 20th century. The man who declared war on the straight line hated identical houses and dreamed of turning cities into living forests. In this documentary we go on a journey through Vienna, Magdeburg, New Zealand and other places associated with the life and philosophy of Hundertwasser.
Duology about “The Gates of Belgrade”
Brutalism or Masonic symbol? Analysis of the architecture of the Genex Tower
Why does this concrete monster cause people’s horror and admiration at the same time, and what do the walls of the main symbol of lost Yugoslavia hide? We went inside the legendary Genex Tower to reveal the secrets of the “Western Gate of Belgrade” and show what life is like inside the brutalist monument.
Abandoned paradise? What happened to the Rudo complex after 50 years
In this episode, we travel to the Konjarnik region to take an in-depth look at Serbia’s largest Brutalism movement, find out the fate of its architect, and understand why these concrete giants are both fascinating and frightening.
Interviews with various interesting people
From a secret research institute in Belgrade: the creator of “Field of Miracles” about nuclear calculations, the KGB and life in Serbia
Documentary interview with a real legend of post-Soviet IT! In this video we dive into the incredible story of Vadim Bashurov, the creator of that very cult computer game “Field of Miracles”, which in the 90s, it seems, was played by absolutely the whole country. This is real punk rock from the world of Soviet and post-Soviet IT.
Russians in Serbia: No advertising, no connections — we have simply become a place where emigrants gather
Two friends from near St. Petersburg decided to move to Serbia. No business experience, no language, no clear plan. They opened a bar in a typical residential area of Novi Sad. No advertising. No sign. But the Russians started coming there. Friends first. Then friends of friends. And then — the entire Russian-speaking community of the city.
From the Yak-52 pilot to the Hermitage and Novi Sad | Emigration, psychotherapy, art, Serbia
How did an art historian from classical St. Petersburg end up in Serbia, and why do intrigues happen even in the main museum of St. Petersburg? In this episode we walk through the grand Novi Sad with Svetlana Bogdanova, an amazing person who in her youth jumped with a military parachute and then connected her life with the halls of the Hermitage.
Traveling
Shocking Vienna. Imperial luxury, slabs and the strangest houses in Europe
What do the facades of Vienna hide? Why is there such a spirit of experimental modernism in a city where every stone breathes history? Where was the border between Nazi Germany and free Austria, and how is the 1938 annexation remembered here? And also: where art disappears in residential areas and what remains of imperial ambitions in the daily life of the Viennese.
Girona: Game of Thrones, lion kisses on the ass, crocodile nun and immigration problems
Have you ever heard of garbage cards? And about the fact that in Spain you can get a residence permit for homeless people on a bench in a park? Our walk around Girona is full of such discoveries. We’ll walk around the city day and night, and my friend Lena, who lives here, will tell the whole truth about what it’s like to be an immigrant.
Between the Prado and the ghetto: homeless people, migrants, luxury markets and palaces | Madrid, Spain
Is Madrid the New York of Europe or just a dirty capital with a lot of police? In this episode I walk through the city of contrasts to show you its real, non-touristy side. We will walk through the emigrant quarters, where we will try on and buy Senegalese clothes. Let’s take a look at the Prado Museum to see Goya’s creepy Black Paintings and Bosch’s psychedelic Garden of Earthly Delights.