In recent years, many live at high speeds and almost don’t notice that simple things have ceased to bring joy. We eat quickly, argue quickly, tire quickly, and recover just as quickly—only to run somewhere again. Against this backdrop, people whose taste for life isn’t borrowed from social media and doesn’t consist of pretty pictures stand out. It’s built from rhythm, discipline, and very tangible things: a family dinner, respect for the body, the ability to work and rest without excuses.

— You live on someone else’s schedule. You quickly start to see the value in simplicity there. A taste for life often emerges where choice is minimal. This isn’t romanticization, just a fact. It was the key moment in my life where I began to appreciate what I had before—freedom.

— The army comes up a lot in your story. How exactly did it change you?

"We often argue that it's difficult to 'live with style' in Moscow: the rhythm catches up with you. You say it's possible."

— Our social media has distorted the concept of "hedonism." When people hear "hedonist," an image pops up of a slacker lounging on the couch on a Monday with a glass of wine. But that’s not about "lying around and doing nothing." If we want a convenient label, we could call such a person a sybarite, though the term isn’t crucial here.

Proper hedonism is deriving pleasure from life in all its manifestations. And true pleasure can only be attained through personal self-realization, prosperity, satisfaction, and virtue. I’ll say it again—it's about choosing your attitude toward the process. And this choice requires discipline. You can’t desire pleasure from your body and yet disrespect its routine. You can’t desire pleasure from work and ignore its rhythm, obligations, rules of the game. Discipline is an integral part of hedonism. It is not opposed to pleasure; it serves it.

— I was born in Blagoveshchensk, in the Far East. Finished university there, then served in the army in Khabarovsk. After the army, I moved to Moscow—and since then, I’ve lived across several bases: Moscow, Sochi, and I often travel to Europe. I first came to Sochi after the Olympics—fell in love with the place and stayed.

— Because it’s part of our cultural code. Suffering. "Everything must come through suffering." Work, family, relationships. And how many proverbs do we have about patience? Work in our culture is always associated with hard labor and deprivation. And no one talks about the pleasure of work. For us, pleasure is always linked to idleness.

— It still depends on your attitude. You have two options—wake up in the morning, clench your teeth, and get angry at what you do, or decide to enjoy the process and take pleasure in what you’re doing. And it has nothing to do with the profession itself, but with your choice.

Taste here isn’t about "pretty packaging," but about how you’ve set up your system: your rules, your rhythm, honest expectations. At the very least, you can find enjoyment in the results and in the fact that you help people solve problems and make the world a little better.

— The family table is a prominent theme in your answers. Is this from your childhood?

— Yes. We’ve always had breakfast and dinner together as a family. Two moments that anchor the day. Sharing a meal is a simple and reliable way to stay connected with each other.

— You cook a lot. Is it a hobby or part of a system?

— It's my passion and one of my few hobbies. For me, the kitchen is a sacred place, and cooking is alchemy. The transformation of energies—practically magic. You reveal yourself, put your soul and energy into it. For me, there’s something sacred about it. And what a delight it is to see someone licking a clean plate after your dinner!

— Social media is all about rituals: morning coffee, candles, music. Sometimes it feels like a performance.

— Europe is part of your geography. Where, in your opinion, is there a higher concentration of people who know how to enjoy themselves?

— For some people, that’s what feels comfortable. There’s nothing extraordinary about it; I’m simply sharing moments from my life.

— The old school—Italy and France. But not modern Italy, rather the old romanticized Italy of the 60s: leisurely morning espresso at a bar, classic clothing, cigars, long conversations (without phones), and a bottle of wine with dinner. Young people everywhere are similar—speed, trends, oversize.

— You said "respect for the body." Is that a sport for you?

— If we’re talking about physical exercise, it’s closer to physical education. But overall, it’s a holistic approach. Nutrition, sleep, quality food, a balanced emotional state, breathing, walks in the fresh air, massage, meditation. All so that your body feels grateful to you.

Author: Victoria Bondar

— The word "choice" is often heard. How can an adult who has always lived "the way it’s done" learn to choose?

— Start with the small things, be accountable for the simple stuff. Our generation did a lot on its own—parents were at work, we managed. When you learn from a young age to take responsibility for daily life, it’s easier to make bigger decisions later on. I’d introduce a school subject called "how to live," where they teach you to choose and take responsibility for your choices, to understand yourself and the process.

— About family. Many believe that "hedonism and family with children are incompatible."

— For me, family is a non-negotiable part of life. How could family interfere with pleasure?! Family is wonderful. Family can only amplify the enjoyment of life to its fullest.

— Is Sochi a “slow down” for you?

— For me—like everywhere, it's about "going deeper." The rhythm of life here is more measured than in Moscow. The sea, the mountains, incredible nature and air. So it's always easier here to look within.

Sometimes things don't go according to plan. What helps you stay on track?

— Meditation, a glass of wine, a conversation with loved ones, and reminding oneself that everything unfolds according to its own inner nature, and a person attains strength when they do not go against the natural flow of the world.

— In short, what is “the taste of life”?

— The ability to choose one’s attitude toward what one does and take responsibility for that choice. He simply chose to live in such a way that each day has room for normal human pleasure—without pretentious philosophy, without buzzwords like "mindfulness" and "balance." To work, eat, speak, rest—and savor the taste of life. Everything else is a choice. You can get irritated, you can rush, you can postpone living for later. Or you can—not postpone. There’s no secret to it. The taste of life isn’t a style, a trend, or an image. It’s the ability to approach simple things without unnecessary noise. And yes—that, too, is a choice. Every day.