Masha Ivashintsova (March 23, 1942 − July 13, 2000) was a Russian photographer from Saint-Petersburg (then Leningrad, USSR) who was heavily engaged in the Leningrad poetic and photography underground movement of the 1960−80s. Masha photographed prolifically throughout most of her life, but she hoarded her photo-films in the attic and rarely developed them. Only when her daughter Asya found some 30,000 negatives in their attic in 2017 did Masha's works become public.[1] In this regard, Masha Ivashintsova's work and story have been compared to those of Vivian Maier.[2]
Masha Ivashintsova | |
---|---|
![]() | |
Born | (1942-03-23)March 23, 1942 Sverdlovsk, USSR |
Died | July 13, 2000(2000-07-13) (aged 58) Saint-Petersburg, Russia |
Nationality | Russian |
Known for | Photographer and painter |
Website | mashaivashintsova |
Ivashintsova died in 2000 at the age of 58.
Masha was born into an aristocratic family whose assets were seized following the Bolshevik Revolution.[2] In Leningrad, Ivashintsova joined the city's literary and artistic underground. She worked odd jobs as a theater critic, a librarian, a cloakroom attendant, an elevator mechanic, and a security guard, amongst others. Occasionally, she would visit Asya in Moscow.[3]
Masha was heavily engaged in the Leningrad poetic and photography of the 1960−80s. She was in relationships with photographer Boris Smelov, poet Viktor Krivulin and linguist Melvar Melkumyan.[4]