Ilona is a passionate traveller who has explored more than 30 countries, always drawn to the quiet details and everyday moments that reveal the real spirit of a place. She now travels with nothing more than her phone, capturing people, textures, markets and small glimpses of life that often go unnoticed. In this interview she shares her journey, favourite stories and the unexpected adventures that shaped her way of seeing the world.
llona, tell us about yourself. How did your photography journey begin?
I’m 54 and live in Saint Petersburg, Russia. I have an adult son who now lives in Helsinki. By profession I’m a nurse working in the haematology and bone marrow transplant unit.
My love for travel started in childhood. I always wanted to go somewhere, anywhere, for any reason. Back then it wasn’t travel the way we see it now. We went to the seaside with my parents, visited relatives or spent time in my grandmother’s village. The idea of going to a nearby city just to walk around wasn’t something people did, and travelling abroad was almost unheard of.
I went to another country for the first time when I was 29. It was a ferry cruise from Finland to Sweden. I felt as if a door had opened to a new world with its own language, culture, traditions and food. Even the sun felt like it hung in the sky differently. I realised how much I loved it and decided I would travel at least once a year from then on. That is also when I started taking photos. Photography was the main proof that you had actually been somewhere. We all shot film, 36 frames per roll, took it in for developing, ordered 10x15 prints and then proudly showed the albums to friends, family and colleagues. I still keep those albums and look through them from time to time.
My real wanderlust took hold once my son grew up. Now I travel three to four times a year. I’d love to travel more but I’m working for government so my adventures are limited to my annual leave.
How many countries have you visited?
More than 30. Some of them I’ve visited two or three times, and Finland and Estonia I can’t even count anymore. But if you compare me to the standards of Instagram, I’m hardly a traveller at all. I’ve never done a round-the-world trip, never backpacked with just one backpack, never slept under a bridge, never chased super-cheap flights… and many other “never” moments. I don’t worry about any of that. Every trip I take is my favourite, special and unforgettable.
