The term Berlinograd It is clear from "Berlin" and "Castle" , an archaic Russian word for "city". Examples are Kaliningrad or Volgograd.

A Russian expat living in Berlin could call “Berlinograd” his new home, but nevertheless, Beatrice Grundheber that term became an active creative community through the eponymous Russian-speaking blog that began in 2014.

I met Bea by Facebook when her blog appeared to me as a suggestion. She could not believe we had the same taste and dedication Russia, although Germany has a deeper joint history with that nation Mexico. But nevertheless, Berlinograd I found the perfect reference for Russian art Alma MX.

When I visited Berlin during the summer, We agreed to meet one of their favorite scenes to talk, Russian restaurant Datscha Prenzlauer Berg.

Trier St. Petersburg

“I grew up in Trier, a very small village 100 000 inhabitants where only forest. When you're young you want to go away and see the world, so I visited the US to 18 years.
I was always interested in people who were different from what he knew. When I returned from New York to finish high school, I was suddenly out mostly with Russian and Arabic, I began to take more people from Poland, Russia one of Albania, I felt more comfortable with people who were not from Germany.

After the preparatory, but always I wanted to dedicate myself to photography, I came interest in languages ​​and other cultures, so I decided to study the culture of the Middle East or Russia”.

Something decisive was what I told a professor of Biology, who worked as an engineer in Saudi Arabia: “mand recommended decide for Russian Studies, since in the Arab countries would lower spectrum of action being German and being a woman.

When I went to Russia I started also interested in the people of the Caucasus and minorities living on Russian territory. Something that I liked when I lived in St. Petersburg was that my friends, but did not speak German or English, They included me in their circle of friends as Bechka, and not as 'German'. They appreciated me for who I am, unlike when I lived in Paris, USA and other places you have traveled. People there always pointed to the fact that I am from Germany”.

Welcome to Berlinograd

Berlinograd is a historical term, define the period in which the Russian intelligentsia tried to keep their culture alive by fleeing the Revolution 1917. It was the period of greatest density publishers in Berlin. It was so from 1920 until 1933, when Hitler came to power.

“I grew up in the westernmost part of Germany, on the border with Luxembourg. I had 9 when the wall fell so I did not realize Soviet influence, beyond the three Russian supermarkets that were in Trier. But everything changed when I moved to Berlin, especially chen I walked by Karl Marx Alee, my heart explode with happiness because you feel like you're in Russia”.

Give visibility and combat stereotypes

Already installed in Berlin, Bea started the blog. In the beginning, its purpose was to contact Russian speakers across the platform, natural after so many years in that circle. “I wanted to find the kind of friends he had in St. Petersburg, the kind of passion I had during my studies and living abroad”.

But Berlinograd He has given Bea much more than that. “We do not focus only on Russian Berliners, but in creative circles that are building. I also include Russian speakers, from other countries, They are living in Berlin”.

The blog does not have political overtones, rather, one of its main purposes is to work against stereotypes: “I want to show people how artists that formed in Russia are successful in their careers themselves working in Germany.

Due to the similar phenotype between Germans and Russians, it is easy to assume that all your neighbors are local, but it seems important to make important visibles.Es highlight the self-confidence, strong will, their motivation to succeed, these are the characters I want to show”.

Berlinograd blog is the only of its kind in German. “One of our goals is to become like London Calvert Journal, but for now we hope to have more followers, pay our employees and create something even better”.

The main readers are German and Russian, but there are also Americans, Ukraine and some other European countries, even some of Brazil. Berlinograd begins to have overall dimensions.

shashlik summer

Berlin is one of the artistic capitals of the world, is a common and deep history with Russia, and a population of approximately 20 thousand Russians. Bea has the work done during these years is reflected in the constant participation of the Russian speaking community, as collaborators, actors and spectators of content and events by Berlinograd.

A lucky coincidence was the opportunity to attend the shashlik that organized Berlinograd a Vater Bar the Neukölln. Tragos sponsored by Russian Standard vodka, dishes and snacks provided by each attendee, music and conversation in different languages ​​characterized the warm afternoon. Creative circles by the Russian community abroad scenarios are worth knowing and I thank you for your hospitality Bea, which stresses and have learned from them.

Here you can meet Berlinograd