Camera in hand, daredevil teens in Russia see no limit to how high aerial photography can go. Are these budding artists or teenage pranksters?
Regardless of where you go in the world, one thing is for sure: Teenagers push the limits. Skywalking, as it’s called in Russia, is in many ways no different. The premise: grab a camera, scale the tallest structure you can, and show the world (or at least your goading friends) the view from above. As scary as it sounds, the quality of perspective is breathtaking.
According to The Huffington Post, skywalkers have recently begun hitting the web in droves with their shots from the sky, although the practice appears to have been around Russia for some time to varying degrees.
Beyond the startling panoramics, what will probably keep parents awake at night even longer is the fact that many of the adolescent adventurers don’t use any safety gear for their ascent. And these elevation afficionados are taking the trend to great heights.
“When I am on the roof, I have a feeling that the whole world is by my feet,” says Marat Dupri, a 19-year-old skywalker in Moscow. “All my problems and trouble are left somewhere down. The height exhilarates me.”
For around two years now, Dupri and his skywalking buddies have scaled everything from Moscow’s statue of Peter the Great, which stands about 15-stories high, to one of Europe’s tallest buildings, the Moscow Tower. Even though the gaudy monument to Peter the Great often lands on the list of ugliest tourist attractions worldwide, Dupri still found a way to get the right angle.
"I've taken a lot of the photos by sneaking past guards and getting access to structures illegally," Dupri says, "but I think the risks are worth it to take such amazing pictures." Dupri’s thrill-seeking behavior, paired with an admittedly impressive artistic flare, has put him in harm’s way in more ways than one.
“I've also taken pictures from a 270-meter-high radio mast that was still in use,” he says. “I got a huge adrenalin rush from taking the pictures, but I had a severe headache for several days after - I think it was from radiation.”
Images of Dupri's pseudo-shaggy, boyish hair paint a portrait of aspiring artist meets mad scientist, with a dash of extreme sports thrown in the mix. As appealing as it sounds, though, the high cost of such dangerously high art might not pay off in the long run. So please, kids, don’t try this at home.
By mail.com Editor Will Cade











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