Welcome to Boris’ Express Shoe Repair Shop

Boris works in a tiny store the size of a medium-sized bathroom, and is a jack-of-all-trades by profession: he can duplicate your keys, and fix your shoes, and hem your pants on a German sewing machine he brought to Israel when he made aliyah in 1990s. He learned everything he knows from his teenage days in Russia. We follow him around his shop as he smokes (a pack and a half a day), drinks his favorite whiskey, and works hard - very hard.

Boris represents an entire generation that added a whole new layer to the Israeli identity: the 1990s wave of aliyah from Russia. The photographs were inspired by Boris’ unique shop, but the project then turned into a deeper exploration of this unique character. The photographs show the gentlemanly kindness underneath a tough exterior.