Viktor is retired after more than 20 years of service. In his former profession he was a staff member of a wartime army special unit. “Once a military man, always a military man,” Viktor often says, though he doesn’t like to talk about his work. His hobby, which has become his second career, is engraving wood. Viktor’s jobs are piecework, and each one is unique. Many pieces are part of private collections and are located abroad.

Though organizing extra space for work in his Moscow apartment didn’t pan out, the garage has evolved into a comfortable workshop. It is here that, regardless of season or weather, Viktor works from six to twelve hours daily.

Translated by Alex North