Dimitri Bakhtadze

Born in 1975 in Leningrad, USSR. He received his undergraduate degree in economics from the St. Petersburg State Technological University of Plant Polymers in 1997 and his second degree in law from the Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in 2001. In 2013, he graduated from the Yury Galperin Photojournalism Department at the Leningrad House of Journalists. 

My first introduction to photography, as is so often the case, came through my family: I inherited a camera and an enlarger from my father, and my habit of pressing the shutter came from my grandmother, who loved taking pictures. My school years were spent in Georgia, where I also attended a local photography club. Today, I live between two countries—Russia and Georgia—and between two of the world’s most beautiful cities: Saint Petersburg and Tbilisi. This dual sense of belonging is strongly reflected in my work.

Photography is not my profession, yet it has remained an important part of my life for many years—a way of seeing more deeply, feeling more acutely, and making sense of what is happening around me. I do not photograph out of obligation, but out of an inner need and genuine curiosity—toward people, light, the urban environment, the intonations of the street, and authentic moments. That is why I am especially drawn to street photography, reportage, and documentary observation of life.

I have participated as an author in both group and solo photographic exhibitions, as well as in various Russian and international photography competitions. 

I am a member of the Union of Journalists of Russia., the Eurasia Photographers Association, and the Union of Photographic Artists of Russia.