WELCOME TO OUR STORE
Anna and Maria Kaufman: "Wellness is the art of living, and the art of living is self-love"
This interview in the section #VyOgonyok is special for me for several reasons. First of all, today I have not one guest, but two at once - Anna and Maria Kaufman, mother and daughter. Secondly, they are not just representatives of two generations, but representatives of already two generations of Ogonka people. Anya is the co-owner of the yoga club "Maharaj" and the vegetarian restaurant "Gaia" attached to it, and Masha is developing Anywell, a project that has grown from media about a healthy, fulfilling life into a multi-directional one, one of which Masha is about to launch in Kyiv. With my heroines, we talked about wellness and what each of them invests in this concept, discussed how they came to their businesses, love of food and family traditions, I asked them about style, favorite things, relationships with each other and life in general. The conversation turned out to be very rich and inspiring. Happy reading.
— My first question to you, Anya: how did you get to Ogonyok for the first time?
Anya: — It all started with the fact that I was passing by a store on Ekaterininskaya Square and saw Denis Simachev's items in the window (Angel House store — the first store of the Ogonka group, opened 13 years ago — ed. note ). I passed by because it seemed to me that I had already outgrown the age and style relevant to the audience that dressed there. I liked the styling, but it seemed too kitsch for me. Later, when Ogonyok opened in the "Sady Pobedy" shopping center, I was very impressed by the collection of designer Alena Akhmadullina. And when I got into the kingdom of Akhmadullina-Symacheva, I realized that I should have come in and tried these things on a few years ago.
I understand that I will leave with the purchase and live in this thing, enjoying it.
I felt absolutely intoxicated by the store. Of course, the basis of all this is created by people, and I was very impressed by Vika (the founder of Ogonka). The service I received in the store... It's even difficult to call it a store and service — it's a space in which you feel very comfortable. You understand that you are getting a thing that suits you, which will not be in the closet as a fragment for one season. To this day, I still have things from those times - they move from closet to closet, some went to Masha, some to my sister. Because their quality has not been lost, they have not gone out of fashion. And when other designers appeared in Ogonka, for me it became a space for the formation of taste . I'm interested in fashion, style, trends, but I'm not looking for anything in particular, because I'm busy with other things. Of course, I want to get into trends, but, nevertheless, I have to feel myself organically in things. I am very impressed by Ogonyok because everyone who works there feels their own way, it's even hard for me to say "client", rather, a friend. I understand that I will leave with the purchase and live in this thing, enjoying it.
- And accordingly, I ask you, Masha: did you look at your mother - how did her style educate your taste? And how did you get to Ogonyok for the first time?
Masha: — You correctly noticed that I always looked at my mother, at the way she dresses. As a child, I had the feeling that I did not want to dress like a child. I didn't like children's things, cute dresses. I always wanted to dress like my mother: to be an adult and dress in adult things. When I was alone at home, I opened the dressing room door, put on her long dresses, which were huge for me, the highest heels - and always chose the most shiny. As a child, I was attracted to things that I would not wear now for any reason (laughs). I wore all this and felt like an adult. We went shopping with my mother, went to Ogonyok, and I remember dreaming that I would grow up and also buy things in Ogonyok.
— What was the first adult purchase for you?
A: — I think it started with Simachev, you and I, Masha, had two pairs of identical jeans: wide with lining inside...
M: — You bought them for me, I begged them, begged them, cried them (laughs). But I myself already came to Ogonyok three years ago, when I returned to Ukraine from England. And it was a thrill. I came alone, I bought adult clothes - and I got the feeling that I'm cool, because I dress in the same clothes that my mother wears. After all, for me, mom's taste is a standard . Although I may sometimes disagree with her about my style, my mother's wardrobe and my mother's taste are indisputable. And when, for example, I buy something that my mother has, but it's a second color — it's a top!
- Masha, tell me about England. Did you plan to return to Ukraine later, or did the circumstances turn out that way?
M: — I love England very much. Although when I went to college there at the age of 16 and got into a company of Russian-speaking guys, we all hated it. We hated strange Englishmen, the English language, terrible weather with endless rain and cold, school rules, school uniforms... And after three or four years, when we lived through all this and entered universities, we could not do without England. That is, at first I experienced an insane feeling of hatred for a country with a mentality very different from ours, and then it transformed into great love. I breathe differently there, I dress differently - what I wear there, I will not wear in Ukraine.
In general, I have this with every city: in Odessa I will put on Sleeper pajamas in peas with feathers and go to the city in the evening, but in Kyiv I will never dress like that. And in England, I will most likely throw a trench coat over such pajamas.
Why did you come back? Probably, this is how the circumstances should have turned out - I do not regret it. It was difficult for me to return after almost nine years in England, because I had already absorbed that mentality, those concepts, but I will not be able to return and work for someone in England. Now here I have the opportunity to create something of my own, to make my personal dreams come true by putting in my work, and I don't want to go back to make someone else's dreams come true. And I would like to live there. My parents joke that when my younger brother goes to study in England, I will come to all the parent meetings to be there one more time...
- Masha, now in Ukraine you are developing your own project in the field of wellness and, I confess, it was you who opened this concept to me. But its meaning is not completely clear to me, and it is interesting to know what you yourself put into it. Tell us how your Anywell project came about, what you do, including from the point of view of wellness. And of course, I can't help but ask about the new direction of the project, which you will launch very soon...
M: — For me, wellness is the art of living, and the art of living is, first of all, self-love. Because when you love yourself, you do what is best for you. I probably haven't fully come to wellness yet — my Anywell project is developing, and with each of its new directions, I'm also growing and changing. For me, the concept of wellness is broader than a healthy way of life, than integrity — these are all its components. And different people can understand wellness in their own way. For my mother, for example, yoga is an unequivocal part of wellness, vegetarianism is too, but for me it will be a little second. Art lives in each person. For me, wellness is a balance of one's own desires, opportunities, and the ability to sometimes make a choice in favor of what you may not really want, but what is best for you.
Accordingly, Anywell became, first of all, a search for oneself. I returned to Ukraine and wanted to do something - I didn't know what exactly, but I really wanted to. Journalism was very interesting to me. After returning, I encountered the concept of "illness" for the first time and began to search for alternative methods of solving my problem. In the process of working with different specialists, in the process of searching, I wanted to accumulate information from experts in one place. This desire was consistent with my interest in journalism — and that's how Anywell media was born. It all started with him.
For me, wellness is the art of living, and the art of living is, first of all, self-love.
Anywell Mag is not about journalism, but rather about wellness experts talking about how to feel good. Not just to be healthy, but to feel good in all aspects : this is sport, nutrition, self-care, beauty and mental health, which today they finally started talking about, stopped being shy about it. Later, the Anywell Shop e-commerce platform with beauty products joined the media . It was a business move, because media in my case is not a business. In England, I had constant access to a huge selection of beauty brands, I went to any store, to the same shopping centers Harrods, Selfridges, and if I needed something for hair care, huge shelves with a huge selection were waiting for me, and when I returned to Ukraine, I found that there was only Head&Shoulders (laughs) and a couple of other brands. I wanted to provide wide access to cool beauty brands here. And we started writing to European and American brands. I think you know that it's not always easy - they don't always answer, many of them don't even know what Ukraine is and where it is, and someone is surprised that during military operations in the country, someone cares about wellness. But we have achieved certain successes.
I tried to create a project that will help people get high not only from the procedure, but also from themselves
The third aspect of Anywell is the beauty direction, Anywell Facial Bar , which we will open in November in the Kyiv Central Shopping Center, and it is also connected with my personal history. I have problem skin, and I have been fighting it with completely different methods since childhood. What I went through is very painful cosmetology. Cleanings where you lie on the couch and cry throughout the procedure, thinking that in two weeks you have to come back here again. Creams that burn and burn the skin, peelings that make you sit at home for a week or two and not go anywhere. Therefore, this project is about going to the beautician, which will bring pleasure. We work on it for almost an hour: we gathered very good experts - cool cosmetologists, gathered top beauty brands that work. Not just well-known ones, but those that really work — and they turned them into procedures with a wow effect. You should visit Anywell Facial Bar for 40 minutes, and then you can go to a party, red carpet, on a date - and it will be a pleasure. I want somewhere to warn and save people who have a tendency to problem skin, from what I went through. The techniques and devices that we will use will make it possible to delay the development of skin problems, in some cases even to delay Botox. For those who do not want to be stabbed or are afraid of being stabbed. I tried to create a project that will help people get high not only from the procedure, but also from themselves . Because for me, the pursuit of trying to change myself is not natural. There will always be someone prettier than you, smarter, faster. And we want to show that you are beautiful as you are, and your natural beauty can be emphasized with pleasure . And it is not at all necessary to prick something or cry at a cosmetologist. Here are three directions today at Anywell.
— You have a very interesting relationship. In addition to the fact that you are connected by family ties, you, so to speak, cover the problems of the whole person. Masha's work began with solving her own problem, and grew into caring for other people. And what started Maharaj, Anya? I'm sure that this is something you have in the family, and you were also probably guided by care. I wonder where it started...
A: — I think that, first of all, this is a personal experience. You don't get into yoga just like that, and it happened to me too. Either you have some kind of internal problem, or there are health nuances, or you are impressed by someone who is already engaged, you spy on him and decide to go too. I got into yoga in a certain psychological state, tried it - and I really liked it from the point of view of how I changed. I am a systematic and very disciplined person, and yoga is really a discipline, where you get results when you follow it. I am also very impressed by the fact that you systematically work, roughly speaking, with your physical body, and as a result, you change not only physically, but also internally. In fact, you make the list as an exercise, but in fact, you begin to feel or look at familiar things from a different angle - and you turn out to be 100% right. Yoga built my inner space so that, first of all, I received many answers to my various questions and requests. Some things have become irrelevant and unnecessary due to yoga. And I saw that at a certain moment I became happier.
For me, happiness and love are closely related, one follows from the other. And one of the most important manifestations of love is to give.
But at the same time, to give for me is not to sacrifice oneself. I just can't do it any other way. At some point I wanted to share what I got from yoga, and the Maharaj space was created to share it with an open heart. This is a non-commercial object, it is often difficult to manage, but nevertheless, for me it is a big school in which I am very happy. Moreover, I myself also continue to study. It seems to me that the moment when you decide that you have already unlearned and can now rest on your laurels becomes the beginning of degradation. My children stand behind me, for them I am an example of how life is built. There are different situations in life: today you can be prosperous and successful, and tomorrow you can find yourself somewhere at the bottom. The stronger you are, the more spirited you are, the faster and easier you get out of different situations. I try to show my children by my example that you will be happy only through hard work and love for your work.
— It seems to me that the Gaia restaurant was born out of the same love. I watch how you write about food on your Instagram, how you share stories about gathering zucchini flowers for a restaurant, how you roll tomatoes, and many other things - it makes me incredibly excited. This is another form of care that you give to people - the opportunity to eat with love. Is that so?
A: - Food is one of the components of health, but it is rather the second, and the first, the most important thing: food is pleasure. I made my choice in favor of vegetarianism, but I consume eggs and dairy products. Everything is eaten in my family, and I will never forbid anyone anything. I came to this quite late, but I feel so good. I believe that food is one of the greatest pleasures, and in Gaya we try to make the range of dishes presented as wide as possible. And so that people who consume meat, fish and everything that is not available here, try alternative cuisine and see that it is tasty, not boring and not ascetic, and that they do not have the desire to run around the corner and finish eating after leaving here.
- Masha, tell me about mother's food.
M: — Mom cooks very tasty. And when the quarantine happened this year, we spent a lot of time at home with the whole family, and my mother cooked for us all the time - it was a real holiday. There is a dish that I am ready to eat 24/7, and that is pasta, in any form, always. I think my mother made a record amount of pasta during the quarantine (laughs). I am grateful to the quarantine for the opportunity to spend so much time with my family, because recently we managed to get together only on vacation - once, at most twice an hour. There is a cult of food in our family, we love to eat. The opportunity to eat food prepared by mother at the same table is priceless.
Of course, you also never leave Gaia hungry. With this project, Mom shows people that there are different types of healthy food, that what is on the menu here is enough for healthy satiety. There is no trickery in this project: no one forces you to eat unpalatable food, but it is useful. There is dough, pasta, and croissants here. It is clear that when you eat it from morning to night, and you have gluten intolerance, you are harming yourself, but it is a completely different matter when you eat it in a normal amount and with pleasure - this is also wellness.
— Anya, have you always cooked in your family? In my head, your image does not match the image of a person who rolls up his sleeves and stands in the kitchen cooking.
A: — I grew up with my grandmother and grandfather, my grandmother was always in the kitchen. I can't say that my grandmother cooked deliciously, but there were certain dishes that I liked. I am a bread lover, so I don't need much. But when I got to Odessa, it destroyed all stereotypes about food, about how everything can be put on one table and how it can be delicious. Here I learned how a regular fried potato in Kyiv can be many times different from a fried potato in Odessa. Because there is another half kilogram of butter in the Odessa frying pan with potatoes, due to which, of course, it acquires a completely different taste.
I believe that every heart can be approached from the standpoint of delicious food.
Attachment to food, taste, understanding and multi-story on the table — that's all from my mother-in-law. My husband has a large family: they have four sons, and each has his own family, two, three, four children each. Every Sunday we get together at her place for dinner. This tradition is very old - the mother-in-law herself loves to eat and cooks very deliciously. Moreover, she prepares such Odessa dishes, the recipes of which have remained with very rare housewives, and many, even having the recipes, no longer understand how to do it. Starting from Wednesday, she calls each of the family members with the question: "What to cook for you?". And whatever wishes you express, everything will be prepared especially for you. For her, this is a great joy: the expectation of children and the opportunity to please each of us. Moreover, she prepares not one dish at a time, but 3-4 at a time, so that everyone has a choice according to his preferences. And even though we are not at home much and the children already have their own tastes, they no longer need this multi-layeredness on the table, I know for sure that time will pass and they will fondly remember grandma's tables. And, of course, I would like to transfer all the bread-and-butteriness borrowed from my mother-in-law here, in Haye. I believe that every heart can be approached from the standpoint of delicious food.
— If we go back to your youth, how did you dress when you were Masha? What was your style then?
A: — I had one, at most two fashionable things, but not really flashy ones — as far as I remember, I was quite restrained in this. We collected our wardrobe piece by piece - and while you barely assembled a set, the next year something completely new appeared. I can't say that I was a fashionista. Looking back, it is difficult to imagine how it was even possible to wear what we wore. And all this was accompanied by combat makeup, because then they brought cosmetic sets consisting of 96 colors of shadows. Moreover, they were not divided into shades - it was a huge bright palette. I wanted to apply everything to myself in one sitting. Of course, most of them were with mother-of-pearl, and also mother-of-pearl bleached lipsticks, crazy blushes, big plastic clips...
— Are you talking about yourself now or in general about the style of that time?
A: — Of course, I wanted to wear it all on myself! It wasn't everyday, I didn't go to work like that, but on Friday or Saturday, or on a birthday, of course, it was all necessary. For the most part, I looked ridiculous and kitsch, absolutely tasteless, but it was so fashionable. If you google "fashion of the 80s and 90s", you will see complete trash - it is not at all clear how a woman could wear this on herself, let alone beautify herself in this way. At that time, if someone came across a photo of an English woman dressed in Ralph Lauren or Hermès, he thought how boring people lived. And over time, you realize that you can be happy in a friend.
— What is the basis of your wardrobe now? What are the most things in it?
A: - Lately, I'm in a sports uniform, because I spend the whole day here. It seems to me that I practically do not see myself as a friend. Jeans, sneakers, heels definitely become less and less — more and more in the wardrobe of comfortable shoes. I really like dresses...
- I was waiting for this answer. If you asked me what kind of things Anna has the most, I would answer: "Dresses."
A: — I can't say that there are more dresses, but I really like them very much. And lately I've fallen in love with trouser suits, I feel very organic in them. For a long time, I couldn't get along with jackets, because in Odessa, spring and autumn are very wet: you either wear a coat, or you've already taken everything off, and in winter I didn't understand how to put a coat on a jacket, and it was cool in one jacket. Now there is a large variety of fabrics: you can buy a very thin, summer jacket, and a very dense one that can be worn in winter without outerwear.
- Masha, what are the most items in your wardrobe?
M: — Pyzhakov, definitely. I often get cold, but because of my long life in England and the fact that I don't walk much, I can go out in a jacket even in winter. The sweater and jackets are mine. I can wear them in the morning, in the afternoon, and in the evening when going out with heels. For me, this is universal clothing that suits me for everything.
— What is your favorite part of the day?
M: — I have this morning. I am more productive in the morning - this applies to everything: rituals, reading, training, planning for the day. I get up early on weekdays. I love this time for myself, while the phone does not ring on work matters. I know that I will be able to carefully plan the day, I will not forget anything.
On weekends, I give myself the opportunity to be in the moment.
As for my beauty rituals, I like to do them in the morning. It is also much easier for me to do sports early in the morning, because by the evening fatigue accumulates, especially emotional, and it is already difficult to exercise. In the evening, you want to eat something delicious, relax, watch a movie or go out with friends somewhere. And on weekends I sleep longer and I have more unplanned time. On weekends, I give myself the opportunity to be in the moment.
A: — I love all the time of the day. In the morning, I love when I lead classes, and I love when there is free time, because there is always something to do here. I love when I'm busy and when I'm free, both in the evening and in the morning. Thanks to parents, nature, God for the fact that health allows not to divide the day into more or less efficient parts . I can do sports in the morning and in the evening. Here, rather, some series of events can pull you out of a state of working capacity, and physical activity just helps to return to it. I am more of a summer person, I love warmth, but, nevertheless, you can live in a cozy down jacket all winter, with great pleasure and with a hood on your head, go through all the rain and enjoy every minute.
— In what minutes do you feel the most beautiful?
A: — When my loved ones and loved ones are doing well. When there is a silence on the phone, and I understand that everyone is busy with something of their own and I don't care about them - this is the first component. The second one is when I am during or after training. When I didn't move (laughs). Due to the fact that I am not very good at measuring, I need to issue a ration of a certain size, because I do not really understand how much can fit in me. And basically, that's all. It is important for me to have this calmness inside - then external layers will not matter, because the light in the eyes will show that everything is good.
M: — I feel great at the very beginning of the day, after my rituals. At the end of the day, when I can tell myself that I'm doing well - these indicators of "well done" are very important to me at the end of my day. And the last thing: after talking with my mother, we talk on the phone every day, and this is important to me, since childhood. It was also in England, and even when I lived in Odessa.
- What the hell do you really like about yourself?
A: — I am very prejudiced against myself and very insecure. It is difficult to say that it is possible to love in yourself, but this gives me the opportunity not to commit sharp and rash actions. Due to the fact that I always doubt myself, I think over everything a thousand times. I hardly ever make any decisions. I even buy dresses in stores where I can put them away — this is an important indicator for me.
I will think over everything a thousand times
It is important for me to "sleep" with the thing, and I am very glad when I can call in the morning, apologize and admit that it is absolutely not my thing - it will be honest. Understanding this came to me quite recently, and sometimes eternal doubts really interfere with living. But on the other hand, this eternal mental and behavioral process later makes it possible to regret less about quick rash decisions. My husband is my complete opposite, and if we were both like him, it would be a real blast. Therefore, I believe that this feature of mine gives me the opportunity to be more stable, and thanks to this, those who are close to me also slow down.
M: — I really like my optimism. Not always immediately, but I find the positive in any situation. It helps me a lot to live. It's easier for me, and it's also easier for the people who are close to me. It is very difficult for me to despair, to give up. Something really global has to happen, or I have to completely lose interest, so that I recognize the complete lack of positive in anything.
— And the last question. Anya already answered him, therefore, Masha, he asked you: what is Ogonyok for you?
M: — My light is associated with family. They are always waiting for me there, they will always help me, and, as my mother rightly pointed out, they seem to be following me there in the good sense of the word: they are genuinely interested in my life. It's very cool, very valuable - you don't find such an attitude anywhere.
The end!
Our conversation lasted almost 2 hours, and I watched with great pleasure the family, who told each other about each other with love. We sat directly on the floor in one of the Maharaja's halls, as is customary for yogis, without shoes, because Gaia, where we wanted to talk, was completely filled with guests. For me, this meeting was special, as was my long-standing acquaintance with Masha and Anya. Thank you for your attention. Below, as always, there are some useful things from girls.
Here is Anya.
Cinema: TV series "The Queen's Gambit".
Book: Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach.
Food: if it was possible, then bread. Of course, I am a lover of vegetables in all interpretations, but if it is allowed, then it is bread, and any: light, black, stale, fresh, simple brick, French croissant and all other bakery products.
Here is Masha.
Cinema: here I will support my mother - I really liked "The Queen's Walk" and "Emily in Paris" from the last ones - I can rewatch it at any time, like "Sex in the Big City". And also, we have a weekend tradition with my mother - it's a bowl of salad for two with a movie. Usually it's an old movie like "The Devil Wears Prada" or a series like the Brazilian "Clone" or "Santa Barbara", and we like to start watching from the 385th series.
Book: "Two Lives" by Concordia Antarov in three parts. I have two sets of these books on my shelf: one, which I read a long time ago and wrote down all of them with notes, and the second is still fresh, without a pencil, so that every time he finds something new and important for himself.
Food: pasta!