I am originally from St Petersburg, Russia and I have a big passion for sarees. First time I had a chance to try one in 1997 in Bahrain when my personal assistant put one on me (see pic attached), and taught me how to wrap it. Surprisingly, I found it very comfortable and we started “Saree Fridays” (day off in Bahrain) at my bank.

In 1999 I went to Varanasi and bought many silk sarees and now own about a dozen.

In 2010 I was appointed the Director for Management of the World Heritage Center (UNESCO) in Paris. On July 1, 2011 I organized “International Saree Day” at UNESCO – an informal event where women who wanted to wear sarees could come and our Indian colleagues helped them to wear this beautiful cloth. On the second picture you see the highlight from this event.

Thank you for your great initiative and for giving me the opportunity to share my passion.