Meet a Local: Anastasija Eremina

In our column, Meet a local, we present interesting individuals from different professional fields living in Serbia. The idea is to get to know some locals and their favorite neighborhoods and venues in their city.

Please introduce yourself:

Hi, I’m Anastasija Eremina. I was born in Krasnodar in southern Russia, later lived in Moscow, and for the past two and a half years have been living in Novi Sad. Now I’m planning to move to Belgrade.

I’m a photographer and a content creator — these are my main professional identities. I also run a blog, host podcasts in Russian and English, and organize photo walks for people who want not just to learn photography, but to reconnect with their inspiration.

At the core, everything I do is about helping people see themselves differently — to notice something inside and move forward with it.

Living in Serbia has been a very important part of my journey. Moving here made me slow down, reflect, and understand what really matters to me. It also gave me a strong sense of connection — something that feels especially valuable when you’re an immigrant.

Emigration is not easy, but after more than two years, I can say that I feel at home here.

Has there been a new project lately?

My main focus right now is photography — I work as a professional photographer, mostly shooting people.

I’m also actively working in content creation, both for my own blog and for other people and brands.

Together with a friend, I host a podcast in Russian.

In general, a big part of my life right now is building and organizing my life here in Serbia.

I also have a website project where I used to organize photo walks. Now I’m thinking about how to transform it into something more structured — possibly an educational format focused on photography and visual perception.

Another idea I’m currently developing is a speaking club or a community that would bring together Russians who want to communicate with Serbs and Serbs who want to communicate with Russians, so that these communities can mix more naturally.

What do you like about Novi Sad?

I like that it’s small and compact — it’s easier to navigate and build relationships here.

People are warm and friendly.

I also like the closeness to Fruška Gora, the bicycle roads, and the fact that the city is green and flat.

People are relaxed (maybe a little bit too much, haha).

Where do you like to go out?

I don’t really go out in the traditional sense.

I prefer meeting friends during the day — for example, having coffee together in the morning or spending time in cafés.

I also like going to Belgrade from time to time, spending the day there, walking around, visiting nice places, and restaurants.

I sometimes go to clubs — I love dancing — but I prefer going to bed early, so I don’t do it very often.

Most of my social life happens during the day — in cafés or while walking around the city and talking to people.

Name 3 of your favorite restaurants in the city:

Tramontana
I love it for the pizza — it’s just really, really good, and the whole experience is great. I love going there, pouring oil over the pizza, and getting completely messy while eating. For me, it’s a very specific kind of pleasure.

Project72
I like it because it feels very local, but at the same time, the cuisine is amazing. Everything is very вкусно, and my favorite thing I tried there was the beetroot tartare — it was incredible.

Prozorče kod Vukše
It’s traditional Serbian food with very generous portions. The people working there are incredibly friendly and welcoming — it just feels very warm and close to the heart.

Where do you drink coffee?

Vrabac
Block32
Izlet

Where do you spend your leisure time?

• Dunavski Park
• Riding a bicycle around town and neighbouring villages
• At coffee shops in town
• Taking strolls around town and along the river

Name your 3 favorite locations in Novi Sad and justify your choice:

• Dunavski Park
  I love it because it feels like a small island of calm in the middle of the city. It’s green, full of birds, and there’s always some kind of life happening there. I enjoy the fact that I can just sit on a bench for 15 minutes, slow down, and then continue my day.
• Petrovaradin Fortress (Tvrđava)
  I like it because you can really feel the sense of history there. When I go there, it becomes easier to distance myself a bit from everyday problems and remember that the scale of life is often much bigger than the daily things we deal with. Those things are important, of course, but we tend to give them too much weight.

I think as humans we sometimes need to feel smaller in comparison to something bigger — a bigger idea, a bigger goal, or even something physically bigger, like a fortress or a forest. At the fortress, there is a feeling of calm and a sense of belonging to something beyond yourself.

It’s also a great way to be in nature and almost on your own without actually leaving the city.

• Bali in Futog
  I like that you can get there by bike — it’s around 15 km, and especially in summer it becomes a whole experience. You arrive, sit by the Danube, watch the river flow, and eat some ice cream. And after cycling that distance, you’re already relaxed, so everything feels even more enjoyable. The whole atmosphere just hits differently.

In the end, why did you decide to move from Novi Sad to Belgrade?

The short answer: intuition. I was walking through Vračar and suddenly had this feeling that if I turned the corner, I would walk straight into my own apartment. As if I need this step to move forward.

This is a decision that is only mine: not moving because I got into a university in another city, not following a man, as it happened when I moved here.

Now I’m on my own, and this decision is not forced — it’s simply because I want to. And that is more than enough.