In 2009, the internet couldn’t look away. Photos of a Moscow goth wedding spread across the country, leaving many stunned. The bride arrived at the registry office dressed entirely in black — corset, layers of petticoats, dramatic tulle — holding a bouquet of blood-red roses. Her forehead and eyebrows were shaved clean, her head crowned with jet-black dreadlocks and intense gothic makeup.
The bride, Irina, a journalism graduate who went by the name Angela Pushba, looked like she had stepped out of a dark fantasy.
Standing beside her was groom Sasha, then a student at the Moscow Aviation Institute. In contrast to his vampiric bride, he wore an all-white suit with white dreadlocks and towering platform boots. The visual contrast was deliberate — and unforgettable.
Their celebration followed the same rebellious script. No banquet halls, no traditional toastmasters. Instead, they headed straight to a rock club.
Irina later recalled their unconventional beginning.
“We met in a nightclub. No romance at all,” she once shared. “I was drowning my sorrows over an ex and was already very drunk. Then this long-haired guy Sasha appeared next to me. He wasn’t even a goth back then, just a nonconformist. Our crowd rejected him at first. I was tired of men. But Sasha wasn’t afraid to look awkward. He would blush, get shy.”
Few people knew at the time that Irina was ten years older than Sasha. The entire wedding was paid for by her mother. The early years were financially difficult. The couple had no home of their own and lived with Sasha’s mother, who initially struggled to accept her pierced, shaved daughter-in-law.
But time softened things. Irina built a relationship with her mother-in-law. Sasha immersed himself fully into his wife’s alternative circle.
So What Happened After 17 Years?
Today, the couple looks almost unrecognizable compared to their 2009 viral photos.
Irina gradually stepped away from the goth subculture. Her appearance continues to evolve — sometimes growing her hair long, sometimes cutting it short, experimenting with color. Creativity remains central to her life.
She maintains an active online presence, openly sharing personal reflections with followers. She also runs an online shop selling handmade jewelry and accessories — rings, earrings, and other small decorative items.
Together, she and Sasha built a new identity: professional photographers. The pair opened their own photo studio and now specialize in capturing unconventional subjects.
“We love photographing unusual people,” Sasha explains. “For example, those who talk about body positivity — people with extra weight.”
Sasha himself has transformed into a long-haired, mustached creative professional. The once-white-suited groom now appears far removed from his platform-boot era.
The couple is raising three children with old-fashioned names: 16-year-old daughter Lada, 14-year-old son Yelisey, and one-year-old daughter Mona.
Their parenting style has sparked criticism at times. Years ago, their son accidentally swallowed a battery and spent three weeks in intensive care. The incident fueled online debate. Still, the family continues to embrace a free-spirited lifestyle, often traveling “wild,” camping in tents rather than staying in hotels.
Irina has also remained unapologetically open online. During her pregnancies, she shared photo shoots — including nude ones — and sold some candid images through the internet for small sums.
When asked about raising their children, the couple’s philosophy is clear:
“We were wild when we were young. So we’ll allow our children to be wild too. Any hairstyle, any clothes, any hair color — we allow it. But they don’t really want to shock anyone. They didn’t feel the need to become like us. They just dye their hair sometimes.”
Seventeen years ago, they shocked a country.
Today, they are still unconventional — just in a different way.
