Denis Dudinsky’s Alphabet: A Journey Through Life and Experiences

Grandmothers: The Pillars of My Life

Everything I have—skills, knowledge, experience, opportunities—all comes from my grandmothers. They taught me to draw, took me to various clubs, and were the first to know even when I started smoking. I would freeze in awe when my grandmother’s friends came over. They would drink tea, play music, sing, and I would sit quietly, observing everything. I can confidently say that my grandmothers raised me.

Impressions: The True Wealth of Life

Impressions are what make life worth living. I gather impressions from everywhere with both hands! You can’t take cars, apartments, or money with you when you go. Only impressions remain. They make us truly rich.

Diving: Exploring the Depths

One of my favorite hobbies is diving. I’ve seen sunken ships, swam with sharks, encountered a whale, and explored underwater caves. At 40 meters deep—equivalent to a 15-story building—the underwater world is completely alien to humans. This alien environment transforms you, bringing clarity and washing away trivialities.

Christmas Tree: A Symbol of Wonder

When I have children, I will always put up a live Christmas tree for the New Year. It’s a miracle. I remember how my father would bring home a tree tied with a string every year. It would stand on the freezing balcony for a couple of days before we decorated it. We placed it in a regular tin bucket and tied it with strings to the piano leg on one side and the sideboard leg on the other to keep it straight. For another six months after the holidays, I would carefully pick out the needles from the carpet and save them in a little box as a keepsake.

Compassion: A Driving Force

I am a very compassionate person. When Leo DiCaprio couldn’t climb onto the cabinet in “Titanic,” I cried. I feel deeply for others. Compassion can drive me to do anything. If someone appeals to my compassion, I could go to the ends of the earth or give away my last penny. I often give the groceries I bought for my dinner to grandmothers at the metro because I feel for them.

Language: A Tool for Success

In my second year at the institute, my group was assigned Italian. I studied it quite poorly. I only improved my Italian after university when I started leading tours. Many think that because I sing in Italian, I love everything Italian: the cuisine, the country, the literature. I must disappoint: I feel indifferent towards Italy, its literature, and cuisine. For me, language is a tool for making money, a shovel to dig up some cash.

Kate: My Significant Other

Kate is my girlfriend. She is an essential part of my life, and I am grateful to have her by my side.

Gardening: A Childhood Memory

My childhood at my parents’ dacha has made me never want to have my own. Because for me, a dacha is associated primarily with the garden. My parents would drag me there by any means necessary. What can a young, healthy guy do on a dacha with a garden? For me, it was torture.

Poker: A Mental Gym

If you need to train your brain and emotions, play poker. It’s a game that makes you think and calculate. I’m sure all famous intellectuals play poker or something similar. It’s like a gym, but for the brain. I play well and almost always win.

Rachmaninoff: A Musical Escape

Rachmaninoff is a fairy tale! You turn it on and drift away. Sergei Rachmaninoff is everything to me.

Rock Climbing: A Challenge for Body and Soul

I got into rock climbing six years ago. In my opinion, rock climbing is the best workout for the body and soul. You hang on a rock, and your only helpers are your fingers and toes. You need to overcome, to show yourself that you can. No need to prove anything to anyone: here’s a safety rope, and off you go. Life is completely different on a rock, and so are you.

Television: A School of Life

Television is a place where I learned a lot. No matter how we feel about Belarusian television, it’s better than school and university. Because it’s a territory where a person is forced to explore life and grow on their own. Yes, I met many interesting people on TV who helped me in life, but I achieved a lot myself. Television is a completely different world.

Uganda: An Upcoming Adventure

The capital is Kampala. Entebbe Airport. I’m going there this fall!

City Center: My Roots

For 25 years, I lived in the center of Minsk, right on Victory Square. My parents still live there in a huge 100-meter apartment. My grandfather was a major general, deputy commander of artillery of the Belarusian Military District, Fyodor Fyodorovich Dudinsky, and he was given such an apartment in the 50s. For me, Minsk is the city center. Kamenka, Serebryanka, Zeleny Lug—to travel beyond the center, I prepare as if for a hike: I take a book, a phone charger, and water.

Chekhov: A Literary Genius

Chekhov entered my life about seven years ago. After Chekhov, when you start reading something, watching a movie, or even recalling jokes, you realize that it’s all been in Chekhov. I don’t seek answers to questions or the meaning of life in his works; it’s simply a pleasure. I believe there are three authors who revolutionized literature: Shakespeare, Edgar Allan Poe, and Chekhov.

Humor: A Lifeline

Humor helps us live. Our people are very serious, even when they are very young. We need to live lighter.