Räshid Nasretdin

Räshid Nasretdin was born in a village called Aktuk, which is located in Nizhny Novgorod Oblast, Russia. He was two years old when he arrived to Finland. When he was a child, he had rickets. People didn't think he would survive but, in his own words, he did, "thanks to cod liver oil and saltbaths."[1]

In Finland, he first lived in Lappeenranta, but then moved to Helsinki in 1939. Nasretdin was studying to become a housebuilder at first but got interested in photography instead, through his classmate, whose family owned a photography company.[1]

Nasretdin married a woman called Häbiba in 1945. As a man who had become immersed in the profession of photography, he decided to take their own wedding picture.[1]

He had his own photography shop, which he ran with his wife for over forty years.[1] He was also very active in many different photography clubs and unions.[1]

Nasretdin was rewarded with many accolades. He was also granted an artist's pension in 1987.[1]

In later years, after retiring from his job as a photographer, Nasretdin liked to spend his freetime fishing and boating. After his wife got sick, he cared for her for a few years. Nasretdin died in Myllypuro, Helsinki, aged 90.[1]

Räshid and Häbiba had three children, a daughter and two sons. One of the sons, Samil, owns the photography shop today. It is located in Fredrikinkatu, Helsinki.[1][2]