How a Cuban military man became the ‘Barber of Siberia’

On a tank service

Carlos Alonso studied mechanical engineering at a military university in Havana. At that time, Cuba had signed a contract with Russia for the supply of T-72 tanks. In October 2010, nine of the best cadets were sent to study at the Omsk Armored Tank Engineering Institute. Carlos was one of them.

First impressions of Russia

“There was a terrible confusion: How do people even live here? In Havana, it is +35°C, in Moscow it is -1°C and, in Omsk at the end of October, it is already -5°C! Of course, I knew about Russian frosts. But, I wasn't ready for them. I thought: ‘How will I survive here?’”.

Carlos recalls the long flight from Havana to Moscow. He was anxious and didn't sleep. Then, the flight from Moscow to Omsk. Again, he was sleep-deprived and plagued by jet lag. 

During his study

When he arrived, he went straight to bed and slept for a very long time. “And, when I woke up and came to the window, I saw that the first snow had fallen during the night: on a white-white background stood white trees with black spots. Birch trees. It was so beautiful! And it was so touching that I made a mark in my memory: this is the day I began to love Russia.” 

How did an officer become a barber?

Happy Cuban childhood. Carlos pictured with parents

Carlos's father was a military mechanical engineer and, in 1982, fought in Angola alongside Soviet soldiers. Carlos admired his father, but there was another, no less inspiring example in his life - his grandfather, who shaved and cut people's hair in the morning and then went to the carpentry shop and carved wood. And he taught his grandson both trades. 

As a teenager, Carlos cut all his friends' hair. And, in Omsk, the Cuban studied together with a cadet from Angola, who had a shearing machine. “I took it on a barter. On weekends, there were waiting lines in the dormitory with those who wanted me to have their hair cut. A military man should have a short haircut, but everyone wants to be bright, fashionable and I came up with something with short hair, too.”

At first, he cut hair for free, but then, his friends advised him to charge at least a small amount of money. That's how he saved up for his first hair clipper. It started out as just a hobby, but then Carlos took a course and now he has been working in an Omsk barbershop for seven years. His appointments are booked up a week in advance. 

Working

“I don't regret anything. If I had not connected my life with the army, I would not have come to Russia, I would not have met Olga and our beloved children would not have been born,” Carlos says.

Return to Cuba & back 

In Cuba, everyone loves Russia very much and many people know Russia's history very well. “In all the libraries, for example, we have red volumes of Lenin in Spanish.”

In grandfather's carpentry shop

Carlos had already met his future wife and they had a son. But, according to his contract, he had to serve three years in the Cuban army. So, he flew home. 

Carlos in Cuba

For the first six months, he was alone and then Olga and his boy joined him. In Cuba, they got married and lived until 2018. But, Olga missed Russia, so, after finishing the military service, they decided to go back to Omsk.

The most beautiful girls

“I have to make a statement: the first thing we, Cuban cadets, noticed in Russia after the cold weather: the girls here are very, very beautiful,” Carlos laughs.

“And they are different from Cuban women: they treat their men with more care, they love them more!” 

Carlos met his future wife in 2013. His friends were opening a dance project in Omsk. He was in the support group and Olga worked as a journalist and had come to interview the guys. Then, Carlos asked her out on a date.

Carlos with wife Olga and kids

“Olga is the best thing that happened to me. No matter what I do, she supports me. But, our meeting was also useful for her: she started learning Spanish with me and, after living in Cuba, she decided to become a translator. She studied at the Cervantes Institute (in the Omsk branch) and now she is doing just that. Right now, she is still on maternity leave with our second child. But, when the daughter grows up, Olga wants to get back to work.”

How much the Cuban has become Russian

Getting Siberia's beards done

During his time living in Russia, Omsk has become a truly native city for Carlos.

However, he never got used to the frosts and, in winter, he hardly ever goes outdoors: home, car, work. 

“A couple times a month, I can go out with my kids for a walk, but no more. I do not wear a hat, I have style,” Carlos laughs.

Carlos also started going to the banya, aka the Russian bathhouse, and even dived into an ice-hole in winter. 

He admits he adores New Year's Eve in Russia and always waits for it for the sake of ‘herring under a fur coat’, the Russian dish that foreigners often find weird!

Hanging out with family

“In what else am I Russian? Recently, I attended a birthday party and I was asked to congratulate the birthday boy in Spanish. And I realized that all the beautiful Spanish phrases have gone somewhere, there are only Russian ones left in my head. That's how it is…”

The full version of the interview was published in Russian in the ‘Nation’ magazine.