A 90-year-old great-grandmother from Magnitogorsk, western Russia, has become the Internet’s latest star. She is no stranger to posing for the camera and has won an army of fans praising the granny for her wit and wisdom.
Raisa Gladskikh is young at heart, and likes selfies probably just as much as any 13-year-old. The pensioner posted her first photo on Instagram in August, and has since secured over a thousand followers, proving that age is nothing to fret about.
“I am 90 years old. I have two children, three granddaughters and five great-grandchildren. And I never sat on a bench gossiping with other grannies out there. I think, I’m too young for it,” Raisa wrote.
Raisa’s internet-savvy granddaughters helped her learn some new tricks. Luckily, one of the girls is a professional photographer; another one acts as Raisa’s personal stylist, suggesting what’s best to wear for this or that occasion; and the third helps her grandmother become a social network guru.
“Our grandmother has a phenomenal memory, despite the fact that she is 90-years-old. At some point, she began taking notes on a piece of paper. She wrote down her childhood memories, and what she remembered from the stories of her relatives. Then we all had an idea that she should start her own page on Instagram and share some of her texts for photos there. All that’s written in her profile is ‘based on a true story,’ all taken from her diaries or written exclusively from her words,” Elena Gladskih told Life.ru.
“Could I imagine, just some ten years ago, that I’d be able to tell people about myself without leaving the comfort of my home, and someone would be interested in my stories?” Raisa, pictured with a mobile phone, wearing stylish sun glasses and a groovy jeans jacket, wrote.
“What an amazing time!” she added.
“What do people mean when they complain, ‘where is our world heading?’ arguing that ‘in our time things were better,’” she added.
No wonder the 90-year-old has instantly taken Instagram by storm.
Clearly, her optimism and enthusiasm are infectious.
“You are an amazing person, and should be a role model to all people who crossed middle age!” one woman wrote, commenting on Raisa’s photo.
“Thank you for your optimism, for your joie de vivre. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and stories. They are so inspiring. We complain about life sometimes, and fail to notice the wonderful moments in life. And you set an example that one can always discover something new, face the world with an open mind and warm heart,” another added.