The elopement day in Rome of Olga and Alex will be memorable not only for the couple, but also for all Romans. On October 15 the demonstrations in Rome registered a record number of participants and turned out into a real mess and conflagration.

We reached the Colosseum when the protesting crowd had already gotten there. We made some shots – and the smoke in the background let us understand that the situation was getting too “hot” and it was time to depart in haste with all our photo equipment.

The Italian drivers of the couple’s Rolls Royce were shocked when they were blocked in by the military police forces, “carabinieri”. Certainly, only Russians could go on with their wedding photo report under those circumstances.

We were already in the hotel when the TV news confirmed that zooming off to the hotel was the best thing to do, as well as resisting the temptation to take “amazing” pictures with the protesters and burning cars in the background.

We left for less spectacular, but safer places. Although many roads were shut off, we still managed to reach all the spots we planned for this elopement in Rome: the Colosseum, the Vatican square, the Castel of St. Angel and Villa Borghese… all the city of Rome in the end opened itself to the courageous newlyweds that decided to register their marriage on such a day.