Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky was a scientist with a passion for photography, who produced hundreds of colorful images of his country. And he probably would’ve remained just another unknown photographer if it wasn’t for one picture: on one of his trips he got to photograph one of the most renowned Russian authors, Leo Tolstoy.
His name, as an artist, spread fast. His revealing photos even startled the Tsar of Russia, Nicholas II, who invited him to his palace to see his work. After contemplating the shots of the empire’s breathtaking landscapes and the portrait of Leo Tolstoy himself, he couldn’t help but give Prokudin-Gorsky an assignment to start a journey to document the Russian Empire in color.
The expedition would last for 6 years, from 1909 to 1915, which the photographer took as the project of his life. Thanks to his technique of 3-image color photography, he was able to keep a record of the country before the revolution.
But, as they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, so let’s begin our tour to the mysterious past and enjoy the picturesque landscapes and intriguing characters.
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I've seen some of these photos but I did not know where they came from.
Really captured a solemn dignity of these people, didn't he.
This rifle seems to be a Berdan II (M1870). It used a 10.7×58mmR (.42 caliber) cartridge, but some rifle were converted to 7.62×54mmR. Simple, reliable rifle. In soviet time it was usualy used by hunters and watchmen.