One of the many aims of Tsar Alexander II’s Great Reforms was to modernize the Russian economy in order to compete with Western Europe. The Industrial Revolution had recently ushered in an enormous production and population boom in Europe. At the same time, Russia failed to keep up with its western counterparts. Russian infrastructure was severely lacking, […]
Category: 1st Edition Posts
Czar of the Sands
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This image, captured by photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii in the early Twentieth Century, was taken near the current city of Mary in Turkmenistan. It is among ruins of the former city of Merv, which at the time was part of the Russian Empire. The famed ancient city was once the biggest city in the world …
Warehouse for Mineral Water in Borzhom
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From the World Digital Library’s Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii Collection: Warehouse for Mineral Water. Borzhom. The picture I chose is a warehouse for mineral water in Borzhom. It was captured by Prokudin-Gorskii in 1912. During the early 1800s, the area was turned … Continue reading →
The Development of Russian Railways
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Steam Engine “Kompaund” with a Schmidt Super-Heater Photograph Background Sergei Prokudin-Gorskii made several trips around the Ural Mountains where he photographed railway installations and other urban scenes. Pictured above is a “Kompaund” (Compound) locomotive of the Ab132 type, meaning it was produced at the Briansk locomotive factory, today Russia’s largest locomotive enterprise, in 1909. These locomotives … Continue reading The Development of Russian Railways
From Railways to Revolution
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The photograph above was taken by Russian photographer Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii. It was a photo of the Headquarters of the Urals Railway Administration building in the City of Perm in 1909. Railroads were first introduced in Russia in the 1830s. By 1951 Russia had its first commercial railway that went from St. Petersburg to Moscow. […]
Russia’s Inherited Geographies
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Prokudin-Gorskii travelled throughout the Russian empire trying document a visual Russia. His work features numerous beautiful landscapes and interesting people whose vivid colors attract attention, but I think some of the more striking pictures are the ones that feature people with hauntingly somber faces seemingly absorbed in their own life. In particular, I find […]
Who let the dogs out?
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At first glance, this looks like a picture of dogs relaxing in the autumn sun, but little do many viewers realize, they are resting less than 15 feet from a building that stores dynamite and other explosives. Although it doesn’t seem to be bothering the dogs. Maybe the dogs are supposed to be guarding the… Continue reading Who let the dogs out? →
Zlatoust: Metallurgy Center
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Located close to the Ural Mountains, the town of Zlatoust was one of the stops photographer, Prokudin-Gorskii, made during his trips around Russia in 1909. This picture depicts Zlatoust, a fairly small town that became an industrial center during the
Happy Little Trees
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No, this isn’t a Bob Ross. This seemingly innocuous and modestly named photograph ‘Forest’ is the work of Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii (1863-1944), presumably shot in 1910 near the town Kyshtym in modern-day Chelyabinsk Oblast. As a chemist, Prokudin-Gorskii was primarily … Continue reading →
Russia Chugs Toward Modernity
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Despite being a major military power, the Russian Empire lagged behind Western Europe economically for much of the 19th Century. Though many factors contributed to its poor growth, including regressive business laws and the continuing presence of serfdom, one major problem was a severe lack of transportation infrastructure. Prior to 1855, there was only one railway … Continue reading “Russia Chugs Toward Modernity”
