Publisher's Synopsis
For the first time since the Russian Revolution, the Soviet government has opened up its great photographic archives to the West. Here is the first selection from this treasure trove of photographs of pre-revolutionary Russia: from the archives of the Centre for Film and Photographic Archive, Leningrad; Central Archive for Russian Film and Photography, Krasnogorsk; State History Museum, Moscow; Leningrad Public Library; Hermitage Museum, Leningrad; State Museum, Leningrad and State Literature Museum, Moscow.;From stately portraits to intimate family groups, from scenes from the battlefront to labour demonstrations, from the domestic life of the aristocracy to the daily life of the poor peasantry, this is a window on a hitherto unknown world.;A full range of Russian ethnic groups is presented, including rare photographs of Tartars and peoples of Central Asia. There are portraits of the Romanovs, and previously unseen famous Russian figures, including Tolstoy.;Full captions and an introduction accompany the photographs, placing the images in the historical context of the people and events that they portray, and giving the reader an illustrated history of Russia in the final years of the Tsarist rule.
