Along the Banks of the Volga River
Masterpieces of the Russian photography from the second half of the 19th century
in the collection of the National Library of Russia in Saint Petersburg.
The small-size photos made in the early 1870s by an artist who owned the "Vishnevsky's Photography" studio in Astrakhan, were strictly divided in accordance with their purposes. Some of them are romantic views of Astrakhan that was also called "Asian Venice" for its position on the islands washed by many distributaries and canals of the Volga. Others are portraits depicting representatives of two local nations- the Kyrgyz and the Kalmyk. Among them are not only studio-posed images (the faces are solemn and serious; the models, dressed in their national costumes, are dancing or playing different musical instruments) but also photos showing these peoples in their natural environment: in the steppe, against their nomad tents, marquees and camels.
 |
 |
 |
 |
