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First Color Images of Russian Empire by Pioneer Photographer Prokudin-Gorsky

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These days, taking a picture is as easy as clicking a button on your smartphone, but a century ago it was much harder to obtain a color photograph. Take a glimpse at an early color photograph collection, created by Sergei Prokudin-Gorsky, one of the distinguished pioneers of color photography in early 20th-century Russia.

For years Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorsky explored the emerging field of photography and photochemistry, experimenting with novel methods offered by his colleagues from abroad and inventing his own techniques. By 1905, when he decided to travel across the Russian Empire and take pictures of it, Prokudin-Gorsky has already become a member of Russia's oldest photographic society, established a photography studio and laboratory and lectured on the science of photography.

Prokudin-Gorsky planned to use the emerging technological advances that had been made in color photography to systematically document life in the Russian Empire. Through his ambitious project, he aimed to educate Russian schoolchildren with his "optical color projections" of the empire's vast and diverse history and culture. Tsar Nicholas II, the reigning Emperor of Russia, decreed that he be provided with a specially equipped railroad-car laboratory, a small steamer with a crew, a motor boat to work on waterways and a Ford car for touring the Ural Mountains and capturing everything on film.

In 1909-1916, Prokudin-Gorsky traveled a significant part of the Russian Empire, photographing ancient temples, monasteries, factories, views of cities and various everyday scenes. The work was very difficult: it required great patience, knowledge, experience and often great effort. He was not the only one who shot color photographs in Russia before 1917. However, he alone used the method of color separation, which was more difficult, but resulted in less grainy images, the colors of which didn't fade. Moreover, only Prokudin-Gorsky's collection was made and preserved in such a significant volume.

© Photo : Public domainPeasant girls with berries, Novgorod Governorate (Province).
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Peasant girls with berries, Novgorod Governorate (Province).
© Photo : Public domainThe Temple of St. Nicholas in Mozhaisk.
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The Temple of St. Nicholas in Mozhaisk.
© Photo : Public domainA resident of Dagestan.
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A resident of Dagestan.
© Photo : Public domainA bridge across the Kama River, Perm Governorate.
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A bridge across the Kama River, Perm Governorate.
© Photo : Public domainJewish children with their teacher in Samarkand.
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Jewish children with their teacher in Samarkand.
© Photo : Public domainGeneral view of the city of Perm from Gorodskie Gorki.
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General view of the city of Perm from Gorodskie Gorki.
© Photo : Public domainA group of workers harvesting tea, Chakva.
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A group of workers harvesting tea, Chakva.
© Photo : Public domainThe village of Kolchedan in the Ural Mountains.
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The village of Kolchedan in the Ural Mountains.
© Photo : Public domainA Bashkir switchman on the Trans-Siberian railway.
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A Bashkir switchman on the Trans-Siberian railway.
© Photo : Public domainHeadquarters of the Ural Railway Administration, Perm.
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Headquarters of the Ural Railway Administration, Perm.
© Photo : Public domainNomadic Kazakh family in the Syr-Darya region.
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Nomadic Kazakh family in the Syr-Darya region.
© Photo : Public domainThe Monastery of the Trinity in Tyumen.
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The Monastery of the Trinity in Tyumen.
© Photo : Public domainMohammed Alim Khan, the Emir of Bukhara (ruler of an autonomous vassal state of the Russian Empire).
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Mohammed Alim Khan, the Emir of Bukhara (ruler of an autonomous vassal state of the Russian Empire).
© Photo : Public domainFarm workers standing near their equipment, taking a break from making hay.
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Farm workers standing near their equipment, taking a break from making hay.
© Photo : Public domainThe Monastery of St. Nil on Stolobnyi Island in Lake Seliger in Tver Governorate.
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The Monastery of St. Nil on Stolobnyi Island in Lake Seliger in Tver Governorate.
© Photo : Public domainView from the bell tower of the Trinity Cathedral (monastery) on Cathedral Square in Belgorod during the canonization of St. Ioasaf of Belgorod.
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View from the bell tower of the Trinity Cathedral (monastery) on Cathedral Square in Belgorod during the canonization of St. Ioasaf of Belgorod.
© Photo : Public domainZindan (a traditional Central Asian prison) in Bukhara.
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Zindan (a traditional Central Asian prison) in Bukhara.
© Photo : Public domainA chapel in Myatusovo.
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A chapel in Myatusovo.
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