Le photographe s’appelle Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorsky, il était chimiste et inventeur d’un procédé de photographie en couleur qui en a fait le pionnier en cette matière .
Women 1910
C’est à ce titre qu’il fut engagé par le Tsar Nicolas II pour en devenir le photographe officiel, et le Tsar, qui n’était en mesure de sillonner l’immense l’Empire Russe du temps, lui a offert tous les moyens ( train particulier , instruments photographiques..) pour lui permettre de voyager librement de la Baltique au Pacifique et dans tous les recoins de l’Empire.
Luostari Tverin alueella.
C’est ainsi que, de 1905 à 1917, Prokudin-Gorski a ramené de ses voyages des milliers de plaques photographiques sur les villes , les campagnes , les peuples au travail, les églises, les créations artistiques et industrielles de l’Empire (notamment les photos de Tolstoi) revélant sa marche vers le progrès avant que le bolchevisme n’amène avec ses massacres, ses goulags etc la misère et la régression que nous savons …
La révolution de 1917 et le guerre civile ont chassé Prokudin de Russie et c’est en passant par le Norvège puis l’Angleterre, qu'il est venu se réfugier en France non sans emporter des caisses pleines des milliers de plaques photographiques qu’il avait réalisées.
Il a vécu pauvre et malade en France de 1921 à Aout 1944, ignoré de nous et reconnu seulement par la communauté des réfugiés russes.
Razguliai, outskirts of the city of Perm (1910)
At the wheelhouse of Sheksna steamer, 1909
Juste après la guerre la Américains, plus malins que nous, on racheté à sa famille toute la collections de ces plaques pour en faire un des trésors de la Librairie du Congrès ( Librairie de la Chambre des Députés U.S), quand à Prokudin –Gorski il repose chez nous dans le cimetière russe de Sainte Geneviève des Bois .
Prisonniers autrichiens
Habituée que j’étais à ne voir la Russie de cette époque qu’à travers les lugubres clichés noir et blancs que nous en donnait la propagande bolchévique, la première fois que j’ai découvert les clichés de Prokudin-Gorski j’ai été suffoquée devant leur beauté et non moins devant la beauté ignorée de ce pays qu’il a fait découvrir .
Jeunes paysannes russes devant une maison de bois traditionnelle, dans une zone rurale le long de la rivière Sheksna et près du petit bourg de Kirillov.
Photographie couleur ancienne selon un procédé mis au point par l'auteur et faisant partie de son travail de documentation de l'empire russe entre 1909 et 1915.
Photographie couleur ancienne selon un procédé mis au point par l'auteur et faisant partie de son travail de documentation de l'empire russe entre 1909 et 1915.
Trinity Monastery in Tiumen 1910
Autumn. A village Gorki. Borodino, 1911
Materiki, 1909
In Malorossiya 1909
In Malorossiya 1909
Lifting bridge on the river Vytegra, 1909
Steam "Compound" with Schmidt superheater
Pumps to evacuate water. Kuzminskogo, 1912
Steamship "Tyumen" Ministry of Railways.
Homme des bois, bucheron, qui a vecu 40 ans dans cette maison.
Hut of settler Artemy called Kota
Sawing logs. Kuzminskogo, 1912
On the river Sim at Asha-Balashovskaya station, 1910
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky / Ostrecheny, 1909
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky / Monastery haying, Leushinsky Monastery, 1909
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky / At the stubble-field, 1909
At the dawn of the 20th Century, the photographer Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky convinced Tsar Nicholas II to commission a series of photographs capturing the nuances of the Russian Empire. The series would utilize a new technique in image making Prokudin-Gorsky had developed. The process involved layering multiple color filters of the same image to form a full color photograph.
These photos of common people in everyday scenes are breathtaking, not only for their vivid beauty and as documents of the past, but their ability to collapse the divide of time that separates us from our ancestors.
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky / Three generations, A.P. Kalganov with his son and granddaughter
Since each photo would take one full minute to capture, the subjects would have to remain completely still for the layering process to work correctly. So when you see an image like this one, of people at work, committing themselves to a frozen pose, you have to imagine that they saw some value in passing these stories on to us, the great-grandchildren they would never meet.
Molding of an artistic casting (Kasli Iron Works), 1910.
From the album “Views in the Ural Mountains, survey of industrial area, Russian Empire
Sergey Mikhaylovich Prokudin-Gorsky / Participants of the Railway Building, 1915
Women greece 1910
1912
Autoportrait de Sergei Mikhailovich Prokoudine-Gorski. Photographie couleur ancienne selon un procédé mis au point par l'auteur et faisant partie de son travail de documentation de l'empire russe entre 1904 et 1916. Un détail de cette photo est aussi disponible.
Chimiste de formation, Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii a œuvré en mettant au service de cette nouvelle forme d’art qu’est la photographie naissante ses connaissances et le développement de la recherche dans ce secteur. Il fait partie de ces hommes qui songent à mettre eux-mêmes en pratique leur science au cœur d’un art et Prokudin-Gorskii a été un photographe formidable en se rendant sur le terrain pour tester et tester encore les prémices de la photographie en couleur.
L’autochrome, ancêtre de la photographie en couleur était obtenu par combinaison de plaques filtrant chacune des couches séparées et additives de lumière.
Ses clichés, témoins d’une époque et de la diversité d’un territoire gigantesque qu’il put traverser avec la bénédiction de l’empereur qui lui fit affréter un train et un bateau à vapeur, sont d’une qualité parfois un peu médiocre mais témoignent de début hésitants. D’autre clichés sont de véritables joyaux, témoins colorés d’une autre époque donnant l’impression que tout ceci n’était qu’hier…
Et si je peux me permettre une suggestion après la magnifique présentation que vous venez de faire du Tsar Nicolas II et de sa famille, je trouverais juste et bon de présenter cette Russie méconnue d’avant la révolution que les photos de Prokudin-Gorski nous ont léguée .
On the trolley near Petrozavodsk by Murman Railway, 1915
Work at the Bakalskiy mine, 1910
Work on construction of the gateway. Kuzminskogo, 1912
At the wheelhouse of Sheksna steamer, 1909
Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky - View of the Kremlin in Rostov from the Bank of Lake Nero, 1911
Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii. 1909
1909
Pressing machine for the hay, 1915
Fire Brigade in Vytegra, 1909
Vous trouverea tous les documents ici :
****http://www.prokudin-gorsky.org/rightpages.php?lang=en&fname=bio
General view of the city of Perm from Gorodskie Gorki 1910
SHORT BIOGRAPHY OF S. M. PROKUDIN-GORSKY
S. M. Prokudin-Gorsky is much more than just a talented scientist-inventor or an outstanding photographer, he is the author of the true miracle that will never cease to amaze people.
Cotton textile mill, Tashkent, ca. 1910
***
Sergueï Prokoudine-Gorski
http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergue%C3%AF_Prokoudine-Gorski
Lithograph print of Leo Tolstoy in front of Prokudin-Gorsky's
camera in Yasnaya Polyana, 1908
Perm. Mary Magdalene Church 1910
Wooden church of the Transfiguration of Our Lord, Pidma, Russian Empire, 1909
Pinhus Karlinsky. 84 years. 66 years in the service !
***
EXPOSITION RÉCENTE DES PHOTOS DE PROKUDIN-GORSKI A LA LIBRAIRIE DU CONGRÈS :
The Empire That Was Russia: The Prokudin-Gorskii Photographic Record Recreated
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/
Perm. Summertime location 1910
Perm 1910
On the Sim River, a shepherd boy. Photo taken in 1910, from the album "Views in the Ural Mountains, survey of industrial area, Russian Empire". (Prokudin-Gorskii Collection/LOC)
Alternators made in Budapest, Hungary, in the power generating hall of a hydroelectric station in Iolotan (Eloten), Turkmenistan, on the Murghab River, ca. 1910.
General view of the Nikolaevskii Cathedral from southwest in Mozhaisk in 1911
General view of the wharf at Mezhevaya Utka, 1912.
Lunch on the mowing, 1909
In Malorossiya 1905
Haymakers about halting, 1909
The pictures below are restored from the collection of negatives of Sergey Prokudin-Gorsky – pioneer of color photography in Russia.
From Wikipedia:
Around 1905, Prokudin-Gorsky envisioned and formulated a plan to <…> document the Russian Empire systematically.
Outfitted with a specially equipped railroad-car darkroom provided by Tsar Nicholas II <…> Prokudin-Gorsky documented the Russian Empire around 1909 through 1915.
Russian towns in the pictures of Prokudin-Gorsky
Source - http://prophotos-ru.livejournal.com/1427125.html
Looking at photos of Prokudin-Gorsky one doesn’t stop being amazed by the beauty of pre-revolutionary Russian towns, of which in most cases little has remained now.
What is the secret of this unearthly beauty and harmony?
- It is in confluence with the picturesque landscape, which is not swallowed by huge multistory buildings.
- In perfect composition of little buildings scattered over the hills crowned with the slim silhouettes of churches and bell towers looking skyward.
- In sturdy wooden houses in which lived 99% of the then Russian urban population (with the exception of the capital).
- In neat green areas that rarely rose above the rooftops.
Torzhok
Torzhok, monastery of St. Boris and Gleb, 1910
Torzhok also today remains one of the most beautiful cities in Russia.
Staritsa
Staritsa in 1910
In spite of anything Staritsa is beautiful today as well.
Zubtsov
Panorama of Zubtsov in 1910
The picturesque town of Zubtsov at the confluence of Volga and Vazuza has lost almost all of its temples.
Rzhev
View of Rzhev in 1910
After total destruction during the war Rzhev keeps now only the old landscape.
Ostashkov
Ostashkov in 1910
Main town of Seliger, Ostashkov managed to preserve the historical appearance of the old parts.
Aleksandrov
View of the women’s Uspensky monastery in Aleksandrov
The former residence of Ivan the Terrible (Alexandrovskaya) is preserved in its integrity as a museum complex, but the town is now built up with apartment blocks and does not look particularly picturesque.
Suzdal
Suzdal in 1912
Suzdal today remains the standard of beautiful Russian town. Tourists from all world come here. Suzdal shows just how attractive for tourism and recreation could be our historical cities if they managed to maintain their former beauty.
Novaya Ladoga
Novaya Ladoga in 1909
Comparison of Novaya Ladoga to Suzdal gives sad perspective: the town is ungroomed and wild, most temples are in ruins.
Kirillov
Kazan cathedral in Kirillov, 1909
Overall Kirillov is quite well preserved and with its majestic Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery, considered the pearl of the Russian North.
Belozersk
Belozersk in 1909
The old and finest Belozersk could become a tourist mecca, if it wouldn’t come to complete desolation. Seems that over the last 20 years not a single church has been restored in it.
Vytegra
View of Vytegra in 1909
Although Vytegra still retains its vintage flavor, the old pan drowned in the sprawling greens.
Plios
View of Sobornaya hill in Plios, 1910
The picturesque town on the Volga, which inspired Levitan, miraculously preserved its beauty.
Tobolsk
Tobolsk in 1912
Perhaps the most interesting among the historic cities of Siberia, Tobolsk has managed to retain most of its monuments, including the temples in the style of “Siberian baroque.”
Vladimir
City of Vladimir in 1911
The center of Vladimir is still very picturesque and beautiful, but this particular view was spoiled by a huge concrete bridge built in 1958. Unfortunately, each year the old wooden buildings degrade more and more.
Smolensk
Smolensk, view from Kazan hill, 1912
Smolensk is beautiful for its steep hills, the main of which is crowned with the majestic Cathedral of the Assumption. Despite the severe damage during WWII, the historical form of the city was saved and is still admired. However, time makes its impact. The old wooden buildings are almost completely lost, and the tall trees hid many wonderful views.
Yaroslavl
Yaroslavl, temple of Johann Zlatoust, 1911
Despite all the losses, the historic center of Yaroslavl is one of the most beautiful in all of Russia, and became even prettier for its 1000 anniversary. However, the historic part across the river Kotorosl has sadder fate: old buildings have deteriorated and mostly lost, the famous temples are in poor condition.
Tver
Tver, left bank of the Volga, 1910
The center of Tver has generally retained its historic character, although it lost some important landmarks, like the Preobrazhenskiy (Transfiguration) Cathedral.
Yekaterinburg
Yekaterinburg in 1910
Something of these buildings have survived, but the old harmony has gone. Now Yekaterinburg is the city of skyscrapers which completely changed its image.
Tyumen
Tura River in Tyumen, 1912
For a long time Tyumen kept the traditional wooden buildings, for what it even got a humorous nickname “capital of villages”. In recent years, the scenic river banks were “dressed” in stone.
Petrozavodsk
Pan of Petrozavodsk, 1916
http://redhotrussia.com/prokudin-gorsky-russian-towns/