Joseph Daziaro (1806-1865) came to the Russian Empire from Italy in the early 1820s. He opened a publishing business and specialized in the sale of lithograph prints. His firm can be called the first private publishing house of printed artistic graphics in Russia.

By the beginning of the 1830s, he had 2 shops in Moscow. In 1849, he became the owner of a shop in St. Petersburg. Let’s look at his lithographs united under the title “Memories of St. Petersburg” (“Souvenir de St. Petersbourge”). They were mostly made from drawings by the Charlemagne brothers: Josif Charlemagne (1824-1870) and Adolf Charlemagne (1826-1901). Source: aldusku.

Dvortsovy (Palace) Bridge.

back to the past

Tags: Russian Empire · Saint Petersburg city

Konstantin Egorovich Makovsky (1839-1915) was one of the most popular and influential Russian artists at the end of the 19th century. A lot of his paintings show an idealized view of life in Russia in the past centuries.

The portrait genre occupied a special place in the artist’s work. Largely thanks to it, he achieved success. His paintings are known for beautifully painted furniture, clothes, expensive fabrics and furs. The artist tried to show the person being portrayed in the most favorable light, while maintaining an exact likeness.

beautiful portraits

Tags: Russian Empire

Soviet propaganda is the propaganda of communist ideas and the Soviet way of life. It was carried out purposefully and centrally under the leadership of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and was officially called ideological work, enlightenment of the masses, and the like. Propaganda was conducted through the media, books, movies, theatrical plays, works of fine art, etc.

By the mid-1930s, the role of the propaganda machine in strengthening the Stalinist regime was clearly manifested. Propaganda created a personality cult of Stalin. The pilots were at the top of the hierarchy of Soviet heroes. They were simultaneously the “sons” of the “father” – Stalin and the “motherland”. Source

1923. Build the air fleet of the USSR. Everyone – a shareholder of Dobrolet*!
Sale of shares in the office of “Dobrolet”. Petrograd, October 25th Avenue, 38. The prices of shares: 1 ruble 05 kopecks and 52 rubles 50 kopecks (golden share).
* The Russian joint-stock company of the voluntary air fleet “Dobrolet” was an air transport organization that existed in the Soviet Union in 1923-1932.

pilots as Soviet superheroes

Tags: propaganda · Soviet past

From the turn of the 19th-20th centuries, advertising posters began to quickly gain popularity in the Russian Empire. Artists often depicted scenes from fairy tales. The first advertising posters used the element of hyperbole, exaggerating the properties of the advertised product.

Despite the fact that there was significant economic growth in the Russian Empire at that time, it did not cause an increase in the purchasing power of the majority of the population (peasants). Most of the advertising targeted the rapidly emerging Russian bourgeoisie. Source.

Perfumes of Russian boyars.

pre-revolutionary advertising posters

Tags: posters · Russian Empire

Jacques Reyne Isidore Acarie-Baron (1798-1874) was a French painter and scientific illustrator and here is one of his works – The Panorama of Moscow from the Ivan the Great Bell Tower dedicated to the Emperor of Russia and created in 1847.

This bell tower with a total height of 81 m is the tallest building of the Moscow Kremlin.

unique views of Moscow

Tags: Moscow city

Kiev (Kiyevsky) Railway Station is one of the nine railway stations of Moscow. Built in 1914-1918, it is a monument of architecture and engineering art, an object of cultural heritage of the peoples of Russia of federal importance.

The motifs of the Patriotic War of 1812 (the French invasion of Russia) were used in the architectural concept of the station, in the paintings of the halls, sculptures. The station was built in the Neoclassical style with elements of the Empire style. Kiev Railway Station on Google Maps. Photos by: Stanislav Konstantinov.

probably the most beautiful station in Moscow

Tags: Moscow city

The following book “Anti-Religious Alphabet” was published in Leningrad in 1933. The author of the pictures was Mikhail Mikhailovich Cheremnykh (1890-1962) – a Soviet graphic artist, cartoonist, book illustrator.

Each word in the poetic phrases accompanying the pictures begins with the corresponding letter of the Russian alphabet. Translation gives just a general meaning of these short phrases, but of course, if you know Russian, then this historical document is especially interesting. However, the illustrations themselves give some insight into the attitude to religion during the first decades of the Soviet regime. Source

1. Anti-Religious Alphabet.

godless ABC

Tags: propaganda · Saint Petersburg city · Soviet past

Ivan Alekseevich Vladimirov (1869-1947), a Russian painter and draftsman, became known as the artist of the realistic school of painting.

In 1917-1918, he worked in the Petrograd militia. This experience helped him to create a unique cycle of documentary sketches of the events of these years. Source: humus.

1. 1917. Dismantling of imperial coats of arms (Down with the eagles!). The signs on the building – Drugstore. February.

turning point in the history of Russia

Tags: Saint Petersburg city · Soviet past

Kazansky Railway Station (until 1894 – Ryazansky Railway Station) is one of the nine railway stations of Moscow. The construction of the present building of the station, designed in the pseudo-Russian style, began in 1913 and ended only in 1940.

One of the significant architectural elements of the station building is the hall of the former restaurant. This part of the station was built in the mid-1920s. Today, it is used as a high comfort waiting room. Kazansky Station on Google Maps. Photos by: Vadim Razumov.

beautiful interiors

Tags: Moscow city

Alexey Belous, a graphic designer from Tula, created 44 posters for the 2018 World Cup. The posters are dedicated to the cities and stadiums of the championship, as well as to all national teams.

On the posters dedicated to the stadiums, the author shows how this sports festival is held in the cities with football stadiums in their centers. The arenas are reminiscent of schemes and drawings, as the World Cup is a big construction project.

All cities and national teams of the World Cup in Russia.

cool posters of the World Cup 2018

Tags: Tula city · World Cup 2018