The exhibition is dedicated to Moscow and Saint-Petersburg, the cities that in various times were the political centers of Russia. The uniqueness of these cities is reflected in the photographs made by outstanding photographers of the second half of the XIX century — early XX century.

The first part of the exhibition is devoted to Moscow, the ancient Russian capital. Although the photographs of the Old Capital were made at the turn of the XX century, many of the monuments they depict date back to the XV–XVII centuries, the heyday of the building of Moscow. Some of these buildings do not exist, like the Church of St.Nicholas the Wonderworker known as the Big Cross St.Nicholas, built in the XVII century and destroyed in the 1930s. Some of the buildings have been rebuilt, like the Cathedral of Christ Our Saviour built in the mid-XIX century, demolished in 1930s and reconstructed in the 1990s.

The second part of the exhibition is dedicated to Saint-Petersburg. The photographs depict both the formal, imperial image of the city, the symbol of Russia in the high rise of its power, with its majestic architectural ensembles and regular development, and the everyday life of the city dwellers.

We hope that this exhibition not only shows the beauty and charm of the both Russian capitals, but also helps understand their roles in the history of the Russian state. In the early XX century, Moscow and Saint-Petersburg were to change their seats once again, but that is another story.

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Venue: House of Cinema, Karavannaya str., 12