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.

One of the first and most important examples of national panoramic photography was the album Views of the Volga River from Tver to Kazan (1866 - 1867). Its author, Mikhail Nastyukov, was a well-known master. He had many followers and owned a photo studio in Moscow. He was patronized by the Crown Prince Alexander Aleksandrovich who became the Russian emperor Alexander III in 1883. Views of the Volga River by Nastyukov are considered to be his most famous works, even though some of the photos are technically imperfect. However, most of the 40 images in this unique album are very well composed. Especially praiseworthy is the author's ability to depict and convey the splendor of the Volga expanses, the width of the waterway, the beauty of river banks with majestic churches and cathedrals along them.

Mikhail Nastyukov. The Settlement of Kimri, Tver Province. 1867	Mikhail Nastyukov. The Holy Trinity Monastery in Kalyazin. 1867
Mikhail Nastyukov. Nizhny Novgorod. View from the Fair. 1867	The "Lopatin's Photography" shop, Yaroslavl. The Tolga Monastery near Yaroslavl. 1880s
Ivan Barshchevsky. Yaroslavl. The Cross of the Christmas Church. 1880s