Pre-communist Russia
Many people wonder, how did Russia look like before the Communists takeover in 1917.
It’s not well known that in that times Russia was a normal capitalistic state and stayed in good relations with other Western states.
Here is a big hundred photo set of Russia at that times, in color. It seems it was a pretty nice place to live.
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Lovely pictures!
Looks really nice in those pictures, but for the majority it certainly wasn’t very nice living there, there was no democracy and was incredibly unfair towards the working-class.
And after years of famine, the starvation was so severe that there are accounts of people resorting to cannibalism and even selling human body parts in markets.
trying to appear strong in history, you just showed his bluntness here are pictures of Czarist Russia times as great famine was in the USSR in the 30-ies
Famines were very wide spread in tzarist russia, even in 1913, although russian empire were the biggest grain and food exporter that year. So, that society was very unfair.
The pictures truly describe the beauty of Russia prior to the Communists… but do not forget that most of the population was very poor, as it was also in many countries in the West. There was very little middle classes…
Hmm… it shows people strolling, no-one seems to be in any hurry at all…
I wonder how it would have been to walk in these places at these times, how peaceful and clean…
I hope no-one will ruin everything by typing the p-word (photoshop) here…
Rossiya, krasivaya.
My hart bleeds for Mother Russia
My ass bleeds from monster dick!!!!
These pictures describe nothing. Just some pictures - that’s all. I can get you a bunch of such lovely pictures even today.
These pictures describe nothing. Just some pictures - that’s all. I can get you a bunch of such lovely pictures even today.
And the guy who wrote “Russia [...] stayed in good relations with other Western states” is a complete moron.
uh, okay, so they didn’t really stay in good relations with the german empire and austria hungary, but otherwise they were? you could count stupid random imperial wars like the Crimean War, but that was the order of the day (the contemporary form of diplomacy so to speak), not really personal.
These are such delightful historic photos. Every picture tells a story, but what is the one behind the huge bell in photo seven?
It is the largest bell ever cast. The chunk on the ground wieghs 17 ton and broke off when the mold was removed. It was set on a pedistal and never used.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsar_bell
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Tsar_Bell?uselang=ru
http://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Царь-колокол
Actually pictures above are not only from Russia, but also Poland and Ukraine being under occupation of Tsar’s Russia. And unfortunately life wasn’t so bright that time… Russian Tzars were as cruel as communists, they had political police called Okhranka the same as comunist NKVD. And there is lots of similarities like that, so actualy it was only change in the names…
Some of the pictures show cities in the countries occupied then (after the division of Poland) by Russian Empire (Warsaw, Poland; Vilnius, Lithuania, Minsk, Bielorussia etc) - and these cities and regions were among the richest in the Empire
Helsinki also. I see the harbor/market square, with Uspenski Cathedral in the background.
Yes. The 29th picture is Helsinki. But it is from the 1809-1917 era
All of the above actually FORMED the Russian Empire at the time.
To say they were occupied, is the same as saying Scotland, Wales and Ireland are still being occupied by Britain (United Kingdom).
Just like every European city Minsk, Vilnius, Warsaw changed owners hands with every war (of which there were many in Europe) and over time they were governed under Austria, Germany, Lithuania, etc
So do not imply it as an occupation just under Russian Empire because thats how it was at the time.
Hmm
What you write is not true..
For example Wasaw was always Polish.. or under Russian occupation for 125 years only in whole history. So learn more.. But you are right, at that time it was part of Russian empire.. Isn’t it interesting that most beauty cities presented are NOT originated by Russian nation. Just under temporary occupation. Occupation, that is point of view of presented city’s citizens. If you don’t agree.. i would like to remind you three uprising against Russian empire among that time. It took place on current territory of Belarus, Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland.. Unfortunately all of them where bloody stamp on by Russia.
The best are pictures of Warsaw (Warszawa) current (and old) capital of Poland. Poland still have something against russia but not as much as against germany.
Lovely pictures, perfectly blending out the common daily reality of the waste majority of Russians in those days, perfectly blending out the poor wooden huts, the mass of people had to live in, a nasty piece of imperial propaganda.
A pretty nice place to live ? If so, why did people go for revolution, beginning in 1905 ?
A stupid comment, completely unaware of reality, The guy who wrote that, should learn more about history.
Come on! Don’t ruin the feeling!
Of course you are right.
But just imagine walking down St. Petersburg street in a lazy sunlit Sunday afternoon among pretty Russian ladies wishing them “Gutten Tag” or “Bonjour!”(Top classes avoided using Russian,they preferred French or German).
No-no, only french, german for business, french for talks with girls.
mega kartinki.
Kremlin wall is white!
There were many crimes meda by Tsar army. Some war crimes in XVIII and XIX century costed lives of tens of thousends Poles (Warsaw defence in 1794, Polish risings in 1831, 1863).
But, in fact, scale of crimes and terror was much, much higher in times of Soviet Russia (later - Soviet Union).
The XX c. with the leftist ideologies (communismus and national socialismus) was real hell on the Earth.
Fortunately, after Russia-Polish war in 1919-1921 the ‘new age’ crimes didn’t concernd (until 1939) to Poles and milions of Jews, Ukrainiens, Bielorusians, Balts who were on the Polish side of border.
hm, I wanted to answer to antygon but something went wrong.
Hello Darek, Do you think Mr. Klich will tell Washington, Thank you, but you can keep your missile shield?
I don’t know what Mr Klich will say (majority of politicians is not great enough to observe every speech and every decision). Probably as other Polish politicians (except for the Left) he will enforce the best resolution with US-politicians to create the shield.
Clever people in Poland know that the creating of common military structures with USA is the best ‘insurence policy’.
but clever people want have a good insurance policy.
It’s for that reason that USA would have a reason to fight with Poland in case of war. And naturaly nobody will make any war with Poland when it starts a war with USA, too.
For us there are, of course, ‘only’ two countries which may be a future agressor - Germany and Russia. The second option only in case of appearance of new emipre (new Union with Ukraina, Bielorus). The first option is ‘impossible’ for every looking in ‘modern way’ guy.
The two options are ‘impossible’
P.S. There is other topic of the world military balance (of determent) but it’s … other topic.
Sorry for late answer but I was on short rest (without comp).
“Clever people in Poland know that the creating of common military structures with USA is the best ‘insurence policy’.”
What clever people? None of the clever people _I_ know. What ‘clever’ people do you mean? PiS voters? LPR voters? USA will fight for US, just like Great Britain fought for us when 2nd World War broke out. “Za wolnosc wasza i nasza”? [For freedom: yours and ours] was a catchphrase that _we_, Poles came up with, and it doesn’t stick to reality.
As some French politician said “In politics, there are no friendship. Only temporary alliances”.
“Our friend” the US, doesn’t let us visit without visas, and who’s fighting to change that? Our politicians? They bend over because of the ‘clever people’ electorate. We got pulled into stupid, senseless war, on false pretenses, on which USA is spending what? 3 bln USD per week? And they can’t modernize our army with 1 bln USD grant? So far they’ve only lobbied to sell us junk F16s.
And let’s be frank. Not all wars today are fought on the battleground. And I don’t see US coming to the rescue, when Russia cuts us of from CNG supplies. Additionally, US agreed with Russia, that it may station it’s troops in the missile stations. Sorry. It’s been only 16 years since we’ve bid farewell to Soviet troops, I don’t think we’re ready or willing to welcome Russian, or US, or any troops as for this matter.
As for those particular photos, I have to say, I feel ’strange’ when I see graphics or photos from Warsaw [my hometown], signed ‘Russian Empire’, or ‘General Governership’, etc.
Big ups, kudos to site admin. This is a great blog. I love the photos. Sometimes they are so surreal it’s mind-blowing.
Great pictures. Might I suggest that next time you use thumbnails with links to the full-size images. As it stands now, I needed a long time for them to load on my medium-speed DSL connection, and several of them timed out on me.
Thanks 13013 and Ivan Mikhailov.
This is not a true representation of Russia before the Communist takeover. Russia was not simply a “normal capitalist state”. These pictures depict the richest of areas in pre-Communist Russia. The luxuries and technology shown here were only available to a tiny percentage of the population. Many more lived in meager and sometimes harsh existences. The Communist revolution would not have happened if this rosy picture set was an accurate example of life for the average Russian. Rather, desperation forced the people to follow such a dramatic revolution.
It is very interesting to see pre communist russia. It does look very beautiful i must say. I always wonder if the communist never took over would capitalism have corrected itself and how would russia be different today in terms of russian attitudes and the way the country looks. It does look very clean and peaceful, i would love to go back in time and visit these places.
Oh, you would not recognize it!
If only Bolsheviks would not have gained power in 1917 after the democratic revolution few months earlier, the country now would be modern, enlightened and democratic, culturally and industrially developed place. No doubt it would be one of the centers of Western civilization. St. Petersburg would be Something like North-Eastern Paris.
Sounds a surprising thing to say, but Russia then was much more West-orientated than now. Also, many of the Russia’s politicians and other influental people were non-Russians. Especially Baltic Germans, from lands acquired from Sweden in XVIII century after the Northern War were very active. Also many expatriates from elsewhere in Europe were there.
Modern Russia has very little in common with that. It is just a painted over, upgraded version of USSR.
Wow thats amazing. Yea i wouldnt doubt it that russia could have been one of the top western nations and extremely advance had the bolsheviks not taken over. It was great leaders like Peter the Great that wanted Russia to be modern and prosperous. I really like Peter the great he transformed St.petersburg into a beautiful city. I know the communist sympathizers will probably bash me for my comments but they are brainwashed so I dont mind. But its true that the Soviets kept Russia some what backwards. Any new ideas and innovations were shunned if they didnt agree with party doctrine its hard for knowledge and people to flourish under suppressed circumstances. Well Thank you real historian saratov your comment was very informative.
You know “Real Historian (from) Saratov”, you could be right. But I am suspicious, Imperial Rossiya was imitative Western mainly in its cities, much of the rest was rural, backward in the extreme, and ‘oriental’.
This leaves me wondering if any very great change would have occured with no 1914-1922 war/revolution/civil war butchery. There would have had to be a different response to the 1905 events, to the even earlier Anarchist, Marxist, and other revolutionary Socialist movements. Stolypin and others, like the best Tsar the Russkis ever had, could not have been murdered (1880), or the country would not advance.
Your history as a people is just bedeviled with catastrophe after disaster. Even your present experience with self government seems blasted with maximum leaders, and maximum criminal gangs.
Putin is of ‘the organs’. I wish you luck. Gerry
Real Historian from Saratov, Pete and Gerry make a lot of sense. Their history is right on…
It was made to honor Tsar Nikolas am I correct?
in tzar era life was so comfortable.. just read some dostoevskij books to realize that!
Hello Darek, Do you think Mr. Klich will tell Washington “Thank you, but you can keep your missile shield”?
“A pretty nice place to live”, without Communism? Never!
We, the Soviets, cleaned up the capitalist diseases, for the glory of our people!
Darek,Honey,are you ignoring me?
Imposter.
.
Good old days when Russian’s were worthy people of living.
Отличная подборка городов России. Приятно видеть это на зурубежных сайтах. Так держать и не забывайте Россию!
If communists hadn’t taken over, nazi germany may have. Communism was vital to the great patriotic war. Anyone can look back at history and say what events could have had a major impact, but its different if you are actually living in those times.
Russia will rise again!
Wow if i wouldnt know that they were made in russia i could have though about some pics that they were made in hungary. Many buildings and churches look exactly the same in hungary.. i guess it was a general design at those times. Buenos aires has very similar architecture too.
wonderful
I agree with Saratov. Before WWI Russia was destined to become a prosperous country. It had a small middle class but it was rapidly growing. Russia was still governed by an old-fashioned czarist regime, but there were some very capable politicians in the government (Stolypin, Witte,…). Stolypin was murdered because the communists feared that under his reforms the farmers would become too prosperous, which would make their so-called ’socialist dream’ unpossible. Someone here said that the Okhranka was the same as the NKVD, but let’s not forget: the Okhranka arrested people and brought them before a court with honest judges. They got a fair trial. And above all, the Okhranka didn’t torture. The NKVD was a much more brutal force.
If ever we Russians could be as clever as Saratov historian we would live happily and prosperously. The guy is simple as hamburger. To those who hate Russians and write a shit about occupation, look at Tashkent picture (poorest single-storey bldgs street in Southers town in Middle Asia, former part of the Empire): notice telegraph stand with many wires? The empire developed technological advances even in most distant and poor provinces; built schools; protected from evils and, most important, gave people the hope to rise from their ugly little town and come to the Capital one day, and become the VIP. No we see many little states like Poland, Finland, Lithuanis who are destined to be 2nd grade. No hope, no way to evolve to something really significant. Poor guys! We are in shit in Russia but we have the chance. You - not.
Who care whether your life sucks in a big state or small. I don’t there are too many people obsessed with the “greatness” of their states in countries like Nigeria, India or China if they live in the dirt. On the other hand, there are many small and rich countries like Denmark, Finland, Norway.
Lithuania could have been like one of these if not Soviet occupation. In contrary to your opinion about technological development and education, soviets have exterminated about 3/4 of the population with the higher education after WWII in the Baltic states. So I think this is you who don’t have a chance, and that’s why almost every Western country is packed with Russian communities. I have never heard of large communities of Dans, Finns or Norwegians in Russia. As if they haven’t had a chance in their countries, just in your “great” Russia.
I wholeheartedly agree with you vova…
I agree. Before WW2 the Baltics had reached a great level of developement and they had not been forced to join the USSR they nowadays had been just as developed as Skandinavia. I is sad that the world does not now the horror that the people here expierenced just after WW2. Latvians, Lithuanians, Estonians and many other peoples in the USSR suffered just as much as the Hebrews in Nazi Germany and the countries it had occupied.
I just noticed that one of these photos is labeled “Warszawa”, which is Polish name of our capital - Warsaw. Yes, Russa, Germany and Austria gained control over Poland for over 100 years, but calling Warsaw “Russia” is not right. Sorry guys, we made it out of this beautiful country pretty soon ;P.
After the Napoleonic wars Poland came under Russian Czar as a Congress Kingdom, and possessed a liberal constitution.
It was basically its own government just labeled under Russian Empire. It basically had freedom to govern and retain its culture as it liked but was under the Russian protection.
Its either that or did you want to learn French or German?
Ok, the other one is “Wilno” which is Vilnus. It’s even labeled in Polish language, and I really doubt it comes from period when Russia had control over it (it wouldn’t be in Polish!). Again - it’s not Russia - clearly it’s Lithuania. But nice picture ;).
If it was such a cool place than why the overturn, eh?
i myself a favourate to russia .i studied which the reserection written by leo tolstoy.i understood the human living conditions which was presented by leo tolstoy. and
later which revolutionary spirit dedicated to the modern construction of soviat russia that stands and inspirates
as a role model of any under developed,devolping countries
or families or persons depends on their understanding.
You’re stupid butt-head.
In 1917, the working class represented 2 million people out of more than 100 million., which means 2% of the population. That is what is so paradoxal with the bolchevik revolution : Tsarist was retarded and under-industrialized, it had no working class, or so little. It\’s not for them that it was the most unfair. It was for the moujiks, who even after the abolition of servage in 1860\’s didn\’t own their land for most. It their poor condition stayed under the communist power, that has always neglected agriculture.
Even today, Russia imports 80% of its meat, and its agriculture is unexistant, though it\’s supposed to be the biggest country in the world !!
excelentes postales
Не помню где я уже встречал аналогичную инфу да ладно
В принципе, афтар оригинально опубликовал.
It is not only Russia, it is Russian Empire. Some photos are from former Poland (now Lithuana), Lativia, Azerbeijan, Georgia, Uzbekhistan… So be more precise, please
Photos, BTW, are really nice. Real old-timers…
How many people were killed in 19th century Tsar’s Russia? How many people were killed in Lenin and Stalin’s Russia? Which would you prefer to live in?
Some of those pictures are made in Poland and Ukraine. Ignorant author says that those countries were part of Russian Imperium. That is a lie. Poland never have the will to be part of “The Imperium”. The truth is it was under cruel occupancy. The occupant was trying to destroy the nation, but IT didn’t work out. Thank God!!! Many people died, suffered and fought against occupants- Russia and Germany. If somebody say: lovely pictures, beautiful life back than - is foolish!!! There is one true history and no matter how hard “you” try to change it, you will FAIL; because the truth will be coming out to light over and over again :).
Great work Magda.
These dumb asses will never learn history.
Falsifying history wn;t work, ever!
omg, you stupid. Try to count how many people were killed by european (especially anglosaxon) colonialists and stop denying Russian governments for all mortal sins.
Ignorance is impossible to dismiss.
Showing Vilnius , Warsaw , Riga or Minsk as part of Russia is dumb.
Only ignorant Americans won’t catch that….
Warsaw Vilnius, Riga, Tallina, Kiev and Minsk was part of Russian Empire. It’s called hictory. And you can’t change that, so relax. Esatern europeans should worie abot more recent issues.
Well, the Russians who live in eastern Europe acting like they are going to restore their empire are our greatest problem.
If that empire had not fell apart many countries had not gained their independency. Well, they lost it after WW2, but I would not want in any other way. There were many nationalities living in the Russian Empire and in the USSR that were oppresed by the Russians, it is great that for the last 20 years they are able to decide for themselves.
The people in my country had waited 800 years to get our land back. By the way, Riga still looks as beatiful as you can see it in those pictures.
Lovely though it is (and thank you for posting it): notice how this image set consists entirely of panoramic shots of buildings? If it’s meant to give an impression of the prosperity of daily life pre-Soviet Russia, that’s not what it’s doing.
In fact, even though obviously meant to portray Tsarist Russia as prosperous, what these images show is a fairly poor and backward country trying to ape Western architecture and fashion; it’s intriguing how many images show grand edifices spanning or abutting dirt tracks. Russia’s eagerness to be party to the European Concert (symbolized by this veneer of Gallic sophistication) ultimately drew her into the web of alliances that produced World War One. This was a world that discredited and destroyed itself through its own short-sightedness, a supposedly mighty state that couldn’t even square off with the recently-emergent Japan and win.
Moreover, this was the world that created the Bolsheviks. The rosy view an earlier poster expressed of the Okhrana is ridiculous. Aside from using torture — which it’s exceedingly naive to think they didn’t do — the Okhrana was infamous for sponsoring agents provocateurs (many of them assassins, including Stolypin’s assassin), inciting the radical left through the creation of false labour unions, perpetrating anti-Semitic fabrications like the “Protocols of the Elders of Zion” and outrages like the Beilis Trial, inventing the practice of shipping dissenters off to Siberian prison camps. The Okhrana, as much a tool of Tsarist far right against the centre-right as it was an anti-revolutionary instrument, did a great deal to undermine the order it was supposedly defending. The Bolsheviks that history knows were a byproduct of this Tsarist self-immolation; in a competently-run state they would have been irrelevant.
Doctor Slack,
I was the one who expressed that rosy view on okhrana.
You’re actually right, but let me add some things. Alexander II had abolished torture in the end of the 19th century. I read somewhere that people who were arrested weren’t tortured by the police until 1905. Because the authorities feared another revolution, torture methods were allowed again, and there were torture rooms in three major cities. You’re also right about the anti-semitic fabrications. I do not agree at all with okhrana methods, but it is known that there were a lot of people in okhrana who were quite aware of the real situation in Russia. Some of them were even sympathetic to the revolution, who were aware that something had to change. My point is, that there was still some humanity. When you read about the Cheka during the Red Terror and thereafter, you can see that those times were much more horrible: brutal tortures, mass executions, children betraying there parents, rape,.. So in my opinion, the Cheka/nkvd/.. was much worse than Okhrana.
And about Stolypin: you’re probably right that he was assassinated by the conservative entourage of the Czar, but we’ll never know.. After the murderer was hanged, further investigation was cancelled. What i think that Russia needed to become a modern democratic state was: Stolypin, Witte, at least 30 years of peace, the abolishment of the monarchy and the death of Lenin.
Russians are morons.
Those who say that Tzarist Russia was trying to exterminate populations of Poland, Latvia etc must look at those pictures again. I don’t see burn’t out buildings, people hanging from the poles and things like that. I see a beautiful and prosperous cities, more beautiful then they are today. So it doesn’t make sense to me that in one sentence you praise those cities as being beautiful, and in the other grossly opressed. You can not be opressed and live in a place like that. So drop this argument because of today’s politics. And let’s not forget that biggest opressors of EVERYBODY in USSR was NOT a Russian, so that story about big bad ruskies is really juvenile.
As for “ocupation” after the WWII, if I remember correctly, Baltic countries were on a losing side of WWII, which is to say that they were Nazi simpatizers, and many left their bones attacking Russia. So I can understand that they had to pay a price for such a thing.
Also, I see many falling for a propaganda of the day, which is by far much worse than any propaganda that came from USSR. At least old Svoiet propaganda was easy to see thru, whilst propaganda of the western “free” media takes some brains to see thru. If I remember correctly, Russia paid havy, really heavy price defending from those “civilised Western Europeans”. It was not the other way around to justify such propaganda.
As for those who say had it not been for communism Russia would be prosperous Western state, I say they should get their heads down from the cluds, as Russia will NEVER be accepted by the so called West, no matter how much bending backwards they do, as those “civilised” westerners tend to preffer plundering, stealing and killing everything Russian riches , and everyone else’s for that matter, then anything else. Besides, in my opinion “Europe” as it is defined as only few states that became prosperous on the blood, tears and treasures of the smaller and weaker peoples that couldn’t defend themselves, has nothing to offer to Russia.
You donkeys!!There is also e.g. pictire of Warsaw that was NEVER Russian!!!!! FUCK ALL RUSSIANS!!!
The level of IGNORANCE of the guy who posted the photos (Is he Russian?) is INCREDIBLE!(and of most people here) Tsarist Russia was the most backward country of Europe. As Chomsky says, Russia was the original 3rd world country. The russian navy was easily defeated by the tiny japanese navy in 1903, the russian nobility spoke only french amongst themselves, the economy was..Imagine a country the size of russia with an economy the size of Zimbabwe. People were STARVING (No, I don´t mistake it with the famine of the 1930´s) there were hunger riots every year or so, illiteracy was around 90%. Russian economy system in 1910 was more similar to that of around 1790. The Parliament hadn´t convened since around 1810. Needless to say, there was no vote. It was the only european country with little or no heavy industry. The tsar was an idiot. Things were so bad that there was an spontaneous rebellion in 1905, people took to the streets just to talk to the tsar, and they were shot at. When WW1 broke out, the Tsar was advised NOT to enter the war, as there were more soldiers than rifles! and not enough rations. Soldiers were dying like flies. the Tsar was forced to resign by everyone!: the people, the army, the social democrats, the nobility (his own family) everyone! when the Bolsheviks took power they did so as they were the most popular party, with an acceptance of around 80%. All this is easily searchable in any History 101 book, I mean. “Normal capitalistic state?” are you serious? Russia´s problem was that it was NOT capitalistic, but Feudal! (do you know what feudalism is?) Good relations with western powers? they just got defeated by ENgland and France in the crimean war, in 1850. I mean, are you stupid? -and I mean no insult- but your ignorance is just astonishing.Please, read a book.
Are you russian? really? or are you a kid? is that it?