Lenin once remarked on the struggle against religion: “We must fight against religion. This is the ABC of all materialism, and consequently of Marxism. But Marxism is not a materialism that has stopped at the ABCs. Marxism goes further. It says: one must know how to fight against religion, and to do so, one must provide a materialist explanation for the source of faith and religion among the masses.”

Propaganda was actively employed for this purpose. Below are examples of anti-religious posters that could be seen during the Soviet era.

1. There is no God! (1975)

2. “Bird-catchers” (1930). Inscription on the cage: “Churchmen, Sectarians”.

In village backyards with a golden cross alluring,
All day the trap sticks up on the hill for little birds.

Whispering prayers zealously, eyes rolled to the brow,
Sectarian and fat priest hide in the weeds somehow.

But so far every fowler is daunted by the chase –
In our day the catch proves of little worth or place.

Relics and wild superstitions must be brought to bear,
To pluck the feathers bit by bit from the silly bird there.

Yet the little bird, you see, grows wiser, guards its down with care –
Only an old crone blindly stumbles into the snare.

Even the smallest children know religion is a dope.
For gain the foe of workers and peasants sets the cage and rope!

3. Into the trash pit!

Here he stands – resolute and steel,
The fighter of the rotten past,
Of old stagnation, sloth, and rust!

Behind the proletariat’s mighty back
The past still looms, a swaying shade,
An end to churchly witchcraft’s trash!

To filthy heritage of shameful years –
To icons, crosses, all that “holy” junk,
One path alone remains today:
The dump, the refuse pit, the junk!

Demyan Bedny

4. Not a single absentee on Easter Day.

5. Use the pen of the worker-correspondent and the light of science to expose sectarian tricks!

Inscription on the book: “Bible”. On the ribbon: “Brotherhood in Christ”.

Here’s the sectarian “top brass”…
Don’t rush to join their fold too fast –
They’ll strip you bare with practiced skill
“To save your soul,” they’ll claim at last.

With gentle, downcast, loving gaze,
Their voice as soft as silken thread,
Yet underneath that sheepskin cloak
The vicious wolf still hides its head!

6. Enough of the deception! Inscription on the book: “We are catchers of human souls”.

7. The priest yearns for the old ways – As if he could!

Posters on the building: “Long live the party of Lenin and Stalin.” “Tractor driver training courses.”

8. Against holidays, absenteeism, and drunkenness. For high-intensity work.

9. Priest, Sectarian Preacher, Mullah, Rabbi.

The proverb has it right, as we all know:
“All priests are cut from the same cloth.”
Without exception, they all preach
A “doctrine” alien to communism.

Don’t yield to priests and their deceitful game –
Free yourselves from religion’s stupefying claim!

10. The struggle against religion is a struggle for socialism (1930). Inscription on the flag: “Long Live Cultural Revolution!!!”

11. Religion is poison – protect the kids! (1930). Inscription on the building: “School”.

12. This poster is in Ukrainian: Women! Break free from religious shackles. Build socialism.

13. The Cross and the Tractor.

14. You wait in vain at the church threshold, priest –
Without icons and God, we live just fine!

Inscriptions: “Trade in celestial goods. Holy water. Sacramental wine. Holy communion bread. Weddings, baptisms, funerals – prices significantly reduced.”

Inscription on the building on the right: “1st of May” Collective Farm Club”.

15. Divine Cow.

Some religious preachers urge believers “not to store up treasures for themselves on earth,” yet they themselves grow wealthy from offerings. The income of the Ukrainian diocese alone amounted to 143 million rubles in a single year. (From the newspaper “Smena”).

Without a fee our “father dear”
Won’t even say “Our Father” near.
“A parish,” he insists with pride,
“Exists so income may provide!”

At the same time, there was never a complete liquidation of organized religious life or an official ban on religion in the USSR; indeed, at certain points in its history, the Soviet leadership even provided support to some religious denominations in pursuit of its own political interests.

The Russian squadron in the Atlantic Ocean was commanded by Vice Admiral N. I. Kaznakov. The squadron included the armored cruiser “Dmitrii Donskoi”, the armored cruiser “General-Admiral”, the armored frigate “Admiral Nakhimov”, and the armored corvette “Rynda”.

The armored frigate “Admiral Nakhimov”.

The armored frigate “Admiral Nakhimov”.

New York (the Hudson River) served as the main base and point of arrival; the ships reached the city in April 1893. Russian delegations and officers made a special rail trip to Chicago for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Courtesy visits were also paid to other U.S. ports, including Philadelphia and Boston.

Sunday morning inspection.

The armored cruiser “General-Admiral”.

The armored cruiser “General-Admiral”.

The American side gave the Russian sailors an enthusiastic welcome. The guests were struck by the scale of American infrastructure (such as the mechanization of coal loading), while the Americans were impressed by the proficiency and discipline of the Russian crews.

Visiting day.

Dynamo room.

Lieutenant Nikolai Nikolaevich Apostoli – at the time a junior flag officer on the staff of Vice Admiral N.I. Kaznakov, commander of the Atlantic squadron – left behind some interesting notes regarding this visit. Here are just a few examples.

The armored cruiser “Dmitrii Donskoi”.

The armored cruiser “Dmitrii Donskoi”.

“We passed the beacon (the Statue of Liberty), and a beautiful panorama of New York and the Brooklyn Bridge unfolded before our eyes – a bridge that immediately strikes one with its sheer size and height, allowing dozens of large, masted steamships to pass beneath it simultaneously.”

Serving out grog.

Inspection.

“Compared to the Neva, both banks of the river present a completely different picture: there are no beautiful buildings or clean embankments here; instead, the entire area is built up with sheds, large warehouses, factories, and wharves where hundreds of massive steamships from companies all over the world are moored. This immense steamship traffic particularly amazed us sailors, and we gazed with great curiosity at this anthill of activity.”

The Captain.

The Captain’s room.

The Captain’s room.

“A parade was scheduled for the following day, and a composite battalion – complete with its standard and a band – was landed from our ships. The procession was led by a dozen carriages carrying admirals and ship commanders, followed by the crews in landing uniforms. It was a warm, clear day; crowds thronged the streets and packed every window and balcony, paying exorbitant prices for the vantage points.”

Wardroom.

“Unaccustomed to military uniforms, the Americans were dazzled by the splendor of the admirals’ attire; this time, they expressed their delight not only through shouting and whistling but – to create even more of a racket – by banging boards against the balcony railings.”

A group of sailors from the armored cruiser “Dmitrii Donskoi”.

“Our banner and the squad in white caps stood out from the rest; the sailors’ spirited appearance, impeccable alignment, and crisp rifle drill impressed the Americans, and the next day the newspapers were full of praise. It was amusing to watch the Argentines and Brazilians, who looked like a herd of sheep in the truest sense of the word.”

The crew of the ship “Rynda”.

“This parade marked the conclusion of the official festivities; the following day, the public was invited to tour the ships. They did not need a second invitation: private steamers arrived constantly, bringing crowds of curious onlookers who inspected the vessels with great interest.

More distinguished guests were invited to the officers’ wardroom, where they were treated to tea, wine, and fruit. It is impossible to list every invitation to clubs, dinners, and balls; one can only marvel at how we managed to endure all these receptions without suffering any ill effects on our health.”

Sailors from “Rynda”.

Sailors from “Rynda”.

“Two weeks after arriving in New York, the British, German, and Spanish vessels – along with some of the American ones – departed, leaving only fifteen ships anchored in the river. Our crew went ashore and enjoyed themselves thoroughly; there were no incidents or desertions, whereas more than a hundred men deserted from the British squadron.

It is difficult to explain the high rate of desertion among British sailors; one can only attribute it to either dissatisfaction with the service or the temptation of joining American ships, where an ordinary seaman earned up to 25 dollars a month – equivalent to 50 rubles.”

Sailors from “Rynda”.

Sailors from “Rynda”.

“Now that all official invitations have ceased, our stay in New York has become more appealing; we have the opportunity to go ashore in civilian clothes, avoid attracting attention, walk the streets freely, and get to know a city where there is much to learn. At every turn, one comes across something new – devices designed to replace manual labor with machinery.”

On the deck.

“Upon entering the shop, one is immediately struck by the limited number of sales clerks and the complete absence of errand boys to carry money to the cash desk. The cash desk is situated in the center, and wires run to it from all corners of the shop; along these wires, boxes containing payment and change travel back and forth on pulleys.

Fixed chairs stand in front of the counters, so customers do not crowd together but take their seats, allowing the clerk to move quickly from one to another without delay.”

Russian boat crews being towed to the competition site; Columbian naval parade.

“There are no tickets on horse-drawn streetcars, and the conductor rarely even needs to step inside; he collects the fare on the platform and, by pressing a spring, advances a counter on a device that always indicates payment has been made.

A building is under construction, yet no workers are to be seen: one machine saws the stone, another hoists heavy loads, a third lays the materials in place, and only five or six people are involved in erecting a twenty-story building – a process that takes no more than five or six months from the laying of the foundation.”

The armored corvette “Rynda”.

“Everything there is like that – wherever you look, the people themselves are like wound-up machines, always rushing somewhere, never stopping. On the other hand, prices are exorbitantly high; where something costs a ruble back home, or a franc in France, here it costs a dollar.

Hiring a carriage to the theater costs 20-30 rubles, and even a ride of just two or three blocks costs two rubles. Consequently, people in America rarely use cab drivers; instead, all street travel takes place via steam, electric, or horse-drawn railways.”

The armored corvette “Rynda”.

Mount Belukha is the highest peak of the Altai Mountains (4,509 m) and Siberia, ranked 20th among Russia’s highest mountain peaks. It is located in the Ust-Koksinsky District of the Altai Republic. Lake Akkem on Google Maps. Photos by: Anton Petrus.

The movie posters of these years hold particular fascination. They were a continuous celebration of the avant-garde, marked by endless experiments with color, form, and imagery. This bold, flashy language of bright colors stood in striking collision with the black-and-white world of the silver screen.

Battleship Potemkin (1925).
During the Russian Revolution of 1905, the crew of the battleship Potemkin rises up against the harsh, oppressive rule of their officers. The ensuing street protest in Odessa triggers a violent police massacre.

The Last Cab Driver in Berlin (Germany, 1926).
In Berlin, a taxi driver refuses to abandon his horse-drawn cab for a motor vehicle.

Arsenal (1929).
After surviving a train crash, a soldier returns to Kyiv and finds himself amid clashes between nationalists and collectivists.

The Sale of an Appetite (1928).
After overeating ruins his stomach, a gluttonous millionaire hires Professor Fuchs, who proposes surgery to separate satiety from digestion by linking him to a healthy donor. Unemployed driver Emil becomes that donor; the millionaire gains endless appetite while Emil endures the pain.

Scandal (1928).
Hoping to force Vera out of her room, the neighbors spread slanderous rumors about her. Though she deeply loves Alexei, he believes their gossip. When the hooligan Sashka wounds her, Alexei finally realizes he was wrong.

Fragment of an Empire (1929).
The story of a man who loses his memory during World War I, recovers it a decade after the Russian Revolution, and returns home to a transformed, unfamiliar St. Petersburg.

The White Eagle (1928).
“Spare no bullets!” was the supreme order given to a governor in the event of a workers’ uprising. Desperate times call for desperate measures. None of those involved can ever find peace afterward.

The Night Flyer (Old Number 99) (Hollywood, 1928).
Jimmy Bradley, fireman on the aging locomotive No. 99, finds himself rivaled by an engineer both at work and in love as the two men compete for the same woman and for the prestigious run of the official mail train.

Stairs of Sand (Ester from Salem) (Hollywood, 1929).

In Spring (1929).
A masterpiece of Ukrainian avant-garde cinema, this non-fiction film by Mikhail Kaufman – Dziga Vertov’s brother and collaborator – embodies the “cine-eye” theory. It portrays little-known 1929 Kyiv, where the city’s awakening life echoes nature’s rebirth. Kaufman’s camera lingers on children’s smiles in a lyrical love letter to the city, pioneering the hidden-camera technique.

The Green Alley (Die Rothausgasse) (Germany, 1928).
Milada grew up in a Rothausgasse brothel but has not become a prostitute. She has always followed her mother Katherina, an aging whore unable to escape that life. Now dying, Katherina makes her 17-year-old daughter – working as a chambermaid in Mrs. Goldscheider’s new “salon” – promise to do everything possible to break free.

Turksib (1929).
Rejecting the character-driven storytelling favored by filmmakers elsewhere, Victor Turin created a sweeping, elemental drama of survival across Asia – from the arid plains of Turkestan to the icy mountains of Siberia. This distinctive film recounts the building of a monumental Soviet railway linking Central Asia and Siberia.

Man with a Movie Camera (1929).
A man roams the city with a camera over his shoulder, capturing urban life with brilliant inventiveness.

Five Minutes (1928).
On January 27, 1924, at exactly 4 p.m., workers and ordinary people across the USSR and many countries observed five minutes of silence in memory of their leader. Life halted – factories stopped, trains, ships, and cars stood still – in collective mourning. But an American concessionaire, rushing to close a profitable deal, refuses to pause. When his Chinese driver stops the car to observe the silence, the boss roughly orders him to drive on, breaking the shared farewell.

The Communard’s Pipe (1929).
A Russian account of the 1871 Paris Commune, the world’s first proletarian government.

Two Armoured Cars (1928).
Set in Petrograd during the 1917 October Revolution, the story contrasts a driver who sides with the proletariat against a fellow soldier who tries to stay neutral.

Tamilla (1927).
Set in a French colony in North Africa, Tamilla is sold as a child by her father to the old merchant Lakhrash. Later he sells her again as a wife to the Bedouin Akli. When Lakhrash returns and reclaims her, she seeks money from Akli to buy freedom. After he takes a second wife, the insulted Tamilla flees home with her child – only to be sold back to Lakhrash, who murders the child and frames her. Years later, released from prison as an unwanted old woman, she takes her own life.

His Career (The Provocateur) (1928).
The tragic story of student Viktor Borovsky, who became captivated by the revolution, joined a student organization that was tracked down by the police, and, fearing hard labor, turned into an informant for the police. One day Viktor reported to the police a planned assassination attempt on a high-ranking tsarist official. As a result of his denunciation a young female terrorist was arrested, yet the tsarist general was killed by an entirely different hand…

Tearing Through (The Mysterious Hacienda) (Hollywood, 1925).
When District Attorney Johnson fails to stop a drug-smuggling ring, his assistant Richard Jones investigates on his own. He learns that Bob Madison – brother of the woman he loves – is an addict controlled by the gang. Bob joins the probe, leading them to a Chinatown opium den run by Mr. Greer, a rival for Bob’s sister Constance. Richard rescues her, then discovers the DA is taking bribes. For his success, Richard is named the new district attorney.

October (Ten Days that Shook the World) (1928).
A sweeping portrayal of the 1917 events in Russia that toppled the monarchy.

The Club of the Big Deed (SVD) (1927).
Just before the Decembrist Revolt of 1825, a soldier of fortune decides the time has come for a high-stakes game. But on whom should he place his bet? He consults the cards – yet he is not the only one making the choice.

The End of St. Petersburg (1927).
A peasant arrives in St. Petersburg seeking work and unintentionally helps authorities arrest an old friend who has become a labor leader. Later unemployed, the man himself is arrested and conscripted to fight in World War I. After three years, he returns and joins the rebellion.

Khanuma (1926).
Middle-aged Prince Levan Pantiashvili was once a wealthy landowner, but he has squandered his entire fortune through a life of revelry and excessive partying. Facing financial ruin, he decides to marry the beautiful Elo, daughter of the rich merchant Adam Varakhidze. However, the young woman is already in love with Ilo, a schoolteacher.

The Man from the Forest (1928).
A drama about the early years of industrialization in the USSR. Poloz, a former White Army soldier disguised as a hunter, hides at a power plant construction site, plans sabotage, and kidnaps an engineer’s child. The film is currently considered lost.

Princess Mary (1926).
A silent-film adaptation of Mikhail Lermontov’s story “Princess Mary.” In 19th-century Pyatigorsk, the refined world of high society is thrown into turmoil by the arrival of Pechorin from St. Petersburg, whose love affair with Mary sparks scandal and controversy.

The Oyster Princess (Germany, 1919).
An American heiress courts an impoverished German prince.

The Three Million Trial (Three Thieves) (1926).
Who is the real thief – a street pickpocket, a society lion, or a banker? The one who steals in small amounts is branded a thief, while the man with greater prospects is hailed as a winner.

The Sixth Part of the World (1926).
“A Sixth Part of the World” matched the vast scale of the Soviet Union of its time. It was composed of many peoples with diverse customs – spanning ice and desert, forest and ocean. Bread, furs, machines: each and every one formed part of a greater unity.

The Palace and the Fortress (1924).
It portrays themes drawn from the 1924 biographical film about Mikhail Beideman, a revolutionary democrat who spent decades imprisoned in the Peter and Paul Fortress under the Russian Empire.

Secrets (Three Tests) (Hollywood, 1926).

Kino-Eye (1924).
This documentary celebrates the joys of village life in the Soviet Union and focuses on the activities of the Young Pioneers. The children remain constantly busy pasting propaganda posters on walls, distributing handbills, urging everyone to “buy from the cooperative” rather than the private sector, promoting temperance, and helping poor widows. Experimental sequences, projected in reverse, show a bull being un-slaughtered and bread being un-baked.

Their Kingdom (1928).
This short satirical documentary criticizes Western capitalism, imperialism, and bourgeois society by contrasting them with industrialization.

Milord MacGrew (The Shooting of Dan McGrew) (Hollywood, 1924).
Despite the success of Lou’s dance troupe in South America, she urges her husband Jim to move for their young son’s sake. When Dan McGrew offers her a New York stage role and beats Jim in a fight, she flees with him to Alaska and becomes a decoy in the Malamute saloon. Learning she was deceived, Jim follows them to the Klondike, kills McGrew, and the family is reunited.

Aelita (Aelita: Queen of Mars) (1924).
It is a loose adaptation of Aleksey Tolstoy’s 1923 novel about a Martian rebellion and an engineer’s journey to Mars.

The General (Hollywood, 1926).
Unaware that his rejection by the Confederate army stemmed from his vital civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after Union spies seize it and then drive it back through enemy lines.

How the Bolsheviks Are Strengthening the State of Workers and Peasants (1924).
A popular science and propaganda newsreel film created as visual propaganda during the formation of Soviet power to demonstrate the successes of the party leadership.

They depict such famous landmarks as Red Square, Teatralnaya Square, Lubyanka Square, and Petrovsky Park. Notably, one of the cards featured an image of Moscow’s Central Station, which was proposed for construction in the early 20th century but subsequently lost its relevance.

On the back of each card there was a brief annotation of the drawing; on card No. 1 – of the entire series:

“Looking back with regret on a glorious past is not only difficult but downright unpleasant. No matter how wonderful the past, once it’s gone, there’s no point in talking about it.

While leaving the description and study of bygone times to wise historians, we, the compilers of this brief album, intended to peer, to the best of our ability and the richness of our colorful Imagination, into the more or less distant future of our beloved and familiar Mother Moscow.

Anyone who knows and loves Moscow will find it intriguing to imagine what Moscow and its inhabitants will be like in approximately 200-300 years. These are the pictures that open up to our gaze based on more or less precise logical conclusions.”

Central Station.

“Winter is the same as it was 200 years ago. The snow is just as white and cold. Central Station for Land and Air Transport. Tens of thousands of people arriving and departing, everything moves extremely quickly, smoothly, and conveniently. Passengers can travel by land or air. Those who wish can travel as fast as telegrams.”

Moskvoretsky Bridge.

“The Kremlin still adorns the ancient white-stone city, and with its golden domes, it presents a magical sight. Right next to the Moskvoretsky Bridge, we see huge new buildings housing commercial enterprises, trusts, societies, syndicates, and so on. The carriages of the aerial tramway glide gracefully against the sky.”

Lubyanka Square.

“A clear evening. Lubyanka Square. The blue sky is marked by the crisp lines of illuminated airplanes, airships, and airship carriages. Long carriages of the Moscow Metro, which was only a topic of conversation in our time in 1914, emerge from beneath the square’s pavement. Across the bridge over the Metro, we see a well-ordered detachment of valiant Russian troops, still in their uniforms from our own time. In the blue air, we spot the freight airship Einem, flying to Tula with supplies of chocolate for retail stores.”

The Moscow River.

“The bustling, noisy banks of the vast, navigable Moscow River. Enormous transport and merchant cruisers and multi-story passenger ships race along the clear, deep waves of the huge commercial port. The world’s entire fleet is exclusively merchant. The navy was abolished after the peace treaty in The Hague. The bustling harbor displays the diverse costumes of all the nations of the globe, for the Moscow River has become a global trading port.”

Petrovsky Park.

“We are transported back to Petrovsky Park. The alleys have been widened beyond recognition. The ancient Petrovsky Palace has been restored, and the Museum of the Peter the Great Era is housed within. Marvelous fountains gush and sparkle everywhere. Airships and airplanes cut through the perfectly clean air, free of germs and dust. Crowds of people in vibrant 23rd-century costumes enjoy the wondrous nature in the same place where we, our great-great-great-grandfathers, used to stroll.”

Red Square.

“The sound of wings, the jingle of trams, the honking of cyclists, the sirens of cars, the roar of engines, the shouts of the public. Minin and Pozharsky. The shadows of airships. In the center, a policeman with a sabre. Timid pedestrians seek refuge at the former execution site. This is how it will be in 200 years.”

Petersburg Highway.

“A beautiful, clear winter in the year 2259. A corner of “old” merry Moscow, the ancient “Yar” still serves as a venue for Muscovites’ revelry, just as it did more than 300 years ago. For the convenience and enjoyment of travel, the entire Petersburg Highway has been transformed into a crystal-clear, icy mirror, across which graceful aerosleds glide. Traditional sbiten* sellers and hot air balloon vendors dart along on small aerosleds. Even in the 23rd century, Moscow remains true to its customs.”

*Sbiten is an ancient, traditional East Slavic hot or cold drink made from honey, water, and spices. The name comes from the verb “sbit'” (to combine). Before the arrival of tea in Rus’, it was the main warming drink.

Theater Square.

“The pace of life has increased a hundredfold. Everywhere, there’s the lightning-fast movement of wheeled, winged, propeller-driven, and other vehicles. The Muir and Merliz Trading House, which existed as far back as 1846, has now grown to incredible proportions, with its main departments connected to overhead railways. Numerous engines fly up from under the pavement. Somewhere in the distance, a fire is raging. We see a fire brigade truck, which will soon put an end to the disaster. Meanwhile, biplanes, monoplanes, and numerous flying boats are rushing to the fire.”

The ship’s hull is made of reinforced concrete. Those parts of the hull where concrete was unsuitable were made of iron. This ship is not unique. Several countries designed and built various reinforced concrete ships during periods of severe metal shortages. Photos by zhgalin_photo.

Indeed, concrete is a very practical material for shipbuilding. Firstly, it’s much cheaper than metal, and secondly, damage is easy to repair. The main drawback of concrete as a building material is its brittleness.

It appears to be a small tanker rather than a bulk carrier. However, the deck could also be used for transporting cargo such as timber. Overall, its true purpose remains a mystery.

The first patent for a vessel with a reinforced concrete hull was registered in 1852 in France. French inventor Jean-Louis Lambot, who made plant pots, chairs, and other items from cement on a metal frame, created a rowboat with a hull made of a material he called “ferrocement,” which consisted of cement applied to a frame of metal rods or wire.

However, the invention failed to generate interest until the outbreak of World War I in 1914, when pre-war industrial steel reserves were depleted and a shortage of metal for shipbuilding arose.

Until 1915, the construction of reinforced concrete ships, in limited numbers, was underway in all countries, including the Ottoman Empire and China. After the outbreak of hostilities, warships and merchant navies suffered losses, and in 1915, the German Empire declared “unrestricted submarine warfare.” As a result, the tonnage shortage of the active navy worsened in 1915, forcing all developed countries to adopt reinforced concrete for shipbuilding.

Until 1919, this work was carried out in the United States, Great Britain, Italy, Germany, France, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the Netherlands. During this time, at least 1,000 reinforced concrete vessels (sea tugs, self-propelled ferries, motor launches, barges, etc.) with a total tonnage of over 600,000 tons were built.

With the end of World War I in 1918, the intensive construction of reinforced concrete vessels largely ceased. In Russia, it began to develop rapidly after the October Revolution, and by the 1930s, the former Rybinsk shipyard was already producing series of concrete vessels for inland navigation. Between 1946 and 1948, large-scale construction of concrete vessels was launched at the Baturin, Gorodetskaya, Kostroma, Sokolskaya, Svirskaya, and Shatilkovskaya river shipyards.

Rodchenko is perhaps the most famous Russian photographer; almost everyone in Russia has seen at least a couple of his photographs. Let’s take a look at some of his works. Source: humus.

On the corner of Myasnitskaya Street in Moscow (1920s).

Rodchenko began photographing relatively late, already an established artist, illustrator, and teacher. He brought constructivist ideas to the new art form, using lines and planes to convey space and dynamics in photographs. Among these experiments, two important techniques stand out, pioneered by Rodchenko for global photography and still relevant today.

Poet Vladimir Mayakovsky with Scotty (1924).

Poet Vladimir Mayakovsky at the editorial office in Moscow (1927).

The first technique is perspective. For Rodchenko, photography is a way to communicate new ideas to society. In the age of airplanes and skyscrapers, this new art form should teach us to see from all sides and show familiar objects from unexpected perspectives. Rodchenko is particularly interested in “top-down” and “bottom-up” perspectives. This technique, one of the most popular today, was a true revolution in the 1920s.

Literary critic Osip Maksimovich Brik (1924).

Mother (1924).

The second technique is called the diagonal. Even in painting, Rodchenko identified line as the basis of any image: “Line is the first and last thing, both in painting and in any construction in general.” Line would become the fundamental constructive element in his later work-photomontage, architecture, and, of course, photography.

Rodchenko would most often employ the diagonal, as, in addition to its structural load, it also carries the necessary dynamism; a balanced, static composition is another anachronism he would actively combat.

Producer Vitaly Zhemchuzhny (1924).

Artist Alexander Shevchenko (1924).

Poet Sergei Tretyakov (1925).

Workers’ demonstration (1925).

Cabby (1926).

Cigarette sales on Strastnaya Square (1926).

Vase (1928).

Woman with Child (1929).

Radio Amateur (1929).

On the Sidewalk (1930).

Pioneer (1930).

Pioneer with a Bugle (1930).

Pioneer (1930).

Girl with a Leica (1933).

With Worms for Bait (1933).

Diver (1934).

Athletes on Red Square (1935).

Athletes on Red Square (1935).

Fencers with Foils (1936).

Lilya Brik – a Soviet prose writer and translator, the “muse of the Russian avant-garde”, and the hostess of one of the most famous literary and artistic salons of the 20th century.

Fire Escape.

Laughing Children.

Alexander Rodchenko (1924).

The country desperately needed foreign currency for industrialization, so every means possible was used to attract wealthy foreign tourists to the USSR. And this wasn’t limited to the major cities of Moscow and Leningrad.

You can see invitations to visit almost every interesting place in the USSR: theater festivals, river cruises, Russian hunting trips, large-scale construction projects. These posters were made to create an image of the pre-war Soviet Union as a “paradise on earth.”

Russia was one of the first in the world to begin developing a submarine fleet. On March 19, 1906, by decree of Emperor Nicholas II, the Russian Navy received a new type of weapon – military submarines. By August 1914, the fleet had approximately 15-22 combat-ready submarines. By 1916-1917, the total number reached about 50-60 units (including those under construction).

An AG-class submarine on one of the Baltic Shipyard’s piers.

They were actively used in the First World War, but without much success, and this is not surprising, since this was only the beginning of a new type of combat – submarine warfare.

Today, March 19 is celebrated in Russia as a professional holiday – Submariner’s Day. Photos by: humus

Submarine “Dolphin” (1904).

Submarines were used in both the Baltic and Black Sea theatres of military operations.

Submarine “Akula” (“Shark”).

The main mission in the Baltic was to defend the Gulf of Finland, disrupt German shipping (including iron ore from Sweden), and conduct reconnaissance. The submarines operated off the German coast and minefields. Initial attacks (such as the “Akula” attacks) were not very successful due to problems with torpedoes and tactics. Later, their effectiveness increased.

Submarine “Lvitsa” (“Lioness”).

An “AG” class submarine.

Submarine “Alligator”.

Submarine “Pantera” (“Panther”).

Submarine “Rys'” (“Lynx”).

Submarine “Morzh” (“Walrus”).

In the Black Sea, they engaged Turkish and German shipping (coal and supplies). Russian submarines (“Tyulen”, “Morzh”, and others) actively sank transports. “Krab” laid mines near the Bosphorus.

Submarine “Sudak” (“Pike Perch”).

Submarine “Krab” (“Crab”) – the world’s first underwater minelayer.

Submarine “Narwhal”.

Submarine “Beluga”.

Submarine “Orlan” (“Eagle”) (1917).

Russian submarines did not achieve the same strategic effect as German U-boats, but they contributed to the blockade of enemy communications, conducted dozens of campaigns, sank/damaged transports, and laid mines.

Many submarines were lost during the war or were sunk/captured in 1917-1918 after the revolution and the Brest Peace.

Submarines “Volk” (“Wolf”) and “Bars” (“Leopard”).

Submarine “Osyotr” (“Sturgeon”).

Submarine “Dragon”.

According to legend, Kutkh – a powerful spirit, the creator of the world, people, and nature – lived in Kamchatka and traveled its rivers and seas. One day, he prepared to leave, and so he placed his “baty” (traditional pumice boats) on the banks of the Ozernaya River, intending to return for them later.

The legend imbues this place with sacred significance and makes it special in the eyes of the indigenous peoples of Kamchatka. “Kutkhiny Baty” can be translated as “The Boats of the God Kutkh.”

This story was passed down from generation to generation among the Itelmens, Koryaks, and other peoples of Kamchatka, who saw traces of a divine presence in this place. Today, Kutkhiny Baty is an important symbol of Kamchatka’s cultural heritage and mystical history.

Indeed, these rocks resemble long boats (similar to Indian canoes), ready to set sail at the first call of their master. This is a very unusual and beautiful place. Kutkhiny Baty on Google Maps. Photos by: lusika33.

Kutkhiny Baty are cliffs and outliers formed from pumice and tuff – light, porous volcanic rocks formed by powerful volcanic eruptions. These formations formed approximately 8,000-10,000 years ago, when powerful eruptions in the Kuril Lake region released enormous quantities of volcanic ash and lava into the atmosphere.

Over time, the rocks hardened, and erosion and wind sculpted them into whimsical shapes reminiscent of carved boats moored on the shore.

The pumice that makes up the Kutkhiny Baty rocks is unusually light and porous, giving the outliers a pale, almost snow-white appearance that stands out against the greenery of Kamchatka’s natural landscape. These formations are particularly striking at sunset, when the sun’s rays cast warm pink and orange hues across the rocks.

The cliffs reach a height of up to 110 m. In summer, the thickets of dwarf alder around the cliffs give them a special contrast.

The area around Kutkhiny Baty is rich in natural beauty and a diverse flora and fauna. Dense tundra vegetation, dwarf shrubs, and flowering grasses enliven the landscape around the cliffs. Nearby is Kuril Lake, home to one of the largest populations of sockeye salmon, making the area an important part of Kamchatka’s ecosystem. And it attracts numerous brown bears and birds of prey, such as eagles.

This part of Kamchatka is protected, and Kutkhiny Baty, like Kuril Lake, is part of the South Kamchatka Nature Reserve. This protected status helps preserve the natural environment and ecosystem, protecting native plant and animal species.

Kutkhiny Baty have become one of Kamchatka’s most popular tourist attractions. Despite its inaccessibility, travelers flock here to see the unique volcanic formations, imbued with mythological and cultural significance. Many tourist routes in southern Kamchatka include a visit to Kutkhiny Baty, along with Kuril Lake and its surrounding area, allowing for a better understanding of the region’s natural and cultural features.

A visit to this place offers a unique opportunity to learn about the culture and traditions of Kamchatka’s indigenous peoples, experience their mythology, and see places that play a significant role in their worldview. Tours to Kutkhiny Baty include guided tours of Kamchatka’s legends and history, making the experience not only spectacular but also educational.

Following the earthquake of July 30, 2025, this unique natural site suffered damage: the middle rock of the group was severely damaged, and a deep crack appeared in another. The site was not closed, but the tour route was changed to ensure the safety of visitors to the reserve.