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.

Belyana is a wooden, unpainted, flat-bottomed barge used for rafting timber along the Volga and Kama rivers in the 19th and early 20th centuries. These ships were perhaps the most unique river vessels in the world.

These boats were built in logging areas in the Upper Volga region and on the Kama River, and were designed for only one downstream voyage. Their primary cargo was timber. They were equipped with a burlap sail for steering. The hull was up to 100 meters long, 25 meters wide, 5 meters high, and had a carrying capacity of up to 10,000 tons.

The hull was made from the finest timber. The trees were stripped of bark but not treated with resin, hence the name of this vessel (“belyana” literally means “white”). Cargo could be stowed in the hull and superstructure, gradually extending beyond the sides (up to 2.5-3 meters).

Belyany were rafted mainly to Tsaritsyn (Volgograd) and Astrakhan, where the semi-finished timber and hulls were dismantled for firewood or sent to sawmills for final processing.

The entire structure was braced with ribs for strength. The belyana was steered by a rudder at the bow and a cast-iron drag at the stern, which kept it in the fairway.

The belyany differed from the rafts in that they had some maneuverability and did not lose timber as they moved.

The heyday of these ships came in the mid-19th century, precisely when steamships began arriving en masse on the rivers. At first, steamships ran exclusively on wood, and one can imagine the amount of firewood that had to be transported to the cities on the lower Volga, where steppe expanses predominated, meaning timber supplies were tight. Later, however, with the transition of steamships to oil, the demand for wood declined somewhat.

Houses rose on the deck, giving the belyany the appearance of a floating village. These were used for crew housing and storing supplies. Particular attention was paid to the pilot house, which could be carved and painted gold. According to historians, when the belyany reached its final destination and the timber was dismantled, these beautiful houses were sold separately.

The lake is situated on the territory of the Belukha Nature Park, which also includes the Kucherlinskoye and Akkemskoye lakes, and is a UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage Site. Lake Darashkol on Google Maps. Photos by: Slava Stepanov.

Darashkol receives its water from the Ioldo-Ayry glacier along the Ioldo-Ayry River. Swimming here is unlikely, as the lake temperature remains around 8 degrees Celsius even in August. The river flows into the lake through flat terrain, and at its outlet, it forms a low but very picturesque cascading waterfall.

The lake is surrounded by mountain peaks and glaciers of the Katunsky Range. Cliffs reach right up to the shore of Lake Darashkol.

This rocky cape is a favorite tourist destination offering picturesque views.

Lake Darashkol is 890 meters long and 330 meters wide.

A hiking expedition to the lake takes at least two days. Along the way, tourists will have a wealth of experiences, including beautiful views and fording icy mountain rivers. If you don’t have the time or energy for such a journey, you can book a helicopter tour.

Lake Darashkol lies in a remote area. It rarely hosts many tourists at a time. Only the most determined manage to reach it. That’s why Darashkol remains one of the Altai’s most hidden spots.

Between 1909 and 1916, Prokudin-Gorsky traveled across a significant portion of the Russian Empire, photographing old churches, monasteries, factories, towns, villages, and a variety of everyday scenes.

The town of Zubtsov (Tver Oblast) on the Volga River (1910).

Thanks to him, we can see what the Russian Empire looked like in color in the last years of its existence. Source: International research project “The Legacy of S.M. Prokudin-Gorsky”.

Rostov Kremlin (Yaroslavl Oblast) (1911).

Krasnaya (Red) Cliff at Minyar Station (Chelyabinsk Oblast) (1910).

Kasli (Chelyabinsk Oblast) (1909).

Ryazan (1912).

Dagomys (Sochi) (1912).

Sochi (1912).

Vladimir (1911).

Suzdal (Vladimir Oblast) (1912).

Vitebsk – a city in northeast Belarus (1912).

Construction of a dam and lock near the village of Kuzminskoye on the Oka River in Ryazan Oblast. (1912).