Russia: Beyond Utopia

I have to say that this is one of my favorite photography books. The photos are beautiful, and I think that the broodiness of Russia is certainly captured in this book. An interesting read for the coffee table, I have had several friends comment on how wonderful this book is.

This is one of the rare books that gave me pure pleasure. Andrew Moore's pictures of Russia are not to be just looked at but contemplated. Returning to them one discovers each time something more about their beauty and the story they tell. Andrew Moore makes us see things our eyes would never have seen if we had visited those same places. The editor is also to be congratulated for the great quality of the book.

I was disappointed when I looked through this book. I am not sure what I was expecting. I might have kept the book if I had understood more of the pictures. I have been to Russia 3 times and I guess I saw more things that I would have included in this book. Russia is far from a utopia and to not picture the every day tourist scenes is perfectly fine, but I guess I would have wanted more explanations. The picture quality however was very good.

What a delightful collection of photos from modern Russia. What particularly lured me into buying this book was first, a fascination for Russia, for life in its newly changed government, and because this book shows two sides of the country, both the decadent imperialist past and the new, modern Russia. What stikes me most in these photos is the incongruency in the every day elements of life, the mix of building materials that were no doubt selected for their functional rather than selected for any artistic merit, and how it all blends together to create a certain 'look' to the country.

Some photos that caught my eye include a derailed line of boxcars shot at the port of Okha, a side-car motorcycle posing in front of a boxy two-story apartment building near the sea of Okhotsk, and a well manicured dining area at the Ukrania Sanitorium, color coordinated in white, light blue and red, illuminated both by natural light and a lit chandelier. Most of the photos are populated with people, some showing both the residents and their environs, and other photos focusing more on the land and structures of the country itself.

The range of the 120 plates leaves me with such a visually mixed reaction to the country, from its vastness, to its natural beauty, with a touch of gloom.

I am very pleased that I bought this book.