23 Stunning Color Photographs That Capture Everyday Life in Russia in the Late 19th Century

A set of colored diapositives was made in the spring of 1896 by Czech photographer František Krátký, who visited Russia on the occasion of Tsar’s coronation.

Slide projecting was extremely popular in contemporary Bohemia. The Prague Amateur Photographers’ Club and later the Slide Projection Society founded in 1897 regularly held public slide projections whose popularity was reduced by the movie only from the 1920s on. The slides were colored by hand as we see on these 8.5 × 8.5 cm photos. The colors have faded during the past century, and several photos were also ruined.

From the photos taken in Russia by František Krátký only these two dozens published by the Czech historian of photography Pavel Scheufler have survived.

“Moscow, procession, 1896. Carrying icons.”

“Moscow, 1896. The building of the Eagle Club.”

“Russia, 1896. Collector of donations.”

“Petersburg, 1896.” Correctly: Moscow, monument of the heroes of Plevna.

“Petersburg, 1896. Lighthouse and Winter Palace.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Stock exchange.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Anichkin Bridge.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Egyptian Bridge.”

“Petersburg, 1896.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Sennaya square.”

“Petersburg, 1896. The quay of Petersburg.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Hansom cab at the quay.”

“Nizhniy Novgorod, 1896. Floating hotel.”

“Alexander’s summer palace, 1896.”

“Peterhof, Cascades.”

“Tsarskoye Selo, 1896.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Monument of Peter the Great.”

“Petersburg, 1896. On the market.”

“Petersburg, 1896. On the market.”

“Petersburg, 1896. Nevsky prospekt.”

Moscow, procession of coronation, 1896. The procession of Alexander II [correctly Nicholas II] at the Paris Hotel.

“Coronation, mass entertainment, 30 [18] May 1896. Beer-garden on the Khodinka field.”

“Coronation, mass entertainment, 30 [18] May 1896. Long live the Tsar! Khodinka field.”

(via Poemas del río Wang)