The exhibition «Russia through the train-window» opens the project «1/9. Objective reality» implemented by the open stock company «Russian railways» in cooperation with the art photographer Anton Langhe.

These days the beauty and unique variety of the Russian nature as subject of national pride - are spoken about all over the world. Few Russians not to mention the foreigners can imagine all the geographical peculiarities of our country. The exhibition shows Russia seen through the camera lens of the traveller. It is the country where railways just as threads put together boundless spaces allowing one to reach the most remote areas. While traveling, the tourist observes changing landscapes and pictures of life through the train window, which in the end form the complete image of Russia.

For the first time Russia to be exact the Russian empire was photographed in color during the well-known expedition (1905-1916) of the outstanding Russian photographer S.M. Prokudin-Gorskiy. One hundred years later the open stock company «Russian railways» and photographer Anton Langhe carry out a unique project - a series of photo-expeditions across Russia which geography is exceptionally wide. Appreciating the past and creating a symbolic connection with the project of Prokudin-Gorskiy the author shot enormous by volume material on a film – thousands of photos, which show contemporary Russia in its variety.

The exposition has more than two hundred photographs the material for which was gathered during railway expeditions to the most unique regions of the country - Lake Baikal, the Far East and Island Sakhalin, Siberia, Northwest, Southern Ural, the Black Sea coast and Northern Caucasus, the Gold ring and the Central zone of Russia.

Speech of welcome
MR. W.I. YAKUNIN’S SPEECH – THE PRESIDENT OF THE JSC «RUSSIAN RAILWAYS»

The project «1/9. Objective reality» shows us modern Russia through the art of photography. It is impossible to imagine contemporary Russia without railways.

Many years ago exactly they brought together our huge country, became the driving force of its economic and cultural development. We were inspired with the idea to look at the map of our native land through the objective of railway journeys. In such a way the project «Russia through the train window» was born.

The history of the railways in Russia is one hundred seventy years old. It is one of the largest transport systems in the world. The total length of the ways is more than eighty five thousand kilometers. They pass through eleven time zones; connect all large cities of the country, 85 out of its 89 regions. Besides the Russian railways is the key part of four international transport corridors connecting Europe and Asia.

Variety in unity is one of the leitmotifs of the project «Russia through the train window». We live in a huge country of an impressive size. This photo-exhibition gives us a great opportunity to see it with the eyes of a talented photographer Anton Langhe and eyes of the Russian railways passengers.
I think no one will remain indifferent to these photographs.

V.I. Yakunin
the president of the open stock company «Russian railways»