Lost Russia: Photographing the Ruins of Russian Architecture

by William Craft Brumfield

Twentieth Anniversary Edition, with a new preface by the author, available in June 2015

The twentieth century in Russia has been a cataclysm of rare proportions, as war, revolution, famine, and massive political terror tested the limits of human endurance. The results of this assault on Russian culture are particularly evident in ruined architectural monuments, some of which are little known even within Russia itself. Over the past four decades William Craft Brumfield, noted historian and photographer of Russian architecture, has traveled throughout Russia and photographed many of these neglected, lost buildings, poignant and haunting in their ruin. Lost Russia provides a unique view of Brumfield’s acclaimed work, which illuminates Russian culture as reflected in these remnants of its distinctive architectural traditions.

Capturing the quiet, ineffable beauty that graces these buildings, these photographs are accompanied by a text that provides not only a brief historical background for Russian architecture, but also Brumfield’s personal impressions, thoughts, and insights on the structures he views. Churches and monasteries from the fifteenth to the twentieth century as well as abandoned, ruined manor houses are shown—ravaged by time, willful neglect, and cultural vandalism. Brumfield also illustrates examples of recent local initiatives to preserve cultural landmarks from steady decline and destruction.

Concluding with photographs of the remarkable log architecture found in Russia’s far north, Lost Russia is a book for all those concerned with the nation’s cultural legacy, history, and architecture, and with historic and cultural preservation generally. It will also interest those who appreciate the fine art of exceptional photography.

Genres: Photography, Russia, History, Architecture

144 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

William Craft Brumfield is Professor of Slavic Studies at Tulane University. Brumfield, who began photographing Russia in 1970, is the foremost authority in the West on Russian architecture. He is the author, editor, and photographer of numerous books, including Lost Russia: Photographing the Ruins of Russian Architecture, also published by Duke University Press. Brumfield is the recipient of a John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship and was a Fellow at the National Humanities Center. In 2002 he was elected to the State Russian Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences, and in 2006 he was elected to the Russian Academy of Fine Arts. He is also the 2014 recipient of the D. S. Likhachev Prize for Outstanding Contributions to the Preservation of the Cultural Heritage of Russia. Brumfield's photographs of Russian architecture have been exhibited at numerous galleries and museums and are part of the Image Collections at the National Gallery of Art in Washington D.C.

Reviews

[Stephanie McGarrah]

I'm not a fan of preservationists, and this guy is definitely a strong opponent for it. I was still taken by his descriptions of the Russian countryside and the beautiful ruins. What is gross is how many of these churches and estates are now sitting next to toxic industrial operations and as urbanization continues, more of these majestic places will be spoiled. I'd much rather them fall into ruin and be swallowed by the wild than restored and revitalized.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating look at the architectural history of the Russian countryside around Moscow--with an exclusive focus on churches and the occasional estate house. The book is old enough now that much of the information is out of date, but the descriptions and photographs of the structures as they existed at the time of Brumfield's visits is fascinating and valuable.

It's a short book, heavily illustrated, and not a difficult read--though it may be rather dry to a reader with no background in architectural terminology.

[GreyAtlas · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second work of Brumfield, and this one was not as detailed as the first. While I appreciate his interest and exploration, especially to places not seen by most Western audiences, I find that aside from taking a singular or secondary angle picture, indepth history and analysis was lacking in this work. There were no maps and the dialogue of the written work mostly was a travel diary, which was not what I expected. Brumfield has potential, and I respect his work, but I wish that there was more deep diving done instead of just a "one-flash and done" deal.