10 nostalgic photos that show Moscow streets 60 years ago

A revolutionary style of photography was born in the 1950s in the era of Khrushchev’s “thaw”. Photographers like Vladimir Stepanov experimented with form and expression, documenting the lives of ordinary citizens with astonishing accuracy, emotion and detail. The Lumiere Brothers Center for Photography has dedicated an exhibition to the work of Vladimir Stepanov called “The Soul of Moscow Streets”. The exhibition will display 60 original photos and runs until September 16.

1. Future machinist, 1960

A cropped photo displaying a cross section of a car and a pair of legs too!

2 Spring in a yard off Starosadsky Lane, 1950s

A young lady enjoys a bike ride during springtime.

3. Young girl and a panther

A small child playfully strikes the mouth of a panther statue.

4. From a report about Start cameras, 1959

A woman peers into the lens of the famous Start camera.  

5. July, 1958

A young girl, clutching a flower in one hand, sits idly on a bench on a hot summer’s day.

6. On the boulevard, 1958

Two women shield themselves from the sunlight with newspapers while chatting away.

7. Maroseyka Street and Starosadsky Lane crossroads, 1950s

An ordinary day in Moscow - a busy intersection filled with cars and pedestrians.

8.  Skipping rope. Staroalekseevskaya Street, 1950s.

How did children amuse themselves? They played in the streets of course!

9. An old man and pigeons, 1950-60s

Against the backdrop of St. Basil’s Cathedral, partially obscured by fog, a flock of pigeons frantically flap their wings around an old man on Red Square.

10. Photography enthusiasts on a balcony, 1957

A crowd of young men cheer and wave from a balcony and eagerly reach for their most prized possession, their camera!

More information about the exhibition>>>