The photographs depicting “the views and types" of the Caucasus comprise the heart of unique photographs’ selection of the last third of the XIX-early XX centuries in the Museum Collection. The variety of nationalities, genre scenes reflecting the life and everyday routine of this region, picturesque places, villages, and architectural monuments attracted the attention of photography masters. Historical places of interest and landscape scenes, as well as photographs of the Georgian Military Road, that crossed the Great Caucasus Mountain Range and connected Vladikavkaz and Tbilisi, were imprinted by Russian photographers D. Yermakov (1845-1916), V. Barkanov (1826-1892), F. Gadaev (1858) -1896), L. Rogozinsky (1864-1904).
Working predominantly in the genre of panoramic photography, they expanded it, adding ethnographic details, thereby creating a photo chronicle of this region of the Russian Empire and reflecting its rich cultural and historical heritage.
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 Production of sights' postcards was launched in the beginning of the XXth century. The sights' postcards of that time represented a separate branch of Russian artistic culture. It was facilitated by the permission for private production of blank cards for the so-called open letters following the standard of the Universal Postal Union*, in 1894. Every city or large inhabited locality of the Empire considered it the duty to publish the local sights’ postcards. Thus, the postcards with the sights and historical places of old Russian cities were created by the local and foreign publishers and comprised a vast photographic library.

 Along with the sights' postcards, a series of postcards with the portraits of Russian ballet and theater actors and actresses, and opera singers were very popular. These postcards with the scenes from the performances, facilitated popularization of the scenic art. The photographs made in the photographic workshop under the Imperial Theaters’ Direction defined the multi-format replicating.

 The works of K. Bergamasco (1830-1896) in this genre were widely known. He was awarded with the title of the photographer of the Imperial Theaters "with the obligation to create without compensation an archive and a reference album with the portraits of artists in the on-stage dresses from new ballets and operas in the Public scene**” in 1863. His portraits of the Mariinsky Ballet dancers and Alexandrinsky Theater dramatic actors were diverged. That was the evidence of the master's ability to find artistic means to reflect the character of the theatrical role in which the portrayed model appeared***.

 The photographs of Romanov’s family members hold a specific place in the Museum’s collection. Such well-known professional photographers as K. Bergamasko, S. Levitsky (1819-1898), K. Bulla (1855-1929), co-owner of the photographic studio "K.E. Von Gan and K. A. Yagelsky (? -1916) not only made the portraits of "the most august personages", but illustrated the imperial family public life as well. The official title of "the supplier and imperial court photographer", allowed them to do it. Since the reign of Alexander II, most of the imperial family photographs were intended for publishing in the press, and later for printing on postcards.

 All this contributed to the creation of an artistic image of the Romanovs’ dynasty czarist autocracy. The same referred to the last emperor, whose family life was reflected not only on the ceremonial portraits, but also in "the running commentary" shots of the photo chronicle as well.

*Rudchenko V.M. Photography // History of Russian art. - In 22 volumes – V.17: Art of the 1880s-1890s. M., 2014. p.361
**The same source. p. 365
***The same source

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