The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909–1914" opened at the Russian Museum of Photography.

      The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition titled "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909–1914" (0+). The exhibition features over 60 autochromes—works created using the first mass technology for producing color photographs. The project was created in collaboration with the Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow). This was reported by the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. "Today we are opening the exhibition of autochromes by Pyotr Vedenisov. The exhibition was prepared with the support of our partners—the Multimedia Art Museum. We have implemented exhibition projects with them multiple times. And today we have the opportunity to get acquainted with the works of Pyotr Vedenisov. The exhibition is truly large-scale: more than 60 photographs are presented in three halls. The photographs depict the family of Pyotr Vedenisov, his friends, and acquaintances. Pay attention to the detailing: exquisite costumes, atmospheric domestic scenes, and stunning still lifes. Each shot is a true historical value," noted the director of the Russian Museum of Photography, Ksenia Fedoseeva-Tsaritsyna.

      Autochrome is the world's first color photography technology, created by the Lumière brothers. The principle of creating an autochrome is complex: a thin layer of the smallest granules of potato starch, dyed in three primary colors—red, yellow, and blue—was applied to a glass plate. They acted as color filters: during photography, light waves of different lengths passed through those granules that corresponded to their color and almost did not pass through the others. The autochrome technology, patented in 1903, attracted the attention of many photography enthusiasts around the world.

      "It is interesting that autochromes did not gain wide popularity in Russian professional photography. Mostly, autochromes were favored by amateur photographers. Among them was the hero of our exhibition today—Pyotr Ivanovich Vedenisov. Not every amateur photographer has the honor of becoming the hero of a retrospective, making this exhibition even more valuable. The autochrome technology had its peculiarities: due to the opaque starch grid, a long exposure was required. It was easiest to photograph those who could pose motionless for a long time, which is why Pyotr Vedenisov's autochromes most often capture his close relatives, members of his large family. The autochromes of his family have reached us thanks to the Kazakov family: the elder sister of Pyotr's wife married a impoverished nobleman, Kazakov. The couple had five children, and one of the daughters—Natasha Kazakova—preserved about 150 plates. Importantly, all these images exist in a single copy," said Elena Misalandi, the chief curator of the Multimedia Art Museum.

      Pyotr Vedenisov enthusiastically mastered the invention of the Lumières. His autochromes were taken over a very short period (approximately from 1909 to 1914) and are united by characters—members of one large family. Among those depicted are his wife Vera, her mother Elena Bazileva, the large Kazakov family: Vera's sister Sofia, her husband Andrey, and their five children—Vera, Natasha, Kolya, Liza, and Tanya. The subjects of the photographs were suggested by life itself: the close-knit family organized picnics, car and horseback rides, masquerades, and celebrations. Probably, Pyotr Vedenisov's photographs capture the last happy moments in the life of his family and the last years of the familiar life of Tsarist Russia, which still did not know what upheavals—wars and revolutions—awaited ahead.

      The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909–1914" will be open for visits at the Russian Museum of Photography (Pisuknova St., 9a) until August 16. It is accessible via the "Pushkin Card."

      Let us remind you that the "Pushkin Card" program operates within the framework of the national project "Family," which started in Russia in 2025 at the initiative of President Vladimir Putin. Any citizen of Russia aged 14 to 22 can obtain a virtual card in the Gosuslugi.Culture app. The card limit is 5000 rubles, which is renewed every year on January 1. The money can be spent on visiting museums, theaters, exhibitions, concerts, and cinemas across the country. The event schedule is available on the Culture.RF website. In 2026, the operator bank servicing the "Pushkin Card" changed in all regions of Russia.

      Photo: press service of the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region

      Kristina Koretskaya

      More news about the event:

      The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition of autochromes by Russian photographer Pyotr Vedenisov. Horseback rides, picnics in nature, and friendly family gatherings—Pyotr Vedenisov captured the brightest moments of his life in Yalta through his lens. 21:39 25.06.2026 GTRK Nizhny Novgorod - Nizhny Novgorod

      The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909−1914" has opened at the Russian Museum of Photography. The exhibition gathered over 60 autochromes from the collection of the Multimedia Art Museum (Moscow). 19:57 25.06.2026 Vremya N - Nizhny Novgorod

      Nizhny Novgorod residents will see color photographs of Tsarist Russia from the early 20th century. The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909–1914" (0+) has opened in Nizhny Novgorod. 19:13 25.06.2026 Otkryty Nizhny - Nizhny Novgorod

      The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909-1914" has opened at the Russian Museum of Photography. The exhibition features over 60 works from the Multimedia Art Museum, Moscow. The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov." 16:24 25.06.2026 Gorod Kulebaki - Kulebaki

      The exhibition of Pyotr Vedenisov's autochromes has opened in Nizhny Novgorod. The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition with unique color photographs from the early last century, created using the autochrome technology. The new exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov." 15:47 25.06.2026 Newsroom24.Ru - Nizhny Novgorod

      The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909-1914" has opened at the Russian Museum of Photography. Photo: press service of the Ministry of Culture of the Nizhny Novgorod Region. The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov." 15:07 25.06.2026 Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region - Nizhny Novgorod

      The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition of Pyotr Vedenisov. The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 14:48 25.06.2026 NTA-Privolzhye - Nizhny Novgorod

      The exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. Autochromes. 1909 – 1914" has opened at the Russian Museum of Photography. The Russian Museum of Photography has opened an exhibition "Pyotr Vedenisov. 14:45 25.06.2026 Nizhny Novgorod Truth - Nizhny Novgorod

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      The Yaroslavl region will join the all-Russian action "Lead your parents to the museum." Parents will receive a discount on tickets. 24.06.12:06 24.06.2026 Yaroslavl Region - Yaroslavl

      The Yaroslavl region will join the all-Russian action "Lead your parents to the museum." Participants of the "Pushkin Card" program can receive a 10% discount on tickets for their parents at ten cultural institutions in the Yaroslavl region from July 1 to August 15. 10:51 24.06.2026 Government - Yaroslavl

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