Details

Subject(s)

• Photography—Soviet Union—History [Browse]
• Photography of families—Political aspects—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Portrait photography—Political aspects—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Photography—Retouching—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Photographs—Censorship—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Photographs—Forgeries—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Political persecution—Soviet Union [Browse]
• Missing persons—Soviet Union [Browse]

Series

Routledge history of photography [More in this series]

Summary note

"This book is devoted to the phenomenon of removal of people declared "public enemies" from group photographs in Stalin's Russia. The book is based on long-term empirical research in Russian archives and includes 57 photographs that are exceptional in terms of historical interest: all these images bear traces of editing in the form of various marks, such as blacking-out, excisions or scratches. The illustrative materials also include a group of photographs with inscriptions left by officers of Stalin's secret police, the NKVD. To approach this extensive visual material, Denis Skopin draws on a wealth of Stalin-era written sources: memoirs, diaries and official documents. He argues that this kind of political iconoclasm cannot be confused with censorship nor vandalism. The practice in question is more harrowing and morally twisted, for in most cases the photos were defaced by those who were part of the victim's intimate circle: his/her colleagues, friends, or even close family members. The book will be of interest to scholars working in history of photography, art history, visual culture, Russian studies, and Russian history and politics"-- Provided by publisher.

Bibliographic references

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN

• 9781032027050
• 1032027053 (hardcover)
• 9781032027074 (paperback)
• 103202707X (paperback)

LCCN

2021045573

OCLC

1268360645

Statement on language in description

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