Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii, a Russian chemist and photographer, travelled across the Russian Empire from 1909-1915 documenting life, landscapes and the work of Russian people.

Traveling in a train outfitted with a custom darkroom,  Prokudin-Gorskii was at the cutting edge of color photography, and captured the vibrant and diverse cultures of turn-of-the-century Russia.

It’s amazing to me to think that this photo is from 1909 (!), when it feels like it could have been shot with an early digital camera from the 90’s. When I was living and studying in post-Soviet Europe, all the photos I came across portrayed the hardships and desolation of the time in black and white. Seeing his work in color, it really blows my mind to see how different everything appears in RGB.