PRO Zavod: Industrial Photography

   PRO Zavod – is an exhibition that gives those who are interested in Russian history an exceptional opportunity to follow the path of the transformation experienced by the image of a factory through the time, starting from the early 1920s. The exhibition represents not only photographer’s perspective on the metamorphosis of the industrial world through the decades under the influence of political, economical and social processes, but it also follows the changes that had happened in people’s lives, who were integrated or somehow related to this world. 

                                                  Yakov Khalip. Leningrad factory. 1950s

   It was extremely interesting to become for a few hours a witness of those changes through looking at photographs, magazine excerpts and to compare with the vision I had already had of the key events that took place in 20th century such as World War II or the collapse of the USSR. 

                                                          Ogoniok magazine #18, April 1950

     Moreover, I was able to discover some facts about factories that I was not already aware of. For instance, I found out that in 1980 the Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Plant had its own creative team of photographers called TRIVA. Unlike full-time photojournalists, they had a unique opportunity to join the team and follow the life of a brigade of KMC. Despite the fact that their group lasted less than a year, they made a great and fruitfull contribution to the industrial photography.

                                                                                              Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Plant, 1980

                                                                                              TRIVA photographers

Novokuznetsk Iron and Steel Plant, 1980

TRIVA photographers 

    

Although the most significant part of the exhibition consists of industrial photos of 20th century, there are also some audio and video materials, publications of Russian and foreign magazines and installation by S.Ponomarev called ‘Ruins of the Future’. It is important to recognize, that through exhibition shows not only the transformation of the industrial world, but also the evolution of photography itself. Therefore, I definitely do recommend to visit this exhibition. Especially if you are into history or photography.

                                                   Mikhail Rosanov

                                                   From series Industry, 2006

Lusine Arakelyan, level 5