Many of us have always lived with the Soviet Union as an ominous symbol. The faces of the Russian people merged into frightening scowls of Communist leaders. Russian landscapes always seemed to be dominated by tanks and missiles. Now, in the time of glasnost, Lev Poliakov brings us pictures of the Russia that dwelled alongside the fearsome stereotypes. It is a vision rich in humanity, a humanity tempered by terrible repression.
This book bestows another gift, and that is the opportunity to see the work of an extraordinary photographer. Lev Poliakov is not a novice on the brink of a promising career but a mature artist at the height of his power. Poliakov was a highly successful photojournalist in the Soviet Union. Like many Russian artists whose work has become widely recognized only after they left their homeland, Poliakov came to the United States seeking greater personal and artistic freedom. The 72 images in this book display a master with the humanistic passion of Eugene Smith and the compositional brilliance of Henri Cartier-Bresson.
The book is introduced by Nobel laureate Joseph Brodsky, who knew and admired Poliakov's photographs when they were both in the Soviet Union and now presents this surprising portrait of Russia to an American audience.
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