Seven Vintage Photographs of Revolutionary Events in Tomsk, 1917.
Russia: 1917. A collection of 7 original, vintage photographs, documenting the Russian Revolution in Tomsk, taken around 1917. The images vary in size (approximately 80 × 120 mm) and capture key moments from the revolutionary demonstrations. Two photographs are labeled in Hungarian, “Tomsk, Revolution.”. In very good condition.
Original vintage photographs documenting revolutionary demonstrations in Tomsk during the Russian Revolution of 1917, featuring key locations like Tomsk State University and Lenin Square.
During the 1917 Russian Revolution, which lasted from March 8 to November 8, Bolshevik influence spread far beyond Moscow, with one of the strongest Bolshevik organizations located in Tomsk. The revolution sparked mass demonstrations for Soviet power, and the University building (now Tomsk State University) and the area now known as Lenin Square became the focal points of these gatherings. Two photographs from the collection feature these locations, showing revolutionary gatherings and unrest.
While the identity of the photographer remains unknown, it is likely that he was a Hungarian prisoner of war, as Tomsk, along with Omsk and Krasnoyarsk, held a significant number of Hungarian POWs—approximately 40 percent of the 600,000 prisoners. The Hungarian prisoners in Tomsk were notably pro-Bolshevik, with many later leaders of the Hungarian Soviet Republic of 1919, such as Béla Kun and Ferenc Münnich, having been imprisoned here.
The photographs show crowds during revolutionary events, one of which takes place in front of the University, where many participants are in uniform, and one person holds a placard reading “земля” (soil). Other images depict scenes from the streets of Tomsk, including views of the Cathedral of the Epiphany in what is now Lenin Square, traditional wooden peasant houses, and the river port.
.
Price: €4,000.00