Suzdal: Architectural Heritage in Photographs

The Kennan Institute is pleased to announce the appearance of Suzdal: Architectural Heritage in Photographs, volume eleven in the "Discovering Russia" series, published in Moscow by "Tri Kvadrata" Publishers with the support of the Kennan Institute. This book is devoted to the rich architectural heritage of Suzdal and the nearby ancient village of Kideksha. The text and photographs are by William Craft Brumfield, a leading western specialist on the history of Russian architecture, Professor of Slavic Studies at Tulane University (New Orleans), and honorary Fellow of two Russian national academies: the Academy of the Arts and the Academy of Architecture and Construction Sciences.

The volume begins with the author's text, in Russian and in English, on the history and architecture of Suzdal, ranging from the 12th century through the 19th centuries. The text is accompanied by a selection of the author's color photographs of architectural monuments such as the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Virgin (together with its frescoes), as well as the major monasteries and a comprehensive view of parish churches.

The main section of the book consists of a black-and-white photographic building survey that includes the Church of Sts. Boris and Gleb at Kideksha, as well as numerous ornamental details of the remaining 13th century walls of the Nativity Cathedral. Also included are the town's monasteries, parish churches and a number of houses, as well as examples of traditional wooden architecture from the surrounding area. These photographs, most of which are preserved in the William Brumfield Collection at the National Gallery of Art, were taken during the author's many trips to Suzdal between 1972 and 2009. The captions include the date of each photograph, and in certain cases visual comparisons are made concerning the condition of Suzdal's monuments over the almost four decades of the author's photographic documentation.
Total length of book: 104 pages.

This publication continues the "Discovering Russia" series of books dedicated to the historic regions of Russia and their architecture. The series, containing Brumfield's previous books on the areas of Totma, Irkutsk, Tobolsk, Solikamsk, Cherdyn, Kargopol, Chita, Buriatiia, Solovki, and Kolomna, is intended for those interested in architecture, history, photography and regional studies.

ISBN: 978-5-94607-118-5