Gezicht op de Nevski Prospekt in Sint-Petersburg c. 1850 - 1880

Albert Felisch captured this stereoscopic photograph, titled “View of Nevsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg,” using a camera and photographic paper, though the exact date remains unknown. Stereoscopic photography gained popularity in the mid-19th century, offering viewers an immersive, three-dimensional experience of the world. In this image, we see Nevsky Prospekt, the main thoroughfare in St. Petersburg, Russia. Its depiction invites us to reflect on the city's complex history as a site of imperial power and social inequality. The grand architecture and bustling street life coexist with the knowledge that Russia was a country where most of the population were serfs, a system of quasi-slavery. The camera's gaze flattens these social tensions, presenting an image of progress and order. Consider, though, what is absent from the image: the voices and stories of those who were marginalized by the structures of power. The photograph becomes not just a depiction of a place, but an artifact that reflects the selective nature of historical representation.