Photo: Sergei Larenkov via English Russia 
Photo: Sergei Larenkov via English Russia 
Photo: Sergei Larenkov via English Russia 
Photo: Sergei Larenkov via English Russia All too often we forget the hardship experienced by generations past, especially during certain wars, yet some people have a profound way of reflecting on times gone by, presenting their take on the world in a new light.
These haunting, hybrid images of past and present St Petersburg – formerly known as Leningrad – are the works of Sergei Larenkov. After studying old images of the city, Larenkov visited the same spots, capturing them on film. He then digitally superimposed the old image over new, producing these eerie and thought-provoking shots.
Like ghosts captured forever on film the scenes depict all too clearly a harshness that can result only from times of war. The 900-day Siege of Leningrad, also known as The Leningrad Blockade, lasted from September 9, 1941, to January 27, 1944 – just over 65 years ago – and was “one of the longest and most destructive sieges of major cities in modern history, and second most costly,” according to Wikipedia sources.
English Russia had a bit more to say:
“During nine hundred (!) days a few million people in the city of Leningrad suffered from cold and hunger, being deprived of almost all supplies of food and fuel. Many thousands died, those who survived remember this not very willingly. The situation with food was so heavy, no food was sold/distributed among people except a few grams (not even tens or hundred grams) of bread, and not each day, that people had to eat stuff that they would never eat in normal life, like making soups of leather boots (because leather is of animal origin) or boiling the wallpaper because the glue with which they were attached to walls contained a bit of organic stuff. Of course many occasions of cannibalism occurred.”
Although the blend of the two images seems natural, it’s hard not to ignore the colorful boundary of the present and focus totally on the black and white scene of the past. Each image demands the viewer to stop and contemplate what life must have been like in Leningrad during WWII. The difference between life now and then in these moving images is distinct, and deserves the attention of an undoubtedly more privileged audience.
Visit English Russia to see more amazing images by Sergei Larenkov.
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31 comments
John Might (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 4pm
Wow, truly amazing stuff!
RT
www.internet-privacy.us.tc
MaverickFAIL.com (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 4pm
Wow, that just looks crazy. Its a portal between the past and present, Larenkov did a very good job blending them with each other. The first one I would say is the most interesting.
Michael (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 5pm
What a great idea, and what great job of executing it.
TONY (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 6pm
Yes. And all of this was visited upon them by the "good people" of Germany.
TONY (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 6pm
Mr. Liquid has the IQ, along with the sensitivity, of an ice cube.
Perry Crann (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 6pm
Great Idea, I would like to see a similar treatment done to other cites.
John (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 6pm
Brilliant, this is great. I often think about things like this, imaging the things that have happened in the places that seem so ordinary present day. How things have changed (or stayed the same)...
stillred (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 8pm
This post is just expanded buy ripped from a post by boing boing http://www.boingboing.net/2009/01/29/contemporary-city-ph.html which in turn picked the story from http://fima-psuchopadt.livejournal.com/2564781.html which in turn got them from flickr stream.
but the pix are great :)
pat (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 9pm
i've seen this same things done with cities across eastern europe. this is probably the least interesting of all of them. look for the ones of warsaw after the bombing and during the uprising. they are the best.
Ray Terrible (not verified) says:
Jan 30th, 2009 at 10pm
I think they missed some of those Russians. Should have used Raid.
Matt (not verified) says:
Jan 31st, 2009 at 4am
"Of course many occasions of cannibalism occurred.”
From what I have read, there is very little evidence that cannibalism took place at all, and the evidence that does exists is questionable. It was a terrible tragedy nonetheless.
Cheap (not verified) says:
Jan 31st, 2009 at 6am
Communist Suck
every country that has tried communism has ended in major failure. If you do not learn from history then you are doomed to repeat it
Lost Guy (not verified) says:
Jan 31st, 2009 at 4pm
wow this is such an awesome concept. great work with these pictures.
datora (not verified) says:
Jan 31st, 2009 at 11pm
What first strikes me about this post is the pure sucking up to russian propaganda.
There is no mention of the 60 years that the USSR raped and slaughtered tens of millions throughout its occupied territories.
I guess one russian with photoshop trumps 60 years of murder and pillaging.
Yes. I live in East Europe. Funny that Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius (for three simple, direct examples) are ignored. Who speaks for Ukraine? Georgia? Romania? The Czech Republic? Moldova?
All are ignored as moscow pays propaganda patriots to spew forth more State "truths."
Simply disgusting.
datora (not verified) says:
Jan 31st, 2009 at 11pm
BTW --
@Matt,
Cannibalism occurred, and it was not uncommon. Live for a decade in East Europe (one of the many occupied countries) ... or perhaps even one of the currently occupied countries (such as Ukraine).
You will meet people who know what the taste of human flesh is like. If they will admit it to you.
In some cases, it was the taste of their own siblings or children.
Wrap your brain around that bit of history, you ignorant ph#ktard.
prompt (not verified) says:
Feb 1st, 2009 at 12pm
Nice story..but it's so sad..
http://www.bangkokview.com
Mohamad Itani (not verified) says:
Feb 1st, 2009 at 5pm
Sad but true, and it is an eye opener
I wish you all the best
Florian Franke (not verified) says:
Feb 2nd, 2009 at 12am
Nice Pictures, I did this interactivly a while ago, with Frankfurt am Main, Germany, here the link to the flash site:
http://neuzeit.colorshift.de
Best regards
florian
kRiStEn (not verified) says:
Feb 2nd, 2009 at 1am
wait... i dont get it1!!! ahh.. well i didnt read it i just looked at the pictures!! ;)
ExistentialDuck (not verified) says:
Feb 2nd, 2009 at 1am
very thought-invoking stuff - it would be interesting to see more of these types of pictures done for other areas of the world.
this would also be great stuff to put in history books!
nomi (not verified) says:
Sep 15th, 2009 at 10am
Really good work ,
Please keep this work going on..............
Thanks
Tom (not verified) says:
Wow, pretty sad and creepy! How fortunate we are now.