L I F E as it is

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5
 My special thanks are to my son Grigoriy and wife Lyudmila, without whom this
album would not have appeared. And to Vasily Prudnikov, who has done most
of the work to prepare the album for publication.

Dear readers:
The work of a photojournalist is a non-stop movement and search. Traveling
around the country, around the world, and constant looking for characters and events.
Not all of the shot footage is usable.
But the world around is so beautiful, varied and interesting that a lot that you
see simply insists to be recorded.
Often you realize that this or that does not fit in with your assignment, but you
simply cannot resist the urge to press the shutter button.
That is how this selection of the photographic beads of life has taken shape,
and some of those beads have found their way into this album.
Im a man of the film. Black-and-white film. Photography is conventional, and I
find that the black-gray-white medium is sufficient to convey the meaning of any shot.
I remember well although more than forty years have gone by the impres-
sion it made upon me when in the red light of a lantern there appeared on a white
sheet of paper floating in the transparent solution of the developer, some chaotic pat-
terns and black spots which then began to fill the frame until they turned, as if by
magic, into recognizable images.
This is how a real photograph is born.
All photos in the album were recorded on film and printed by me.
The pictures are grouped into blocks of classical subjects. The order of the
images has been suggested by their common subject matter and the composition of
each frame.
So enjoy your scrolling.
Alexander Kurbatov

6
Alexander Kurbatov
I am a photographer.
I started out as a lab technician at a newspaper; then I studied and later became
a photojournalist. This involved numerous shooting trips around the country and not
only that. I worked on assignments from major newspapers, magazines and agencies
years of active journalism, creative work in the profession, in photography. All of this
fit in the 40 years that I have lived with photographs, in the world of photography.
As time is on the move, so is photography evolving and changing. And I try to
keep up with the times, and with photography.
That is how Alexander Kurbatov presents himself.
Which explains why there is so little information about this remarkable man
either in the Internet or in the media. An incredibly modest person, Kurbatov is, in fact,
a fascinating storyteller and, indeed, one of the most interesting personalities in pho-
tography.
I would like to add a few facts from Kurbatovs biography.
Alexander has been in professional photojournalism since 1976. He began with
the Red Star newspaper, where his mentor was the legendary reporter Alexander
Sergeyev. He was on the staff of the Aviation and Space magazine where as a co-pilot
of jet planes he would make his unique air pictures; then he went on to photograph for
newspapers such as Air Transport, Moskovskiy Komsomolets, Sovetskaya Russia,
Trud, Rossiyskaya Gazeta, and the RIA Novosti.
He took part in many photo exhibitions in Russia and abroad.
Alexander Kurbatov accompanied Henri Cartier Bresson during the maestros
stay in Moscow. He was friends with Metropolitan Pitirim, who shared his love of pho-
tography and overall attachment to the camera Leica.
As a true Leica faithful, Kurbatov prefers genre photography, of which he really
knows a good deal, and he is currently sharing his experience with younger photogra-
phers as the author of a lecture course titled Genre Photography. Photojournalism of
Everyday Life.
7
L I F E as it is

SOUL
 . , 1998 .
Nunnery. Maloyaroslavets, 1998

10
 . , 1997 .
Icon of the Mother of God of Kazan on Red Square. Moscow, 1997

11
 - , . , 1989 .
Theological Academy at Trinity-Sergius Lavra Monastery. Sergiev Posad, 1989

12
 . , 1997 .
Rostov Chimes. Rostov Velikiy, 1997

13
 1982 .
For as long as the candle is burning. 1982

, 1996 .
Maloyaroslavets, 1996

14
15
 - . , 1997 .
Trinity-Sergius Lavra Monastery. Sergiev Posad, 1997

16
 . 1994 .
Grand Duke Dmitri Romanov. 1994

. 1998 .
Nicholai Burlyaev. 1998

17
18
19
 . 1992 .
Bulgars. 1992

. 1987 .
Girl with candle. 1987

20
. 1992 .
Bulgars. 1992

21
 . 1990 .
Soul. 1990

22
 . 1989 .
Metropolitan Pitirim. 1989

23
L I F E as it is

EARTH
 . , 1987 .
Morning. Tarusa, 1987

26
 . , 1989 .
Museum of wooden architecture. Kostroma, 1989

27
 , ! , 1992 .
Hello there, people! Kineshma, 1992

28
. . 1988 .
Autumn. Tsarskoselsky Park. 1988

29
 . , ., 1985 .
Who walks by itself. Vilage of Nizhnyaya Suhonoska, 1985

30
 . ., . , 1988 .
Dog and horse. Orel region, village of Durnevo, 1988

31
 . , 1986 .
Ivanovskaya Gorka. Moscow, 1986

. 1995 .
Eternity ... Voronezh Sea. 1995

32
33
 . , , 1987 .
Hill of Crosses. Siauliai, Lithuania, 1987

34
. , 1989 .
Hostess. Yamal Peninsula, 1989

35
 . 1989 .
Dog named Chernysh. 1989

36
 . 1989 .
Reindeer caravan. 1989

37
 -1. , 1989 .
Lake Yaroto-1. Yamal Peninsula, 1989

38
 . 1987 .
Seagulls breakfasting. 1987

39
40
 51- . . , 1988 .
End of 51st construction project. River Ob. Salekhard, 1988

. 1989 .
Salekhard lies ahead. 1989

41
 . - . 1988 .
My land. Somewhere on Yamal Peninsula. 1988

42
 . - . 1998 .
Scouting patrol. Russian-Tajik border with Afghanistan. 1998

43
L I F E as it is

LIFE
 . , 1988 .
A game of chess in orphanage. Smolensk, 1988

46
 . , . 1986 .
Sabantui folk festival. Village of Kon, Tatarstan. 1986

3- , , 1992 .
Final call. Train. Building team ... 1992

47
48
49
 . 1983 .
Czech glass. 1983

1986 .
Between us ... 1986

50
 , 1988 .
Ive said it all ... Kunashir Island, 1988

51
 . , 1996 .
I can and I will. Kapustin Yar, 1996

52
 , - . ., 1999 .
Talking makes one thirsty. Summertime. Village of Nezhitino, Kostroma region, 1999

, . , 1994 .
A fish like a fish, buy it if you wish. Tajikistan, 1994

53
54
55
 , 1998 .
Summer of sorts. Kogalym, 1998

. , 1996 .
Olympic hopeful. Tutaev, 1996

56
. , 1998 .
Flooding. Krasnodar, 1998

57
 . -, 1998 .
Girl. St. Petersburg, 1998

58
. . -, 1998 .
Lisa. Autumn in Palace Square. St. Petersburg, 1998

59
 1998 .
Lets talk ... 1998

60
 . , , 1996 .
Hill of Crosses. Siauliai, Lithuania, 1996

61
 10 000 . . , 1983 .
Starting price is $ 10,000. Horse auction. Moscow, 1983

62
 . , 1997 .
Three Graces. Moscow, 1997

63
 . , 1996 .
Victory Day. Sigulda, 1996

64
 . 1998 .
Trumpeters. 1998

65
66
 . , 1995 .
Ivolginskiy temple. Buryatia, 1995

, . , 1998 .
I have no time to waste here with you ... Chukotka, Chaplin, 1998

67
68
 , , 1996 .
Film-makers Club, Moscow, 1996

. , ., 1998 .
Vanity of vanities in the village of Nizhnyaya Suhonoska, 1998

69
 . , 1989 .
Just like in the NBA. Armenia, 1989

70
 . , 1988 .
Fashion show for Lenin. Chukotka, 1988

, ! . , 2000 .
Happy Birthday, dear Olga! Olga Aroseva. Moscow, 2000

71
72
73
 . 1989 .
Farmer. 1989

. , 1996 .
A street nick-named Ditch (Mlgrvis), Riga, 1996

74
 . 1990 .
Aunt Nyura. 1990

. , 1987 .
Masha and Dr. Milanov. Moscow, 1987

75
76
77
 . , 1998 .
Film-makers Club. Between us girls ... Moscow, 1998

. , 1989 .
Lunch. Yamal Peninsula, 1989

78
 . 1997 .
Gloomy morning. 1997

79
80
 . , ., 1989 .
Our Daily Bread. Nizhnyaya Suhonoska, 1989

. 1987 .
Borodino battle-field. 1987

81
L I F E as it is

NEW LIFE
 . , 1991 .
August view from the balcony. Moscow, 1991

84
 91-. , 1991 .
August 1991. Moscow, 1991

85
 . . , 1998 .
Red Square. Religious procession. Moscow, 1998

86
 . , 1996 .
Humpback bridge. Moscow, 1996

87
 - , 1998 .
A tearful moment. Somewhere near Moscow, 1998

88
 . 1998 .
Girls dancing on deck. 1998

, 1998 .
Face to face ... Moscow, 1998

89
90
91
 , ! , 1998 .
Third toast, guys! Moscow, 1998

? - . , 1994 .
Noone pays attention? Never mind ... Rock concert in Tushino. Moscow, 1994

92
 . 1996 .
Lake Baikal. 1996

93
 . 1997 .
No waiters are needed. 1997

94
 . , 1993 .
Lunch. Kazan, 1993

. , 1996 .
City Day. Moscow, 1996

95
96
97
 1998 .
God knows what ... 1998

. , 1996 .
A hard day in the life of an entertainer. City Day. Moscow, 1996

98
 ! , 1997 .
I told you not to wake him up! Richter Music Days in Tarusa, 1997

99
 . , 1997 .
Market place in Grozny. 1997

100
. , 1998 .
Recovering patients. Grozny, 1998

101
 . 1994 .
Bus stop. 1994

102
 . , 1994 .
Soviet auto industry. Moscow, 1994

103
 . 1997 .
Simple and aessible, the great Oleg Yefremov. 1997

104
 . , 2000 .
No interviews ... Nikita Mikhalkov and Rezo Gabriadze. Moscow, 2000

105
 . , . , 1998 .
Red caviar. The Kuriles, Tanfiliev Island , 1998

106
 , 1996 .
Wish Id have at least this much. Moscow, 1996

107
L I F E as it is

PEOPLE
 . , 1998 .
Shoe lace. Moscow, 1998

. 1982 .
Medical instructor. 1982

110
111
 . , 1998 .
Director Eldar Ryazanov. Moscow, 1998

112
, . , 1996 .
Cats, they are like women. Moscow, 1996

. , 1994 .
The last line. Moscow, 1994

113
114
115
 , 1997 .
Yuri Bashmet at the Richter Music Days in Tarusa, 1997

, . . , 1996 .
Im not a writer, Im a translator. Alexander Apst. Moscow, 1996

116
 . , 1997 .
Artist Tatyana Chistyakova. Vologda, 1997

117
 1982 .
You call this music?, 1982

118
 , 1997 .
The Richter Music Days in Tarusa, 1997

119
120
 . , 2006 .
Italian courtyard. Moscow, 2006

. , 1986 .
Ceramist. Suzdal, 1986

121
122
 . 1990 .
Fallen angel. 1990

123


LIFE
AS IT IS

. 1980-2000 . [. .
.: ].
- : ,
2013. - 122 .

:

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. , , 8.
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.: +7 495 697-01-79;
.: +7 926 245-13-77.
press@russpressphoto.ru
www.russpressphoto.ru

ISBN

Copyright 2013
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