Sneeuwruimers op de militaire weg in Georgië c. 1890 - 1900

Dimitri Ivanovitch Ermakov made this photograph of snow clearers on the military road in Georgia sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. It gives us a fascinating insight into how Tsarist Russia was expanding and consolidating its empire in the Caucasus. Ermakov documented the region extensively, and this image, with its stark contrast between the monumental landscape and the laborers trying to keep the road open, hints at the challenges of imperial control. The building of roads and other infrastructure was key to binding these territories to Russia. We can read this image as a statement about man's struggle against nature, but also about Russia's ambition to overcome geographical obstacles. By consulting archives and historical records, we can learn more about the lives of these workers, the engineering feats involved, and the broader political context that shaped this photograph. Only then can we truly understand its historical significance.