Gezicht op het Paleisplein met de Alexander-obelisk in Sint-Petersburg c. 1850 - 1880

This stereoscopic photograph captures the Palace Square in Saint Petersburg, featuring the Alexander Column. The photographer, Albert Felisch, presents us with a dual image intended to create an illusion of depth, a popular technique in the 19th century. Considered in its historical context, this photograph reflects Russia's imperial ambitions and power. The Alexander Column, a monument to military victory, stands as a symbol of dominance. Yet, if we look closer, we might also see the complex social dynamics of the time. The grand architecture and the vast square speak to the power of the Tsarist regime, while the ordinary people, largely absent from this image, were living lives of immense hardship. The photograph, in its stark depiction of space and power, perhaps inadvertently hints at the social tensions simmering beneath the surface of imperial Russia.