One of the main problems (and one of the main discoveries) of shooting photo comparisons in the footsteps of Prokudin-Gorsky - Russia has grown terribly overgrown over the past 100 years. In almost all pre-revolutionary photographs of Russian cities, we see neat trees, which only slightly rise above the roofs of one-two-story buildings. Of course, the size of urban vegetation was carefully controlled, both for fire safety purposes and for reasons of aesthetics and landscaping. They were especially careful not to obstruct the view of the temples and architectural ensembles by trees.
The descendants do not think of anything like this, on the contrary, due to the deterioration of the environment, it is believed that the more “green” cities become, the better.
Of course, the abundance of green spaces is very good, but for the external appearance of the historical cities of Russia, free overgrowth has very sad consequences, which can be imagined from the following photo comparisons.
View from a steam mill on the ensemble of temples in the Korovniki settlement of Yaroslavl in 1911 and 2011:
Not everyone will climb the former steam mill, but the view of the Cowsheds is almost also spoiled now from the city center.
At the same time, even in the late 1950s, the vegetation in this area of Yaroslavl was almost the same as before the revolution.
Whole lines have grown along the banks of the Kotorosl River in Yaroslavl in recent decades:
Promotional video:
Not visible behind the trees is the Nikolsky Church near the Cathedral of the Fedorov Mother of God in the same Yaroslavl (1911 and 2011):
Even the huge newly built Assumption Cathedral from most points of view rises above the green mass only with its golden domes, and from some places it is not visible at all due to the trees:
The ensemble of the trade part of Staritsa on the Volga almost completely drowned in the green wilds (pictures of 1910 and 2008):
View of the same part of the city from the opposite bank of the Volga in 1910 and 2008:
Old Belozersk (1909 and 2011) is no longer visible from the tall city rampart behind the trees:
Probably, in 20 years from the rampart, the heads of the temple and the White Lake itself will no longer be visible:
And inside the shaft Belozersk is also steadily overgrown:
The decapitated ancient temples of Belozersk have long been lost in the city forest:
In the city-monument of Torzhok, many of the most beautiful panoramas simply ceased to exist for the viewer, finding themselves behind a solid green wall (1910 and 2010):
View of Torzhok from the city rampart in 1910 and 2010:
View of Torzhok from the Tvertsa embankment (1910 and 2010):
In the city of Romanov-Borisoglebsk, the famous Resurrection Cathedral (1652) is now not visible at all from the place from which Prokudin-Gorsky took it in 1910:
The miraculously survived cathedral in Cherepovets (1909 and 2011) is now not visible behind the trees:
Among some wilds was the Trinity Cathedral in Ostashkov (1910 and 2010):
A huge tree "killed" the scale of both the majestic monastery walls and the surviving church in Kirillov (1909 and 2011):
Zaros and the Goritsky Monastery near Kirillov (1909 and 2011):
The monastery of Fedor Stratilat in Pereslavl-Zalessky (1911 and 2008) is almost invisible for the trees:
Overgrown Mozhaisk (1911 and 2010):
Even the reserve city of Suzdal, whose appearance must be monitored with special zeal, is also overgrown.
View of the Kamenka river in 1912 and 2009:
The impressive size of the Cathedral of the Nativity of Christ (1912 and 2009) is poorly visible:
Overgrown approaches to the Spaso-Evfimiev Monastery:
However, there are examples when the consciousness of our contemporaries begins to realize that the opportunity to admire outstanding architectural monuments is worth a dozen felled trees.
This comparison with a photograph of Prokudin-Gorsky in 1910 (the Church of John the Baptist in Uglich) I made in September 2008:
They say that literally a few days after that, the trees were cut down and they no longer spoil the view.
Maybe they did or will do the same with the thickets near the palace of Tsarevich Dmitry in the same Uglich, which in 2008 was almost invisible:
In the case of Vladimir, I have already managed to shoot a classic view of the ancient Assumption Cathedral (1911 and 2009) without any hindrances (not counting the restoration scaffolding):
But not long ago there was a real forest:
But the greenery in Vladimir did not diminish especially from this (1911 and 2009):
Restoring monuments is very expensive and often too expensive for local authorities, but sometimes a simple chainsaw is enough to ennoble the historical appearance.
As surprising as it sounds, not only the city is overgrown, but also many countryside landscapes, incl. the most important historical sites and natural monuments.
For example, here is a view of the source of the Volga in 1910 and 2010:
And so the Koloch River near Borodino overgrown (1911 and 2010):
At the top of Maurova Mountain there is now a forest, hiding an amazing panorama of the Kirillo-Belozersky Monastery (1909 and 2011):
In 1911, for some reason, even the forests in the vicinity of Pereslavl-Zalessky were lower than a century later: