St. Petersburg's Ghosts Come Alive

The Siege of Leningrad was one of the most important yet devastating standoffs of World War II. For three years the city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) stood fast against Nazi troops, suffering immense casualties as they were unable to get almost any supplies of food or fuel.

In his series St Petersburg, Now and Then, artist and photographer Sergey Larenkov has overlaid wartime photographs over modern day shots of the city (keeping location and perspective wonderfully intact) that create some eerie juxtapositions. Present day pedestrians casually wait for a bus while frozen bodies from the past are stacked behind them. Ghosts of tanks are parked in front of a state building while a young child happily pushes his bike. The pictures are haunting reminders of a war-ravaged past, but also a rather moving portrayal of human resiliency.

So as you travel around your town this week, Flossers, take a moment to consider who might have stood there before you!

There's also a sequel to this series. See Part II.