Armenia as seen by Henri Cartier-Bresson

MediaMax, Armenia

Henri Cartier-Bresson (1908-2004), French photographer, considered to be the founder of photojournalism, visited the Soviet Union for two times.  

 His first visit took place in 1954, when he photographed mainly in Moscow and then visited Uzbekistan. Cartier-Bresson was the first foreign photographer, who came to the USSR after Stalin’s death. 

He came to the USSR for the second time almost 20 years later, in 1972, when he was already 64. This time Cartier-Bresson visited Moscow, Leningrad, Armenia, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan. 

 

Henri Cartier-Bresson is the author of this portrait of legendary master of Armenian brandy making Margar Sedrakyan. 

 

 

This photo was also taken at Yerevan Brandy Company, when women were assembling brandy boxes.  

 

This picture is considered to be one of Henri Cartier-Bresson’s masterpieces. It is called “Visitors at village on Lake Sevan” 

 

 

The little girl in this photo must be 50 years old now. Does she know she has appeared in the picture by great master?

 

This photo was also taken in Armenia and is called “Guard at museum”. Unfortunately, it’s hard to figure out which museum it features. 

 

 

And this is Georgia. It’s Alaverdi Monastery, Akhmeta, Kakheti region. This picture is called “St.George’s Day”. 

 

 

This photo is from the same series. People are celebrating St. George’s Day at Alaverdi Monastery.