World history: The exhibition of archival photographs “Red Cross” in Saint-Petersburg

The State Museum and Exhibition Centre ROSPHOTO (St. Petersburg) jointly with the International Committee of the Red Cross from June 16, 2016 presents the exhibition "Red Cross" (Humanitarian Photo 1863-1945. From the archives of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Russian TASS News Agency and the State Museum contemporary history of Russia).

Photography and the Red Cross emerged about the same time - in the second half of the XIX century. Since its inception in 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) conducts its activities and chronicle of the events, facing specialists during the work. The ICRC's photo archive contains an encyclopedic collection of more than 120 thousand humanitarian photos taken by professional photographers, as well as employees of the organization. 

Rare archival photos from the ICRC funds, TASS and the museum of modern history of Russia - there are more than 70 - a documentary evidence of many tragic moments of the history of the XIX-XX centuries.

Most of the presented in the exhibition TASS photographs are relate to the period of the Soviet-Finnish and Great Patriotic War. It is no coincidence, since the story of the time it is impossible to imagine without the unique front-line photographs taken by military photojournalists TASS.

The photographs depicted not only the cruelty, pain and suffering - an integral part of any war, but also examples of true humanism, compassion and selflessness shown by employees of the Russian and the Soviet Red Cross, the International Committee of the Red Cross, the entire International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.

They were engaged in rescue of the wounded, tracing and repatriation of prisoners of war, preparation of sanitary teams, donation, organizing food items for hungry civilians, and many other humanitarian issues.

The main idea, behind the exhibition, as well as the activities of the Red Cross is simple: even in war it should be a place for humanity and compassion.