The exhibition of the Presidential Library dedicated to works of Karl Bulla and his sons to open in Germany

Joint events of the Presidential Library and the German public ahead of the Frankfurt Book Fair have become a tradition. More and more opportunities for the cultural cooperation with Russia are being offered by the Presidential Library to its German partners.

In 2018 the Presidential Library is teaming up with Karl Bulla Historical Photography Foundation to mount an exhibition dedicated to the oeuvre of the Bulla dynasty: Karl, Victor and Alexander. The exposition will showcase photographs from the private collection of the foundation.

Karl Bulla is the founder of the Russian photo journalism. He found fame as a creator of thousands of photographs, which show members of the royal family and ordinary residents of the capital city. He is rightly considered the founder of the main photography studio in the Russian Empire.

On October 12, 2018 Karl Bulla’s works are going on display as part of the exhibition at the German-Russian Institute of Culture in Dresden. The exhibition, which presents over 80 photos, is divided into 5 subject-based sections: materials about photo journalists of the Bulla dynasty; pictures of St. Petersburg; events in St. Petersburg - Petrograd; famous people; Russian-German relations. Journalist Yury Svetov, the author of the photo monograph entitled “Karl Bulla. The First Photojournalist in Russia”, will present this exposition.

On October 13, 2018 at 3 p.m. (Moscow time), Frankfurt am Main, the Presidential Library is presenting the oeuvre of the Bulla dynasty to participants and guests of the Frankfurt Book Fair.

Such a large-scale comprehensive exhibition focused on works and life of the prominent German-born photographer in Russia will be launched in his original homeland for the first time. V.Schälike - Director of the German-Russian Institute of Culture in Dresden, V. Sidorin -  Acting Director General of the Presidential Library and A. Dronov - Russian Consul General in Leipzig are going to deliver speeches at the opening ceremony of the exposition.

Karl Oswald Bulla was born into a German merchant family in Prussia. At the age of 11 he moved to St. Petersburg. In 1874 he took up photography and in 1876 became a subject of the Russian Empire.

It was self-education and hard work that helped Karl Bulla to achieve mastery. Later he was allowed to take photographs of "celebrations attended by the emperor", "to photograph ... all marine events" and "to take photographs of manoeuvres and military exercises of the troops of the Guard and Petersburg Military District”. He made photo reports about celebration of the 200th anniversary of the foundation of St. Petersburg, the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov, and the trips of Emperor Nicholas II across Russia. He created a gallery of photographic portraits of the emperor, his family members, ministers and courtiers. He photographed heads of various states, including German Emperor Wilhelm II, who visited St. Petersburg.

More than 100,000 photographs made by Karl Bulla between 1874 and 1918 have become an integral part of the visual image of the Russian Empire and its people at the turn of the 19th – 20th cc.