Soviet Screen | Stars of SOVIET SCREEN | 27 June — 9 September 2007

The cover, the first page, the face of the magazine or book — this is the zone of maximum responsibility: it should attract, intrigue, awaken the desire to find out what`s inside.

To be on the cover means to catch the luck. The cover is an equivalent of selectness, the sign of quality and aknowledgment. The exhibition of the covers of famous soviet cinema magazine “Soviet screen” will take place in POBEDA photo gallery in july and august. The magazine was founded in 1925 and its popularity grew with years. In 60-80 the circulation of the magazine reached more than a million.

“Soviet screen” was really fashionable and interesting, its pages were usually full of foreign cinema information, which was really rare that time. In spite of incredible circulation, the magazine was sold out every month. Not surprisingly — most popular soviet actresses and actors embelished the covers of “Soviet screen”. Alice Frandlikh, Andrei Myagkov, Alexandre Abdulov and Irina Alferova, Marina Neelova and Irina Skobtseva, Irina Miroshnichenko and Margarita Terekhova, Vertinskie sisters, Oleg Yankovsky, Nikita Mikhalkov, Serguei Shakurov etc.

Cover face really attracts attention. But photographers work is always in a shadow. That is why the tradition of exhibitions of the cover photography became popular. The fact of such exhibition focuses the attention on the photographer and offers the viewer an opportunity to evaluate the photography as a piece of art. Nina Gomiashvilis familly (Nina is the owner of the POBEDA gallery) has the whole file of “Soviet screen” magazine. That is how the idea of the exhibition was born.

There are three main photographers who worked for “Soviet screen” in 60-80: Valery Plotnikov, Igor Gnevashev and Nikolai Gnisuk.

Valery Plotnikov graduated from the camera man faculty of the State University of Cinematography. He started as a photographer in his student years. He earn a bit on the side by making photoreports on the film set. That is why after graduation he continued working as a photographer, not camera man. Lilya Brik was among his models, Vladimir Visotsky acquainted them. The story repeated. Once Vladimir Visotsky represented Alexander Rodchenko to Lilya Brik. One day while watching photos Brik aclaimed that Rodchenko photographed her better. Plotnikov answered that Rodchenko made his photographs when she was in her 30s. Lilya just laughed.

Valery Plotnikov graduated from the camera man faculty of the State University of Cinematography. He started as a photographer in his student years. He earn a bit on the side by making photoreports on the film set. That is why after graduation he continued working as a photographer, not camera man. Lilya Brik was among his models, Vladimir Mayakovsky acquainted them. The story repeated. Once Vladimir Mayakovsky represented Alexander Rodchenko to Lilya Brik. One day while watching photos Brik aclaimed that Rodchenko photographed her better. Plotnikov answered that Rodchenko made his photographs when she was in her 30s. Lilya just laughed.

Igor Gnevahsev graduated from the Polygraphic institute. “I understood, that my photos had more truth than my images,”- admits Gnevahsev. His work in “Ogoniok”, “USSR” and “Komsomolskaya pravda” didn`t shape well. The editors of that publications had another view on soviet photography. Gnevashev came to “Soviet screen”. Film photography had more freedom.

Nikolai Gnisuk is the author of hundreds of covers of “Soviet screen”. He photographed not only soviet movie stars, but also world famous actors Marcello Mastroianni and Robert de Niro. They really apreciated his work calling him the most intelligent photographer. The American Film Academy invited him to be an official Oscar`s photographer. Gnisuk was the first soviet photographer to have such an honor.