What NOT to shoot in Moscow? :)

Helinophoto · Mar 4, 2013

Hi

I'm going for a weekend trip to Moscow this Thursday and I plan to photograph -a lot- while there.

However, I've heard that there are things and buildings you should not photograph in Moscow.
I am a guy who likes to stay out of trouble so....

..any pointers from anyone here?

viridari · Mar 4, 2013

I'm guessing it's probably like the USA, but not quite as authoritarian. /irony

c.d.ewen · Mar 4, 2013

WHO not to shoot is equally important - nobody with bodyguards, nobody with tattoos.

Charley

Helinophoto · Mar 4, 2013

Hehe Charley, I would not photograph anyone like that anywhere.

I've red that there are certain buildings and security personnel you should not photograph, but it never says what that is.

I would rather not be clobbered for photograph the marching guards around the kremlin for example.

Pinholemaster · Mar 4, 2013

I never heard of restrictions on photography in Moscow, Idaho. Grin.

Helinophoto · Mar 4, 2013

Good point, luckily it's easier to say photograph than trying to type it on an iPad like I am doing now
- corrected my overly aggressive sounding original post now ^^

Really looking forward to visit Moscow, few I know have been there, as a bonus, I also know someone there, who can guide me a bit ^^

pentaxuser · Mar 4, 2013

I think that Uncle Joe used to ask the same question in the 1930s

pentaxuser

Rudolf Karachun · Mar 4, 2013

Dont worry. Shoot anything what you want. I did it a lot of times, even during a Soviet time. And now you can be absolutely worry free. Believe me. I was born in Soviet Union and lived there for 40 years.

polyglot · Mar 4, 2013

I had only one run-in with police in Moscow - they told me (through gestures since my Russian extends to numbers and "I don't understand it in Russian") I could photograph in the subway but not use a tripod. Overall I found the people very relaxed and friendly; I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Seriously, don't miss the subway.

I would love to do some urbex around there, but that is of course going to be (much?) higher risk.

horacekenneth · Mar 4, 2013

Pinholemaster said:
I never heard of restrictions on photography in Moscow, Idaho. Grin.

That's true, I've been there. You can do anything you want.

cliveh · Mar 4, 2013

Spend the whole weekend at a Moscow trolly stop and just try to produce an image anything like this -
http://www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2011/apr/24/henri-cartier-bresson-moscow-1954?INTCMP=SRCH

Helinophoto · Mar 5, 2013

polyglot said:
I had only one run-in with police in Moscow - they told me (through gestures since my Russian extends to numbers and "I don't understand it in Russian") I could photograph in the subway but not use a tripod. Overall I found the people very relaxed and friendly; I wouldn't worry about it at all.

Seriously, don't miss the subway.

I would love to do some urbex around there, but that is of course going to be (much?) higher risk.

Indeed, the subway stations are on my list, I hear they can be really nice with decorations and stuff.
I also do Urbex when I can and I visited a couple of places in Germany a couple years back ( http://helino-photo.blogspot.no/2011/07/visit-to-beelitz-heilstatten-sanatorium.html?m=0 )

Somewhere outside Moscow, there is a 50 km long abandoned and unfinished underground particle accelerator and I bet there are loads of other cool stuff to explore as well ^^ (the community have Russian participants who you can contact I think )

polyglot · Mar 5, 2013

I had only two days in Moscow; I spent about 2/3 of it in the subways

mablo · Mar 5, 2013

One can indeed take photos in and around Moscow subway stations - but it's not allowed in the Saint Petersburg! I've never heard a plausible explanation why the difference.

c.d.ewen · Mar 5, 2013

Helinophoto said:
I would rather not be clobbered for photograph the marching guards around the kremlin for example.

The Russian soldier's memorial at the Kremlin wall is where you'll see marching guards, with lots of tourists with cameras. You may also see wedding parties there. There used to be a tradition of brides dropping flowers there, getting photographed in front of Moscow Univ (good panorama of the city), and going a couple of other places I've forgotten. Catch the stainless steel Yuri Gagarin statue on a sunny day. People gather at a bridge (Bolshchoi Kamennyi?) to watch the Kremlin turn bright red in the sunset. Lots to see, and it's all so foreign!

Charley

Dave Wooten · Mar 5, 2013

I had no problem photographing in Moscow or St P. However I wax asked not to photograph in the hotel lobby.

Erik Petersson · Mar 6, 2013

I was stopped outside the FSB (formerly KGB) building and forced to open my camera. "Would you rather have this conversation inside the building?" was a convincing argument.

A similar thing happened when I did some urban exploration photography far from the city center. I was apparently photographing some power plant, that was protected. So I was questioned and had to destroy the film.

good luck though, most things are good to photograph. I got away with this: http://erikpetersson.livejournal.com/?skip=10

/Erik Petersson

Helinophoto · Mar 6, 2013

Lovely shots Erik and a cool story too ^^

I'll see what I end up with, bringing with me neopan 400, porta 400 and ektar 100 all in 120. (and my 5d iii when I need ultra high iso).

Taping the logos on my rolleiflex as well as the 5d iii, to avoid announcing too much what I'm carrying around (I do that everywhere but Japan )

c.d.ewen · Mar 7, 2013

It may be too late for the OP, but I just had a memory - isn't Prokudin-Gorskii's camera equipment in a museum over near the Christ the Saviour Cathedral?

Charley

Erik Petersson · Mar 7, 2013

You mean in the krasniy oktiaber area? There is a good photo museum there, named Lumiere brothers or something similar. But I usually end up watching paintings when i am in moscow.

Erik Petersson · Mar 7, 2013

Helinophoto said:
Lovely shots Erik and a cool story too ^^

I'll see what I end up with, bringing with me neopan 400, porta 400 and ektar 100 all in 120. (and my 5d iii when I need ultra high iso).

Taping the logos on my rolleiflex as well as the 5d iii, to avoid announcing too much what I'm carrying around (I do that everywhere but Japan )

Thanks! My friends say that it is still winter, bring warm clothes!

Helinophoto · Mar 11, 2013

Just an update:

Everything went well, the only thing I didn't photograph, was the former KGB-building, I did go around and checked it out though.
Other than that, lot of things to see and photograph there, really beautiful city and probably even more so during summer (it was very cold there now, around -6 to -11 with wind).

Still, got a nice bunch of shots of the usual things around the Kremlin and also some nice shots of the subway system.
All, film-stuff was done with Ektar 100, need to develop those later today, down in the subway-system, I had to use my *D* camera on ISO 6400, to get anything useful (at Moscow Metro Ploshchad Revolyutsii ).
I never got to check out all the metro-stations worthy of a visit though, a good reason to go back some other time. (only 2 hours 45 minutes from here by plane).

Helinophoto · Mar 13, 2013

Blog update from my trip.
Went too fast, so I need to take another trip I think, fun place indeed ^^

Again, thank you all for the tips, I felt pretty calm strolling around with my camera.

http://helino-photo.blogspot.no/2013/03/trip-to-russian-federation.html

What NOT to shoot in Moscow? :)

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