A collection of photographs from the past that will leave you amazed (21 photos)
It has everything: from scenes that amaze you to moments that shock or make you smile. Each frame is like a window into another reality. All the photographs have been colorized. 
The "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" monument complex with the main monument, "The Motherland Calls!", on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd. Climbers and restorers work on the central sculpture, 1986. 
Photographer: Vitaly Arutyunov
The monument's total height is 87 meters. It rises above a two-meter-high base plate, which in turn rests on a massive 16-meter-high foundation—most of which is hidden underground. The female figure itself is 52 meters tall and weighs over 8,000 tons. It is free-standing, like a chess piece on a board, without any additional supports or bracing. Internally, the statue is a system of individual chambers, and its stability is ensured by 99 metal cables that are constantly under tension. Against this giant's backdrop, people appear tiny, like ants, emphasizing the scale and grandeur of the monument.
French cellist Maurice Baquet. France, 1957. 
Photographer: Robert Doisneau
In the 1950s and 1960s, the renowned French photographer Robert Doisneau repeatedly captured his friend, cellist Maurice Baquet. Doisneau sought to show not just the musician, but the deep, almost organic connection between a person and their instrument. For him, the cello was more than just a means of producing sound, but an integral part of Baquet's personality and life. To convey this passion for music, the photographer photographed him in the most unexpected and unusual places—transforming everyday scenes into poetic, touching images of friendship, talent, and devotion to art.
A car dealership styled as a bus. Helsinki, 1927. 
In 1927, a true giant appeared on Kasarmintori Square in Helsinki: a huge bus converted into an exhibition pavilion. It housed the showroom of Pohjoismaiden Auto Tuonti, the Finnish importer of American Reo automobiles. Its owner, Mr. Peltola, wasn't content with a standard stand at the Moscow auto show. Instead, he opted for a bold and unconventional approach to attract potential buyers. History, however, remains silent on the commercial success of this venture. But today we know for sure: when Louis Vuitton displays its suitcase in Red Square, it's not an innovation, but a tribute to a tradition dating back to at least the 1920s.
Trunk of a felled redwood tree. California, circa 1910. 
21-year-old André the Giant in Cannes, 1967. 
André was a legendary French wrestler and actor known as "The Giant." Standing 7'1" (218 cm) tall and weighing over 550 pounds (240 kg), he became one of the most recognizable figures in WWE history. Despite his impressive size, he was known for his good nature and charisma, both in and out of the ring. Andre earned the nickname "The Greatest Drunk on Earth" thanks to his truly legendary exploits. On an episode of WWE Legends of Wrestling, Mike Graham recalled how Andre once downed 156 470ml bottles in one sitting—a fact confirmed by Dusty Rhodes.
Project 941 "Akula" submarine TK-12 before its decommissioning. Severodvinsk, 1983. 
The "Akula" series submarine is a Soviet Project 941 heavy nuclear-powered strategic missile submarine, known in the West under the codename Typhoon. These are the largest submarines in history, with a submerged displacement of approximately 48,000 tons and a length of 175 meters. Built in the 1970s and 1980s at the Sevmash shipyard in Severodvinsk, the Akulas were the USSR's response to the American Ohio-class submarines. Their primary mission was to covertly carry nuclear weapons and ensure a guaranteed retaliatory strike. Each Akula carried 20 R-39 Rif intercontinental ballistic missiles, capable of striking targets over 8,000 km away with multiple warheads.
Danuta Danielsson hits a marching neo-Nazi with her purse. Sweden, Växjö, 1985. 
Photographer: Hans Runesson
On April 13, 1985, in the Swedish town of Växjö, photojournalist Hans Runesson captured a moment that became an icon of civil resistance: 38-year-old Danuta Danielsson, in a rage, smashing her purse over the head of a marching neo-Nazi. The image instantly gained worldwide fame, becoming a powerful symbol of anti-fascism. It not only went down in history as one of the most expressive images of resistance to hatred but also inspired artists to create a memorial sculpture and other art projects. The photograph was named "Swedish Photo of the Year" by Vi magazine and the Swedish Historical Photographic Society, and was later awarded the title "Photo of the Century" in Sweden.
Gas-electric hybrid advertising van, 1905. 
The van was built by the Canadian Commercial Motor Vehicle Co. of Windsor, Ontario, with a specific mission – to promote immigration and agricultural development in Canada's western territories. Its body was adorned with vibrant signs urging Britons to settle in Canada: "Free 160 acres of farmland in Western Canada," "Canada welcomes British settlers to her vast prairies." To reach every family, the van was sent to England, where it was scheduled to visit every town and village in the country. Particular attention was also paid to the quality of Canadian produce: signs on the sides emphasized the virtues of local beef, fruit, butter, and cheese – further motivating people to move to the New World.
A car in the driveway of a modern home's attic, 1933. 
Have you ever seen an attic used as a garage? In Sausalito, California, that's exactly how Kate Gleason's home is designed. Their modern five-bedroom house has four floors, and due to the terrain, the garage is located on the top level—the attic. To move out, the family goes upstairs, as that's where they access the road leading to the famous Golden Gate Bridge. The Gleason House is one of the most unusual in Marin County and possibly the only (or extremely rare) house in the United States where a car is stored directly under the roof.
A permanent wave machine at a beauty school, 1940. 
Beauty schools used special machines to create fashionable permanent waves—bulky, but advanced devices for their time. The patient sat under a metal structure resembling a helmet or spacesuit, connected to dozens of wires and heating elements. Each strand of hair was curled onto rollers and then held in place by a system of thermal caps and electrical currents. The procedure took hours and wasn't the most comfortable, but the result—bouncy, long-lasting curls—was considered the pinnacle of feminine elegance.
Donetsk Railway. Mainline electrification. Ukrainian SSR, 1960. 
Photographer: S. Kosyrev.
A special bicycle with a capacity of 10 people in Massachusetts. USA, early 20th century. 
Madame Aboma (real name Ella Williams, 1865-1928), early 20th century. 
She was a famous American performer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, renowned as one of the tallest women in the world and a circus star. Touring the world, she performed under the intriguing pseudonym "The Amazon of Dahomey." Her actual height was approximately 208 cm, but advertising posters sometimes skillfully exaggerated it to 228 cm to enhance the image of an exotic warrior from the legendary West African kingdom of Dahomey. This mythologized image aroused curiosity and ensured full houses in every city where her circus visited.
"Close to the Dream." Moscow, 1975. 
Photographer: Anatoly Boldin
People climb the "Conquerors of Space" monument at VDNKh—why and for what purpose remains a mystery.
Moose-drawn sleigh. USA, Minnesota, early 20th century. 
This rare and exotic method of transportation across snowy expanses in America reflected both local ingenuity and an attempt to domesticate a wild northern animal for everyday use. Moose, though powerful and resilient, proved difficult to control, and such sleighs never became widespread.
Logging in rural New York State. USA, 1907. 
A butcher shop with opossums. USA, 1915. 
Pilots belonging to the Ku Klux Klan, 1922. 
A woman in a leopard-skin coat leads her pet cheetah into a supermarket, USA, circa 1955. 
Mrs. Richards and a tiger named "Satan." USA, California, late 1940s, early 1950s. 
American Mrs. Richards is the wife of Billy Richards, one of the owners of the famous "World Jungle" kennel. Together, they trained animals, which were later used in the film and television industries.
