As the USSR was busy rebuilding after World War II, an American Martin Manhoff landed in Moscow with a suitcase full of the latest photography equipment - and the skills to use it. Martin travelled throughout Russia by rail and was often accompanied by his wife Jan who recorded their memories in writing.
In 1954, two years after arriving, Martin Manhoff was expelled from the USSR for “spying”. After his expulsion to the US, the images Manhoff made lay hidden in a cupboard for more than 60 years. This year, after Manhoff's death, these crisp, colourful slides of Soviet life were re-discovered by a historian Douglas Smith.
#1 A Night Shot Of Moscow
That's the newly-constructed Moscow State University glowing on the horizon.
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45points
#2 Schoolgirls At Kolomenskoye, A Former Royal Estate In The South Of Moscow
Any of these girls alive today would now be in their 70s.
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39points
#3 A Market In Crimea, A Few Years Before The Peninsula Was “Gifted” To Ukraine By Stalin’s Successor
Jan wrote that the peninsula "had always been a resort area, and now when the happy workers get their holidays, the top ones get to come here."
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35points
#5 Flooded Streets In Kiev
Jan described Ukraine as "a cleaner, more individual part of the Soviet Union... this area has certainly seen and known more than just Soviet rule."
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29points
#6 Babushka Dealings, Snapped Out Of The Window Of A Train
Jan said the train trips gave the Manhoffs their only chance to communicate with ordinary Russians "but here natural precaution prohibits anything but superficial talk."
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28points
#7 A Rural Town Snapped From A Passing Train
As well as shooting images of city life, Martin, often accompanied by his wife Jan, travelled throughout Russia by rail. This image is one of several showing small town life far from Moscow.
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27points
#8 A Parade Under The Walls Of The Kremlin
When historian Douglas Smith discovered the images, he immediately realised he'd stumbled onto a rare treasure.
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27points
#10 Ostankino Palace, In The North Of Moscow
In Soviet days, many estates and palaces of the aristocracy were opened up as public parks.
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24points
#11 Street Scene On Pushkin Square, Looking Down Tverskaya Street Towards The Towers Of The Kremlin
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23points
#13 A Murky-Looking Pool In An Unknown Location
Manhoff shot with 35mm Kodak and Agfa colour slide film. The technology was cutting edge in the US at the time, and would have been virtually unheard of inside the USSR.
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22points
#14 A Rare Color Image Of Stalin's Funeral, In 1953, Snapped From The Window Of The Old US Embassy
Manhoff's job in Russia was as an assistant army attache at the embassy.
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22points
#15 Novospassky Monastery In Moscow
Under Soviet rule religion was heavily suppressed, and many churches were either destroyed or put to use as humble storage houses.
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20points
#16 Stalin’s Coffin Rolling Towards Red Square
The pale spot on the coffin is a kind of clear plastic or glass bubble over his face.
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20points
#17 Window Shoppers In Moscow
Jan's first impressions of the city's shopping scene were scathing: "Nothing quite fits, the people as well as the furnishings. And nothing that is sold seems new, it all looks second-hand."
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18points
#20 A Woman Snapped From The Train
The only time the Manhoffs were permitted to leave the train during their journeys was during long stops at stations en route, though even then they were required to stay on the platform.
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16points