Description
Object description
Three photographic compilations, presented to H.A.R. 'Kim' Philby as momentos of a visit he and his wife took to Siberia in June 1971. Two compilation depict scenes of natural and human life in Krasnoyarsk Krai in Siberia, including industrial facilities in the region. The last depicts an official tour by Kim and Rufina Philby of the Bratsk hydro-electric dam.
Physical description
Set 1: A small red textile covered cardboard album, in which are bound twenty pages on each is printed a gloss black and white scenic photograph. Eight have descriptive captions in cyrillic. The front cover is decorated in one corner by a small black and white photograph of a hydro-electric plant dam. On the first page there is a inscription in cyrillic.
Set 2: A large blue paper covered cardboard album, in which are bound twenty-two pages on each is printed a matt black and white photograph. The front cover is largely taken by a black and white photograph of a hydro-electric plant dam. The inner front cover is decorated by a colour postcard of the same dam. Underneath in blue ink is a dedication in cyrillic.
Set 3: A green paper covered cardboard slip-case with hinged lid and strap with loop. Inside the lid is taken by a large black and white photograph of a cereal and a large cyrillic inscription in red and blue ink. In the box are twenty-six double sided cards, each side bearing a scenic black and white photograph and integral cyrillic caption.
History note
The albums were produced and presented by the local chekists (State Security Agents) to Kim Philby and his soon-to-be wife, Rufina, during an official trip to Krasnoyarsk Krai to inspect the hydro-electric dam at Bratsk in June 1971. Visits such as this were common for Philby. While he found them tedious to the extreme, he felt they were a necessary duty following his defection to the Soviet Union from the UK in 1963.
The albums became the property of Rufina Philby following the death of her husband. They were placed in an auction by her, together with other personal items previously owned by her husband, at Sotheby's, London on 19th July 1994.
Inscription
Уважаемнм Р.И. и А.Ф. Марминс
Ом лекисмов Красноярсколо Края В памямЬ
о всмрече в цюне 1971 лода Б.К. ЧернЫшев
Inscription
К. Филбу
Брамлане
vi. 1971