On October 23 and 24, the Second Yusupov Readings on Liteiny Prospekt will be held in St. Petersburg on the topic «Visual Sources and Current Digital Technologies in the Study of Cultural Heritage Sites».

The scientific and practical conference will be attended by historians, art historians, and cultural heritage preservation specialists.

Two years ago, the Yusupov Palace was transferred to the State Museum «St. Isaac’s Cathedral» for comprehensive restoration and further use. Since then, the museum has been conducting research on the palace on Liteiny Prospekt. In the course of scientific research, extensive visual material related to the history of the building’s design and use, as well as the interpretation of its image, was discovered: drawings, paintings, photographs, and logos of the organizations that were located in the building.

Such materials are an essential source for the development of projects for the restoration, adaptation, and use of cultural heritage sites.

At the conference, Alexey Loginov, a historian of photography and art director of the Béton Center of Visual Culture, will present his report «The Palace on Liteiny Prospekt in Daguerreotypes by the Schneider Brothers».
In 1861, at the request of Princess Zinaida Yusupova, the Schneider brothers took photographs of the interiors of her palace. Today, these daguerreotypes not only hold great historical and artistic value but also serve as a unique source of visual information. The daguerreotypes by the Schneider brothers provide a glimpse into the historical and opulent interiors of the princess’s home.

In his report, Alexey Loginov will tell you about the Schneider brothers, why they were among the most successful photographers of their time, why they used daguerreotype technology when it was already becoming obsolete, how the brothers came to Russia, and why Zinaida Yusupova approached them.