London hosts photo exhibition "Russia and Great Britain: Past and Present"

On Thursday, June 19, London will host the opening of the photo exhibition entitled "Russia and Great Britain: Past and Present", which is organized by RIA Novosti office in London.

The photos at the exhibition show Russia and different aspects of Russian-British relations ahead of Russian President Vladimir Putin's state visit to the United Kingdom.

The exposition includes over 50 photos from the agency's archives and is situated in the hall of the Guild Hall, the residence of the London City's Lord Mayor.

The visitors will see the photos reproducing the portraits of Russian emperors Peter the Great and Yekaterina II, the photos of Russian diplomats, who worked in Great Britain at different times, as well as works reflecting the history of Russian-British relations for over four centuries.

Visitors' attention will undoubtedly be drawn to the famous photo of astronaut Yuri Gagarin with the white dove of peace in his hands, the photo of the great Russian singer Fyodor Shalyapin, as well as photo coverage of Queen Elizabeth II's visit to Russia in 1994.

The exhibition also features new shots from the Yekaterinburg-St.Petersburg motor race with the participation of Prince Michael of Kent and from Paul McCartney's concert on Red Square in Moscow in May of 2003.