Institute of Modern Russia Launches Unique Photo Exhibit of Russian Opposition Leaders

More than 300 people from across the New York area gathered at the opening reception of "Russian Visionaries. Into the Light." at the 25CPW Gallery on Manhattan's Upper West Side.

Sponsored by the Institute of Modern Russia, the photo exhibit features the faces of 53 Russian opposition leaders and others who stand against the Kremlin's authoritarian rule, including actors, economists, politicians, TV hosts and scientists.

Alongside the gripping black-and-white photos are the subjects' written reflections of how they see the future of Russia if Putin returns to the presidency, as expected, next year.

Two of photographer Kirill Nikitenko's subjects, economist Sergey Guriev and Cato Institute senior fellow Andrey Illarionov, spoke at the event, reflecting on the changes they would like to see put in place to ensure that Russia become a more open and democratic country.

Curator Elena Khodorkovskaya discussed with the crowd how she conceived of the show and how she was able to bring these individuals from disparate backgrounds together.

The gallery, which stayed open an extra two hours Thursday to accommodate all of the people wanting to spend time at the show, will be showing "Russian Visionaries" through December 12. You can see additional photos online from Newsweek and MSNBC.

  • LOCATION: 25CPW Gallery, 25 Central Park West, Manhattan, (212) 203-0250, www.25cpw.org
  • DATES: November 29 - December 12, 2011 (There will be an opening reception on December 1 at 6:30 p.m)
  • HOURS: 11 a.m. - 8 p.m.