The Potemkin Village

The concept of the “Potemkin Village” can be traced back to Prince Grigory Aleksandrovich Potemkin, a Russian field marshal and favorite of Catherine the Great. When the Empress toured Crimea in 1787, he ordered facades to be erected along her route so she wouldn't have to look at the grim reality. Photographer Gregor Sailer’s latest project shows field exercise centers in the USA and Europe, European city replicas in China, and urban vehicle testing tracks in Sweden. Russia, still fakes whole streets in disguise when high-ranking political celebrities are visiting from abroad.

Images © Gregor Sailer
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