Description: In this lavishly illustrated volume that includes nearly 400 color images, renowned scholar and photographer of Russian architecture William Craft Brumfield surveys the centuries-long tradition of wood-built buildings, ranging from cabins to churches to estate homes.
Review Quotes: "From Forest to Steppe is a tribute to the generations of anonymous Russian woodworkers whose skill and ingenuity took a simple basic module--the log cabin--and adapted its structure to dwellings large and small, from stout defensive walls and fortifications to prefab rooms for sale at medieval markets. It is also a tribute to the dedication and persistence of William Craft Brumfield, who found ways of reaching remote sites to photograph buildings that were often in a state of disrepair or that have since disappeared. Providing an expansive overview of a fundamental building block of Russian culture, this book helps us appreciate the importance of preserving architectural monuments as a window into the life of the boreal forest's past and present inhabitants."--Ann Kleimola, coeditor of, Culture and Identity in Muscovy, 1359-1584
"This volume is an authentic masterpiece, succeeding on all levels: in its scope, in its literary sophistication, in the quality of its analysis, and in its depth of cultural empathy. It can be placed without hesitation on a level with the classics of Russian architectural historiography..., but there is something that distinguishes Brumfield: a unique synthesis of scientific rigor and a profoundly human view of architecture as a cultural milieu." (translated from Russian)--Alexander Molodin, Roskult "[T]his collection of beautiful photographs is a major contribution and deserves a featured place in institutional and personal libraries."--Gregory L. Freeze, Russian Review "Prof. Brumfield's meticulous documentation provides a wealth of information about places few will ever visit, down to the date of each photograph. . . . His dedication to his life's mission, as finely represented in this book, is a gift to historians and researchers the world over."--Philip Ulanowsky, Executive Intelligence Review "This book demonstrates the author's brilliant mastery of the materials he has collected over several decades of travel across Russia. . . . Each page of [this book] is a kind of declaration of love for Russian architecture. And this love is clearly no accident, as the author has dedicated nearly two-thirds of his life to the study of architectural art, absorbing the vast spatial impressions of the Russian North and South, the central part of European Russia, Eastern and Western Siberia, the Altai region, the Far East, and the icy North of Siberia. These impressions became a revelation for the American researcher of Russian culture, but perhaps also for his soul." (translated from Russian)--V. B. Koshaev, Theory and History of Art "A significant and valuable feature of this work is its inclusion of photographs of buildings that no longer exist due to fire, neglect, or war damage. The text also provides a brief historical overview of wooden architecture development and discussions of traditional building techniques, apprenticeship practices, and current preservation attempts. In sum, From Forest to Steppe is a highly recommended must-have for any collection that emphasizes thorough global coverage of architectural history. Essential. All readership levels."--Choice "The book demonstrates the author's brilliant mastery of materials that he has gathered over several decades of travels in Russia. Together with the substantive text, the photographic material is simply remarkable in framing the shot, in choice of light, in plastic expressivity, in the best presentation of architectural and landscape environment, in its correlation of the object with panoramas and perceptions of space." (translated from Russian)--Vladimir Koshaev, Journal of the Russian State S. G. Stroganov University "From Forest to Steppe is a wonderful success. Brumfield's vibrant images speak for themselves. Just as effective is the way the historian weaves the photographs together as a journey through the country's distant and diverse territories. . . . From Forest to Steppe would not only make a handsome addition to personal bookshelves, it could serve as an excellent resource for research projects or curricula dealing with eighteenth to nineteenth century Russian culture, regional and rural Russia, or even church history."--Brendan Nieubuurt, Slavic & East European Journal