Russian technical thought not only did not yield to foreign ones, but sometimes even surpassed them. A vivid example of this is the numerous inventions of Vyacheslav Izmailovich Sreznevsky. Although he was educated as a philologist, he found his true calling in engineering, being a self-taught individual. From childhood, Sreznevsky was fascinated by photography, studied the design of cameras, and actively participated in the Russian Technical Society.

His star moment came in 1882 when the famous explorer of Asia and traveler Nikolai Przhevalsky turned to the society. The cameras he used in his expeditions often broke down and were unsuitable for the harsh climate and sharp temperature fluctuations. He asked engineers to improve the cameras. Sreznevsky developed a special camera resistant to sand, dust, shocks, and falls, which greatly pleased Przhevalsky.

Neither the traveler nor the inventor could have anticipated that this camera would become a breakthrough in world science. At the end of the 19th century, Sreznevsky significantly modernized it and created the first aerial camera in history, which was later used by our pilots for aerial reconnaissance. Unfortunately, some of the blueprints leaked abroad, and soon similar devices appeared in Europe.

However, Sreznevsky did not stop there. Soon he invented a waterproof camera for marine shooting and a special camera for capturing the phases of a solar eclipse. In 1916, being a recognized specialist, he proposed to establish a Photo Institute in the country. However, due to World War I, subsequent revolutions, and the Civil War, the implementation of this project was delayed for many years. Nevertheless, this did not prevent Vyacheslav Izmailovich from developing another project and creating the first domestic film. Such talents are born on Russian soil!