I ran across this site and was absolutely amazed by these images. Im not sure if these are already well known by everyone, but they are worth a look if you havent seen them. They are all pre ww1 Real Photographs from Russia taken by a man named
Sergei Mikhailovich Prokudin-Gorskii
http://www.gridenko.com/pg/index.htm
http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/empire/