Russian photographer Lev Borodulin made his name shooting for Soviet magazine Ogonyok during the height of the Cold War in the 1950s - when photographers were practically straight-jacketed by state control. Even his wholesome, triumphant and distinctly propaganda-friendly images of sporting events (supposedly free from restrictions) were subject to stringent checks. 'The Diver' for instance, later dubbed 'The Flying Ass' certainly had trouble getting past the censors. So in the end, are these images a little too reminiscent of the 1936 Berlin Olympics? Are they subversive posters for people power? Or perhaps they're just great sporting moments, full stop.
Holly Kyte
FIRST POSTED NOVEMBER 21, 2007
Lev Borodulin, until Dec 1, Atlas Gallery, 49 Dorset Street, W1U 
Paris passions
