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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Interview by Graeme Green

Superman towers over the Kremlin: Reiner Riedler’s best photograph

‘It represents US power rising above the Russian empire’ … the caped entertainer jumps perfectly.
‘It represents US power rising above the Russian empire’ … the caped entertainer jumps perfectly. Photograph: Reiner Riedler/Anzenberger

This photo is part of my Fake Holidays series. At the beginning of the project, more than 15 years ago, I went to Lara Beach in Antalya, Turkey, where there is one luxury five-star hotel after another, all along the coastline. On the other side of the road were the tents of the workers who had built the hotels. Luxury hotels are like little ghettoes. You take your plane and your taxi, then you are in the middle of an isolated luxury area.

The Kremlin Palace hotel, where this photo was taken, has an exact copy of Saint Basil’s Cathedral in Red Square, Moscow. I have been to Moscow and seen the original church, which is a focal point – all tourists take a picture there. But here in Turkey, there is a swimming pool in front of the cathedral. I was fascinated. There were many Russian tourists.

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