Moscow - 1958

Erich Lessing was born in Vienna, but in 1939, fleeing the Nazi regime, he emigrated. Father had already died, and his mother, remained in Vienna, later died at Auschwitz. It was during the Second World War, when Lessing served in the British Army, began his career as a photographer - part-time, he documented the event. Erich Lessing later say that he is very "sad manner came to the realization of his childhood dream, but this was met with a fatal".

By the shrine stand, and then come in large numbers all sorts: photograph where no hitting
In the second half of the 1950s, after the death of Stalin and the XX-th Congress of the CPSU "iron curtain" slightly parted, and the representatives of the Western media have the opportunity to visit the countries of the socialist camp. Erich Lessing and ended up in the USSR in the company of an American actor Bob Hope, to shoot a documentary.

Migrant watching with interest the work of the artist.
By that time, Lessing was already well known. In the late '40s,' 50s, he worked as a photojournalist Associated Press. His stories were published in magazines such as «Heute», «Quick», «Life», «Paris Match», «Epoca», «New York Times», etc.