Mikhailov, E. S. and Shagin, I. M. Sochi: Photo Album (Sochi: Fotoal’bom), 1963. In Russian.

Михайлов Е. С. (фото), Шагин И. М. (фото), Герцфельд К. О. (текст), Олиферук Н. А. (текст). Сочи: Фотоальбом.
Ленинград — Москва : Искусство, 1963.
[127] с. : цв. и ч/б ил. Твердый издательский переплет, формат 16х22 см.
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Mikhailov, E. S. (photo), Shagin, I. M. (photo), Hertzfeld, K. O. (text), Oliferuk, N. A. (text). Sochi: [Photo Album].
Leningrad; Moscow: Iskusstvo, 1963.
[127] pp. : color and b/w ill. Hardcover, 16x22 cm. In Russian.

This 1963 photo album is a premier visual document of the "Soviet Riviera" during the height of the Thaw era. Published by the prestigious Iskusstvo house, the volume represents a sophisticated collaboration between two giants of Soviet photography: Ilya Shagin (1904–1982), a legendary photojournalist known for his iconic images of WWII and Soviet labor, and Evgeny Mikhailov, a master of architectural and landscape photography. Together, they created an artistic chronicle that transcends the typical souvenir guidebook.
The publication captured the architectural landscapes, parks, beaches, sanatoriums, and everyday life of the famous Black Sea resort during its heyday. The album showcases the grand Neoclassical "Stalinist Empire" style of the sanatoriums, such as the Ordzhonikidze and Metallurg, set against the lush, subtropical greenery of the Riviera Park and the Sochi Arboretum. Shagin’s humanistic lens brings a candid quality to the scenes of vacationers on the pebble beaches and the bustling maritime terminal, while Mikhailov’s technical precision captures the sun-drenched geometry of the city’s mid-century modernizing infrastructure.
The text, provided by seasoned journalists K. O. Hertzfeld and N. A. Oliferuk, frames Sochi not just as a geographical location but as a cultural ideal—the ultimate destination for the Soviet worker's rest and rejuvenation. The 1963 edition is particularly notable for its high-quality printing, blending black-and-white artistry with the vibrant, slightly nostalgic hues of early Soviet color film.
For historians of Soviet architecture, collectors of mid-century photography, and enthusiasts of Black Sea nostalgia, this album is a vital record of a city in transformation. it remains one of the most aesthetically pleasing representations of Sochi before the late-Soviet and modern redevelopments, capturing the unique "resort atmosphere" that defined the era.