British glamour and decades of iconic film history stopped off in Moscow on Wednesday morning at the opening of an exhibition celebrating 50 years of James Bond at The Gallery on Solyanka.
Legendary photographer Terry O'Neill, who has shot the likes of Elizabeth Taylor, Frank Sinatra, and Brigitte Bardot, was joined by Caroline Munro, famous worldwide for her role as "Bond Girl" Naomi in "The Spy Who Loved Me."
Visitors can see costumes and sets from the movies as well as photographs of its stars and other memorabilia. In the basement is an immersive installation recreating the lair of the Soviet villain Grubozaboyshikov featured in "From Russia With Love." Katya Bochavar, the exhibition's curator, hopes this will "remind visitors of Bond's links with Russia, particularly during the Cold War."
Speaking to The Moscow Times, both O'Neill and Munro saw the humorous side to a Bond exhibition in Moscow, the home of many of 007's adversaries. "We're definitely in with the enemy!" O'Neill joked, while Munro commented that "this exhibition really goes to show just how much everything has changed in Moscow."
O'Neill's fondness for the city was clear: "It's a great place, it's alive. I always enjoy coming here."
For Munro, her first visit certainly hasn't disappointed: "It's even more amazing than I imagined. I got up this morning and went straight away to Red Square with my camera!"
"Its amazing that it's been 50 years. When we were on the set of 'Dr. No' we thought there would be maybe two or three more films. Now he is the definitive figure in cinema," commented O'Neill.
"The strength of the films is in their constant reinvention to reflect the times," Munro said.
"Although it would be nice to see a female Bond, I think he always has to be a man, otherwise it wouldn't be Fleming's Bond, would it?"
The exhibit runs to Nov. 20. Gallerya na Solyanka. 1/2 Solyanka Ulitsa. Metro Kitai Gorod. Tel. +7 (495) 628-4109.
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