FROM Russia with love – a fascinating exhibition of Soviet history is on show in Edenbridge.

TopFoto on Fircroft Way has launched a collection of images from the best photographers of the Soviet Union and modern Russia.

It will be open to the public until March 31, and has been curated by RIA Novosti, Russia's leading press service which has already shown images at London's Guildhall and the Imperial War Museum North.

Ralph Gibson, from RIA Novosti, said: "This is an exhibition we have developed over the last several years.

"We have been selecting images from different eras. We were trying to illustrate different aspects of the Revolution."

TopFoto's Flora Smith said: "The show includes World Press Award winners, such as Vladimir Vyatkin, whose image of soldiers in Chechnya won the Gold Medal in 2002.

"From the turmoil of the Russian Revolution, the exhibition then charts the tremendous changes Russia has undergone in the last 100 years, from the industrialisation of the 1930s, through WWII and the Cold War, the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 and developments since.

Russia's finest photographers are represented."

Guests to the launch evening enjoyed Russian vodka, tea, and traditional nibbles while they got a peek at the striking images.

Mr Gibson said the images on show were cherry-picked from more than one million photographs within the archive.

The Edenbridge venue had the chance to show the pictures due to a long-running partnership with the Russian agency.

He added: "We have been working with TopFoto for 20 plus years, as it is one of our agents in the UK. We are trying to give some idea of the history of Russia from 1917 onwards."

Entry to the event is free and the gallery is open between 9.30am and 5pm from Monday to Saturday. Anyone wanting to find out more can call 01732 863939.

What do you think about the exhibition? Let us know at www.thisiskent.co.uk/edenbridge