Mark Markov-Greenberg (1907-2006) was born in 1907 in Rostov-on-Don. Early in his life, he became involved in photography and during 1922 — 1923 was published in the local newspaper in the city section of accidents and criminal chronicle. In 1926, the young photojournalist went to Moscow, where he worked for various publications, in 1929 he became a photojournalist for the TASS Press cliché, and then a reporter for Soyuzfoto. Beginning in 1932, Markov-Greenberg was published in the journal Proletarian Photo.
As a reporter, Markov-Grinberg was formed by the era of 1920 – 1930s, which determined his perception. The Coal and Roses series, which the photographer shot in the Donbas region in 1933, is one of the most famous Soviet photo series of the 1930s. It was published not only in the USSR, but also in the German workbook «AIZ», in the French left-wing magazine «Regard», and the Belgian weekly «Tu». The movement towards the «heroic style», great photography fit into the general political context of the era. Mark Markov-Greenberg brilliantly embodied these trends. His best works — photographs of the «Sickle and Hammer plant», «The Cook», «The Girl with the Oar», «Happy Motherhood» and «The Turn of History» (on replacing eagles with ruby stars) — were designed to convince the viewer of the reality of a «heroic present» of the USSR. Nikita Izotov in a mining helmet, covered with coal dust, is photographed as a monument. This is a monument to the drummer, Stakhanovist. The miner is presented as an ancient hero defying the gods («Portrait of the Miner Nikita Izotov», 1934).
At the beginning of World War II, Markov-Greenberg worked as a signalman. In the first battle, he went with a telephony reel and a FED camera. In 1942, he was transferred by a photographer to the political department, and then to the newspaper of the 48th army, «The Word of the Fighter». Many of his military photographs have become textbooks today. Markov-Grinberg worked in Krasnoarmeyskaya illustrated newspaper from 1946 to 1953, then worked in publishing at the Agricultural Exhibition (ENEA), and from April 1957 — in the magazine «The club and the amateur.»
Photos of Markov-Grinberg participated in almost every major Soviet photo exhibition, starting with the brilliant display in 1935, where sixteen of his works were shown. His works have also been exhibited in Australia, Germany, France, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Denmark, Portugal, Yugoslavia, Singapore, Hungary, Romania, Poland and other countries.
