[Tamila]

Another to keep in mind that the American picture became popular due to the exhibition not only in the U.S., but worldwide. Unlike the Soviet Union, where the work of photographers 1920-1930s, the 1960s were known only within the country, well, except for some (Rodchenko, El Lissitzky, etc.). For a long time "thanks to" the iron curtain Russian /Soviet photography was not open to the rest of the world, there was no show. Hence, the ratio of prices for Russian, American, French photographer.
In 1990 was released an album of photos of the Great Patriotic War (do not remember the name), it was compared photos of Russian and American military photojournalists, in Russian and English languages. It was very interesting. Of course, much has been done, but it also cost. In a world first saw pictures of the war by the Soviet photographers, and the quality of engineering pictures in no way inferior American. There were work Shaikhet, George Selma, Max Alpert, Robert Diament (his shooting Navy and Air Force are staggering), sister of Boris Ignatovich Olga Ignatowicz, Olga Lander (incidentally, the only women photographers in the war) and so on.
Disputes concerning the attitude to photography as an art has always been, from the opening images in the 19 century and still. In Russia the picture is no longer regarded as art, I think, since the 1930s, when "the highest degree of photography was regarded as photo essay" when instilled "a method of socialist realism." Hence, the attitude to photography and creative photographers.