№84/04 (4955) Russkaya Mysl e magazine Апрель 2017 Since 1880 was founded in 1880 April 2017 www.RussianMind.com Russian/English

Beautiful ITALY

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HEAD OF EDITORIAL BOARD Victor Loupan THE ITALIAN EDITORIAL BOARD Anatoly Adamishin Rene Guerra Dmitry Shakhovskoy ZABAGLIONE Peter Sheremetev Alexander Troubetskoy VICTOR LOUPAN Sergey Yastrzhembsky EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR David Draier MANAGING DIRECTOR Anastasia Mashkina [email protected] EXECUTIVE EDITOR Elizabeth Yurieva [email protected] PRODUCTION EDITOR Karina Enfenjyan [email protected] DESIGN Yuri Nor  e humorous title that the author [email protected] chose for his monumental masterpiece ADVERTISEMENT: means a lot. For Zimbaldone consists [email protected] of three thousand pages of brilliant DISTRIBUTION: prose where linguistics, study of [email protected] language and literature, philosophy, SUBSCRIBTION: politics, aesthetics, science, history, [email protected] ethics, short notes, great re ections, ADDRESS: 48 Langham Street W1W 7AY, London, ‘the art of being unhappy’, a theory United Kingdom of deriving pleasure, meditations on Tel: +44 (0) 203 205 0042 music and faith, metaphysics of nature, E-mail: [email protected] rationalism, praising of illusions, COVER DESIGN: ne of the most iconic Italian recollections, love, and boredom are Elizabeth Wya Opoets Giacomo Leopardi all mixed up in a stream of thoughts. (whose poems were translated into Italians idolize their Leopardi Russian by Anna Akhmatova) wrote because he – more than anybody a masterpiece of prose entitled else – is the embodiment of the deep Zimbaldone, which has not yet been essence of culture on the one hand translated into Russian or published and a playful a itude towards it on in Russia. In biographical databases the other. His ‘zabaglione’, which is it is mistakenly referred to as ‘A Diary extremely involved yet very easy for of Re ections’. Yes, it is a collection ‘intellectual digestion’, tells a great Editors are not responsible for the accuracy of the information published in news reports, of thoughts and meditations, but the deal about culture as an all-embracing promotional materials and advertisements. very word ‘zimbaldone’ means exactly concept without which life simply Editors do not have the ability to enter into ‘zabaglione’ – an Italian dessert that does not exist and cannot exist. correspondence and do not return manuscripts was created as far back as the sixteenth Italy is considered the birthplace and illustrations. Editors do not provide background information. Reproduction of any century by a great cook Bartolomeo of the European civilization that has materials from the magazine “Russian Mind” is Scappi. Zabaglione is a famous nurtured all of us, in all its complexity impossible without the permission of the editorial whipped egg yolk dish with addition and simplicity.  e French call it ‘art board. of various other ingredients. de vivre’. What to call it in Russian? It Cases of the absence of sale of the magazine For Leopardi, re ection and lo y will be ‘iskusstvo zhit’, that is, ‘the art “Russian Mind”, violations of the terms of delivery talks are a sort of metaphorical froth. of living’. and other shortcomings in our work may be reported on +44 (0) 203 205 0042 The Russian Mind publishing house thanks IMA-press holding or send on e-mail: company for support and publication of this issue. [email protected] CIRCULATION: 38 000 COPIES

RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 3 HIGHLIGHTS that is reasonable.  ere are also some Moreover, Italy is the home of the say, the social aspect of the ma a’s Russian painters there who try to ma a. We all think that we know what birth. But its structure, its internal imitate their Italian counterparts, and the ma a is like. Yes, it is a criminal organization which imitate those what they create is outright kitsch. organization whose structure is built of the Roman legions with their THE BEAUTIFUL Beautiful Italy is notable for its on the idea of family, with a complex hierarchy, are very interesting. And it beauty without diversity of colours communication mechanism – both is already culture! (and this makes it di erent from within the organization’s structure As opposed to the Italian ma a, SIMPLICITY other beautiful countries, such as and with the outside world.  e the formation of the Russian thieves’ Italy, more than any other country, embodies France). It is remarkable for its Russian thieves’ world [also ‘bratva’ world began much earlier, under European culture and civilization beautiful simplicity. Dwelling on – ‘fellowship’] is very di erent from Catherine II, as a free, or self- the true meaning of art, Leo Tolstoy the ma a.  at is why the term governing, community of solitary VICTOR LOUPAN, writes the following: ‘Correcting ‘Russian ma a’ is incorrect.  e very outcasts and marginal individuals head of the editorial board a pupil’s sketch, Karl Bryullov just word ‘ma a’ came from a dialect who rejected hierarchy and lived slightly touched it in several places, term common in one of the districts according to their own laws.  e n his li le known but wonderful fallen creature and who is trying to In his only but exceptional novel and the poor, lifeless sketch suddenly of Palermo, the capital of Sicily. It thieves’ world of Russia is a kind of I lm, Travelling  rough Italy, the rise by means of ‘cultivation’ of his  e Leopard, the Italian writer livened up. “Why, you have only means something between outward typical Russian anarchy, with debauch exiled  lm-director Andrei Tarkovsky ‘human life’ (as the writer Andrei Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa touched it a tiny bit, but it is now beauty, courage and quarrelsomeness. and liberty, while the ma a of Italy  guratively re ects on his and our Platonov said), or, more rudely, of his describes the  rst general elections a very di erent thing ,” one of the According to historians, the ma a is, above all, family, a strict hierarchy a itudes towards this country. It ‘everyday routine’. a er the victory of Garibaldi. A group pupils said. “Art begins where the came to existence in the second and, indeed, culture in the sense of is even not Italy in its geographical At the Renaissance period great of campaigning electors-nationalists, tiny bit begins,” Bryullov replied, thus half of the nineteenth century in ties with the national history. sense, but the place from which, Italian painters created grand images or patriots, walk along a Palermo expressing the most distinguishing the context of the formation and Italy has never been a great power. in many ways, European culture of the Madonna (‘Our Lady’), that street, shouting the following slogan characteristic of art with these words.’ establishment of the single state Many poor people always lived in originated. In order to understand the is, of the Mother of God, with a pure out: ‘Vote for Italy!’ And the people ‘A tiny bit’, this catch-phrase, is of the Kingdom of Italy, when the Italy. Millions of Italians le their meaning of the word ‘culture’ modern illumined face and eyes,  lled with who hear it ask themselves: ‘And what usually a ributed to Tolstoy himself, aristocracy was gradually supplanted motherland andwent o in search of a intelligent people need manifold nota holiness. But those who posed for is this? What is this Italy like?’ Italy although Leo Nikolaevich openly cited by the bourgeoisie. As a result living. You cannot imagine our world bene, references, sharp and  at notes. them were their mistresses, depraved was a new political term for them. Bryullov. Anyway, the description I of these historical changes many without Italy. Italy, more than any Initially the concept of women who frequented studios Italian as a literary language is have put above is true about Italy more peasants were driven away from their other country, embodies European ‘culture’ is associated with the and even inveterate prostitutes. young, too. Unlike other developed than for any other country.  e Italian centuries-old dwellings by the new culture and civilization… Not in a primary manifestation of human But, despite all this, people looked countries of Europe, the Italian cuisine alone, which is wondrous in its owners.  e destitution of these vacuous, declarative sense, but in its ‘civilisedness’ - agriculture, not the at  nished masterpieces and peninsula still has a host of simplicity, is worth I don’t know what. social pariahs was felt especially poetic component in the life of each sphere to which we usually a ach it. experienced beauty, which means that  ourishing dialects.  e deceased As compared with French culinary in Sicily, poor as it is. It was, so to one of us.  is means the transition from wild they got to know God. Tonino Guerra – a prominent skills, where everything depends nature (and humans are a part of it) So Italy appeared to be the very scriptwriter who collaborated with on the professionalism of a chef, to the state of something cultivated, place where the human genius of art Federico Fellini, Michelangelo skillfulness of cooking, complicated well-a ended, humanised, civilised. expressed itself, and it did it earlier Antonioni and other great Italian  lm formulas and dainty sauces, Italian  is is how polymaths used this than anywhere else and more clearly directors – was an outstanding writer cuisine is chie y based on the quality term in the eighteenth century. Of than ever. And it began in Ancient and poet as well. However, he wrote of the ingredients and the magic course, they knew music, literature, Rome. not in Italian but in his native dialect. simplicity of cooking: on the ability theatre, philosophy, history. But Yes, Ancient Greece had been  e vernacular relation, no doubt, not to overcook, not to over-roast and, there was no culture in the sense before. It was Ancient Greece that limited his readership, but Guerra in general, not to overdo.  e ‘tiny bit’, we use it nowadays. So culture is a created the theatre, architecture, considered it to be his duty, although with which genuine art begins, lies in metaphor! But a metaphor of what? sculpture, and mythology that then his knowledge of Italian was almost this moderation of true taste. How can we identify a cultured man? nurtured Rome. But a erwards incomparable. And the Italian men’s fashion alone Yes, we may state that a ‘cultured’ the Greece of Plato, Aeschylus and Russian writers such as Gogol, counts for a lot! And Italian design! (‘civilised’) person is not wild. But Archimedes simply became the Gorky, Merezhkovsky, and Brodsky And the Italian music – that’s Michelangelo, a man of genius and a Balkan Peninsula, while Ancient loved Italy. . Leo Tolstoy loved it too, another ma er! To begin with, leading  gure of world culture, used Rome gave the world Florence, albeit in a strange way, judging by Claudio Monteverdi is the founder of to  ght in taverns and was fond of Venice, the Renaissance. the episode of travelling of Karenina the new genre of opera! brawling! And Caravaggio, another I should remind the readers that and Vronsky. He does not speak Yes, opera as a music and theatre painter of genius, who created Italy is quite a new name.  is ironically of Italy (nothing of the genre. And Domenico Scarla i so many marvelous paintings on country (a united kingdom of sort!) but giggles at the Russians who was the  rst to compose sonatas – religious themes, was a murderer and Italy) actually appeared a century go there for their familiarization with the music form which later was a pervert. It is not a contradiction at and a half ago, a er the victory (in their opinion) ‘genuine’ culture. developed into symphony.  is all, for culture rises above man who of the progressive nationalist and Leo Nikolaevich bluntly jeers at this contribution into world culture Andrei Tarkovsky, Monte San Biagio, June 1982, created it… Above the man who is a revolutionary Garibaldi. Narcissistic voluptuary Vronsky – and cannot be overestimated. а photo from the collection of Tarkovsky

4 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 5 THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES a bell for the city tower in Aringo. stood in its place.  e Cathedral foundation was  nished, Aristotele Aristotele’s expertise as an engineer was almost completed when disaster travelled throughout Russia in order was necessary to li the bell into struck, and the building collapsed. It to acquaint himself with the ancient the tower.  e two worked together is not clear whether the collapse was Russian culture of architecture. THE ITALIAN again on another bell, which was because of structural instability and A er his travels, Aristotele decided completed in 1453. Aristotele used mistakes on the part of the architects to use the Dormition Cathedral in his experience from the previous or, as some accounts say, because an Vladimir as his model. In order to WHO REVAMPED RUSSIA partnership to design a special device earthquake that shook the site, but construct the new cathedral, new By ADAM MUSKIN to li the bell into place. the building had to be constructed material was necessary in addition As Aristotele continued developing anew, and Ivan III was not pleased. to the white stone that was le over as an innovative engineer and  e Pskov architects, upon from the previous project. Ancient architect, so too did his career examining the destroyed building, white stone from the Moscow suburb blossom. In 1447, he took over his came to the conclusion that “it of Myachkov was found suitable, and father’s projects, and together with would seem that neither mortar, nor Aristotele began drawing material his uncle he worked on a number of the stones were solid enough”, but from there. Bricks were also necessary. di cult engineering construction would not take the job of building a  e bricks that had been made for projects. One of the most stunning new cathedral themselves. Semyon the previous cathedral were deemed of these was the relocation of the bell Tolbuzin, the Russian ambassador, of poor quality, and Fioravanti built a tower in St. Marks in 1455, a er which was sent abroad to Italy to  nd a new brick factory on the banks of the the city of St. Marks rewarded him suitable specialist for the job. Moscow River to make new bricks that with a lifetime pension and privileges.  e meeting between Fioravanti were of higher quality and produced Fioravanti later straightened the bell and Tolbuzin most likely occurred to a single standard. tower in Cento, and at the church of in Rome, and a er signing a contract Fioravante introduced a number St. Angela in Venice. However, the in 1475, the 60 year old architect of innovations and new architectural former only stood for two days before le for the Principality of Moscow designs when construction  nally it collapsed, su ocating two people. with his son Andrey and his servant began.  e foundation of the cathedral  is would be one of Fioravanti’s few Pietro. Fioravanti’s work in Moscow was set about 4.5 meters deep, and failings, but nevertheless, Aristotele began with removing the remains of oak was pounded into the foundation le Venice immediately a er the the previous Dormition Cathedral. itself, a method never before seen incident and never returned. Astoundingly, cleaning the site for in Moscow.  e building itself was Fioravanti continued his work in the new cathedral took one week – completed in 1477; additions would Rome and in Bologna, but an event everything that had taken three years be made to the interior later, taking occurred which would change his life to build was completely removed in a another two years. On August forever, derailing his Italian career and mere seven days.  e remaining parts 15th, 1479, a ceremony was held playing a part in his eventual decision of the building were demolished by commemorating the opening. In to relocate to Russia. In June of 1473, a suspension ba ering ram custom another  rst for Russian architectural Aristotele was unexpectedly accused of designed by Fioravanti. When the history, the cathedral interior was not counterfeiting false coins.  e shocked ba ering ram was insu cient, the separated into smaller enclaves, but Italian was promptly arrested and  nal parts of the wall were stu ed with rather presented its entire volume in relieved of all his previous privileges tinder and set on  re.  ese remains one single space. Finally, by 1515, the and titles, even though the accusations would have been completely removed cathedral was complete. would eventually prove false. It was at even faster if the workers had been able Aristotele Fioravanti was a master this pivotal moment, however, in 1474 to keep up with Fioravanti’s e ciency. architect who claimed glory in Russia that he met the Russian ambassador Once the site was cleared, however, by constructing one building, but The Kremlin’s Dormition Cathedral was built by Bolognese architect Aristotel Fioravanti Semyon Tolbuzin, who had been sent Fioravanti did not rush to begin a piece of art nevertheless worthy to Italy to search for architects to work construction on the new cathedral. of comparison to many others. aving built up a prestigious and era to design buildings for the Kremlin 14th century in the city’s chronicle. in Moscow. Fioravanti knew how important it was However, it is impossible to claim Hpowerful state, Prince Ivan III complex in the centre of Moscow. Aristotele was an apprentice under Ivan III needed talented and that his new cathedral should blend that the Dormition Cathedral was decided to decorate his city with new  e Kremlin’s Dormition Cathedral his father, who was responsible for experienced specialists in short the traditions of ancient Russian his only outstanding contribution to buildings to re ect its grandeur. He was built by Bolognese architect a number of famous architectural order, as in 1474 a catastrophe had architecture with modern innovations Russia. A multitude of engineering wanted the most beautiful buildings, Aristotele Fioravanti. designs and restoration projects occurred in the Kremlin; Ivan III from Europe and he was categorically concepts a ributed to him had a the latest designs and the most Aristotele was born around 1415 around Bologna. Aristotele is  rst had commissioned two Russian opposed to simply transplanting great e ect on further construction cu ing-edge technology. So the in the Italian city of Bologna into a mentioned in the city chronicle in architects to build a new Dormition tastes and styles from Western Europe projects in both Russia and his native prince sent his servants to Italy to hire family of architects whose family can 1436, when he collaborated with the Cathedral within the Kremlin walls, that might not resound with the Italy, where as well only one of his the best architects of the Renaissance be traced back to the middle of the metalworker Gaspar Nadi to make replacing the ancient one that had Tsar. For that reason, as soon as the projects has survived.

6 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 7 THE DIALOGUE OF CULTURES he Russian-Italian Dialogue Forum In all turns of our history both As a result an organization with a T has already been successfully Italians and Russians tend to deviate long, but informative name, appeared: developing contacts between Russia from their path and go ‘to the le ’. e Russian-Italian Dialogue Forum and Italy for twelve years. is Forum We both dislike working on strict along the Civil Societies’ Line. us THE CENTENARY was conceived and realised with schedules and meeting deadlines – IMA began to investigate Italy – this the participation of the IMA-Press we are used to think in the terms time not at the amateur level, but as communication agency as an open of eternity. Our  rst word is always professionals, arranging a wide range OF THE COUNTRY informal arena for the discussion of the word of protest. Spartacus and of impressive events both in Russia On the people’s diplomacy and culturological experiments urgent problems of modern times and Giuseppe Garibaldi are not only and Italy. issues of Russian-Italian relations, and Italian heroes but, in some sense, our We have organised everything: folk for the development of public, cultural, heroes too. e Italian strike is like the dances of Russian Cossacks at Piazza and humanitarian cooperation. e Russian rebellion – it is ‘meaningless San Marco in Venice, ‘A Week of the agency’s General Director, Natalia and merciless’ [the words of the Russian Language’ with lectures of Astashkevich, shares her thoughts on Russian poet Alexander Pushkin]. our writers, master classes in cities’ this Russian-Italian project and tells why streets, a meeting in Rome dedicated IMA-Press loves Italy so much. Natalia to energetics, a concert performed speaks about IMA-Press’ culturological IMA-Press by Yuri Bashmet and Sergei Butman projects, taking the unusual creative and Italy at the old Abbey of San Galgano… project ‘ e 100th Anniversary of the And we could enumerate many other Country’ as an example. Our countries have much in com- events. e Russian-Italian projects mon, but we have always wanted to in which we have been privileged have more in common. Italy is one of to participate were very di erent, Italy the closest partners of Russia in Eu- yet each of them had a distinct and Russia rope. Our countries’ relations go far culturological element. beyond the scope of the o cial and From time to time at IMA-Press It is o en considered that Russians business contacts. It is not merely a we prepare projects that are non- and Italians resemble each other. is ma er of economy, it also means the specialised, but really make us and our is a ested to by the fact that Italy and mutual a raction of national mental- numerous friends very happy. Such Russia have taken a liking to each ities; the mysterious Russian soul is absolutely di erent events as meetings other, and this fondness cannot be interested in the Italian soul which is of a club of experts, holding of biennial undermined by any economic crises not less mysterious. Dostoevsky be- modern art exhibition festivals, or sanctions. lieved that ‘beauty will save the world’, the celebration of the anniversary Both Russians and Italians have and all of us know that Italy is  rst of of the  lm ‘ e Beginning’ at the had great periods of prosperity in all associated with beauty. e Ferra- ‘Illusion’ Moscow cinema and, of their history. ere are lots of cultural ri and Lamborghini sport car brands, course, creative New Year presents and historical parallels, and ‘points Marcello Mastroianni and Sophia are combined under the banner of of contact’ between our countries: Loren, arts, design… And there is not culturological projects. Nikolai Gogol, Fyodor Dostoevsky, a Russian who does not like Italian It would be impossible and even Maxim Gorky, Joseph Brodsky – all food! And guess where do our Russian unnecessary to tell your magazine of them visited Italy and admired it. compatriots go every year in pursuit of about all IMA-Press’ cultural e Moscow Kremlin and the palaces fashionable clothing? And what about initiatives. I will speak just on one of of St Petersburg were built by Italians. opera singing? ere are only three of- them, on a present . As a rule, Russian painters and  cial opera languages: Italian, German composers were pupils of their Italian and Russian. is is signi cant, too. counterparts. It so happened that the team of IMA-Press It is perhaps no coincidence that IMA-Press gave their priority to Italy. and the project in the Soviet era the Italian Fiat was Simply speaking, we love this country. of the century chosen out of more than a dozen We are frequent visitors to Italy, we automobiles from various countries adore its cities which have a wealth of e table cloth that we have and nations as the base model for artistic monuments andwhich are art designed, made and given to 1000 Zhiguli [a brand given to Lada cars in themselves. At a certain moment of our closest friends for the New in Russia]. Heads of the Soviet IMA-Press was charged with the task Year is called ‘ e 100th Anniversary automobile manufacturers must of implementing the mutual a raction of the Country’. How was this idea have felt the closeness of the national of the peoples and cultures in the conceived? Every year we think ‘A week of the Russian Language’ in Italy. Yuri Bashmet and Igor Butman, a concert at San Galgano characters as well. format of ‘the people’s diplomacy’. up an unusual New Year present.

8 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 9 was decided to use a normal kitchen same name], celebrated ‘October’ oil cloth for this historical experiment. holidays. e  rst fresh snow, your ere was room only for a shorter father with a banner, hurray! Hurray! version of the century’s history on the And then – the Olivier Russian salad oil cloth. In order not to deprive the and vodka as you come home from readers of the pleasure of familiarizing frost… We had a rather totalitarian themselves with the complete works, regime, our leaders ‘tightened the we decided to publish a separate screws’, but we cannot erase history. booklet with all the authors’ full texts And we cannot help but remember in addition to the table cloth. our blue tickets to the cinema for the e selection of the project’s events  lm e Sandpit Generals, an ice- is a result of the authors’ arbitrariness cream in a cup, a pair of compasses and arguing about tastes, so you with the name ‘goat’s leg’, striking shouldn’t regard this ‘table history’ as three chords on the Shikhovskaya a textbook. guitar [produced at the Soviet factory Meanwhile, the ‘historical’ table with the same name near Zvenigorod] cloth has proved a very useful and and the Pioneer camp’s hot cereal. informative accessory for kitchen What should we do with this old junk gatherings. ere was enough room heap that is so dear to our hearts? on it for a variety of themes which e elusive avengers have le us will be very good for table talks on the forever, rode away, on their faithful destiny of Russia and re ections on horses to the land of the red se ing the past. Do you want to talk about it? sun. Where should we return, if we …Many of us lived in the USSR for ever have such a desire? To the queue most of our lives. For very many years for a trailer tank of real cold kvass [a we walked towards a brighter future, traditional Russian so drink made of and this means a great deal in itself. bread] where they still remember us? We remember this path perfectly well, Maybe to a shared apartment where even if we still weren’t there then! at children of various USSR nationalities is emotional memory, if not genetic are watching the only TV in the memory. Lenin is still perceived  at and where the most interesting by many as if he were alive and his animated cartoon is ‘Well, Rabbit, Just thoughts are o en cited. And what You Wait!’ and there will be no be er about the Civil War? Who can forget animations? Or maybe to Zhiguli of these ‘elusive’ Chapay and Sukhov, the second model – the most beautiful Petka and Petrukha [characters of the car in the world a er Pyaterka (‘the popular Soviet  lms Chapaev and Five’)? Or to the  rst viewing of the White Sun of the Desert]?... And we Amarcord comedy-drama  lm on are making our bright way along the ‘a wonder of engineering’ – the  rst Volga-Volga River [these are allusions Soviet MV-12 videocasse e recorder? to the famous Soviet musical comedies What have we preserved and what Bright Way and Volga-Volga]! You have have we lost for good? a light heart, you enjoy your work and Don’t worry, nothing has An oilcloth, a package and a booklet. The package is like an enlarged copy of a matchbox of the 1970s. The authors of the life! Everything is so nice! And you will disappeared! Everything is kept on project’s texts: music critic Artem Vargaftik, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Russian National Big Book Literary Prize De nitely this date is an excellent never leave your friend, if tomorrow the table. Vladimir Grigoryev, historian Alexei Muravyev, journalist Leonid Parfyonov, film expert Kirill Razlogov, architecture critic idea for a New Year project. We brings war, if tomorrow we march [a Do come to see us, or invite us to Grigory Revzin, Academician Andrei Khazin, theatre expert and public figure Mikhail Shvydkoy. therefore asked friends of IMA- quotation from the Soviet patriotic see you! We will have both a forum Press, experts of history, cinema, song, If Tomorrow Brings War]… and a dialogue. We will sit round the We begin to prepare it for the next So if we are asked: ‘Which country is remains ours, and we cannot exist science, theatre, literature and music Beyond all doubt, there was kitchen table (according to a tradition New Year well in advance, starting celebrating its 100th anniversary?’, we without it. It is only here that we can to remember the signi cant and intelligence, honour and conscience, observed by Muscovites) with a table immediately a er taking down our will answer: ‘It is the same country, work, love, raise our children, build remarkable events that occurred over we ‘worked over and above the plan’, cloth on it, and will have a talk… New Year tree. So we had  gured our only motherland.’ Many things and live. We feel that we are needed these 100 years. Li le by li le the and ‘long live all this.’ We launched About Russia, about Italy and each of out that 2017 would be dedicated to have changed over 100 years: the by someone else here. e weight of idea was developed: to place all these the sputnik (arti cial satellite), we had us. We have a common past – and such the 100th anniversary of the Russian territory, the political system, the  ag our common past paradoxically helps events of the century on to a table physicists and lyricists [an allusion to a great past! So we will surely have a Revolution before many other people. and even the name, but the country us move forward. cloth. In order to avoid theatrics, it the poem by Boris Slutsky with the common future.

10 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 11 INTERVIEW n his talk with Olga Privalova the natives of England and America; it was (a kind of horse race) is another Idocumentary lmmaker Sergei here that numerous Hollywood lms excellent festival, and we even shot Yastrzhembsky shared the stories of were set. First of all, for me Tuscany is one lm about it. It is held twice a his travels through Italy. a wonderful treasury of works of art. year, on 2nd July and 16th August, THE ITALY Florence alone can o er Sergei Vladimirovich, in your view, around  y museums which region of Italy represents the and art galleries to lovers OF SERGEI whole country best? of museums. Another remarkable feature is Each of its twenty regions. Every that this part of Italy YASTRZHEMBSKY time you ask an Italian citizen where has largely preserved its While travelling through Italy, it is better not to see much he hails from, he will name his home medieval appearance. but to get a deeper understanding and insight of what you see town, province or region, and very few Here you feel the Italians will say that their motherland atmosphere of medieval is Italy. It’s amazing that every single cities, cities of the Italian takes a pride on his place of Renaissance, you stroll birth. I have seen very many places along these astounding in Italy, its most famous cities and li le streets, admire towns have been open for travellers the houses that have for a long time, but what is really to my retained characteristics taste and what I know best is Florence, of medieval architecture, the capital of Tuscany, along with admire the palaces of numerous small Tuscan towns, each Frescobaldi, Strozzi, of which is incomparably charming in Medici – all of them its own way. Among them are Siena, have survived unaltered Arezzo, San Gimignano, Volterra and through the centuries. It others. In order to get an idea of what is above all to be credited to Italians at the main city’s cathedral square – Italy is like you will need to travel from themselves who take good care of Piazza del Duomo.  ere is a similar north to south. If we take Rome alone, their cultural heritage. surviving festival in Arezzo which is that is a whole huge world where you Landscapes of Tuscany are also related to medieval knights and will want to come back over and over particularly beautiful and magnetic, traditions. And virtually all towns again, to be absorbed in its spirit and even more beautiful than in the rest of of Tuscany have their own festivals to discover its new images every time. Italy. For example, the famous valley which gather all local residents at the Cuisine in Italy varies greatly of Val d’Orcia between Florence main town square. from region to region. When you and Siena has been recognized as a cross the invisible border between UNESCO World Heritage site. As a person who knows this Umbria and Tuscany and visit the Not long ago a photo album, ‘Italy country ‘from inside’, what can you rst restaurant that you come across, by Sergei Yastrzhembsky’, came out. tell us about its problems? you will inevitably feel that you are in And I am proud of it because it has another region. Recently I discovered the highest quality level of printing, Beyond all doubt, there are no re- the Umbrian town of Gubbio for and it was published in Russia by gions which can say that they have ab- myself and my family, it has remained the Melikhov publishing house. It solutely no problems.  e south of It- practically intact since the Middle contains a collection of my most aly has more acute problems and they Ages. It is not far from another town, favourite photographs that I took over are mainly related to the ongoing ex- Assisi, which is a great pilgrimage eight – ten years in these regions. odus of migrants; one of its victims is centre, a racting pilgrims and tourists In Italy, and especially in Tuscany, the small island of Lampedusa – thou- from all over the world. Indeed one folk traditions and festivals are being sands of people are migrating there by could talk about Italy for hours and lovingly preserved. Carnivals of fair means or foul. Italy has been suf- hours with excitement. Venice and other seaside towns are fering from this uncontrolled process famous worldwide. As for Florence, and it o en has to meet the blows all How did Tuscany win your heart? its well-known ‘calcio storico’ is alone and to spend its budget for the still alive – it is the city’s historic solution of the problems which should Historically, very many foreigners football spectacle which combines be solved by the whole European Un- se led in Tuscany. It became the elements of rugby, football and men’s ion. However, as is generally known, second home to a large number of wrestling.  e famous ‘palio di Siena’ the EU countries are deeply split re-

12 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 13 garding this issue.  is problem pro- it is a city of old people; and the in summer months. At present there vokes a smouldering discontent which majority of working residents of Venice are plans to set limits for the numbers spills over to the local press. But the came here from other EU countries. I of visitors permi ed, in the tourist Italians are a responsive and would certainly season in particular, as has already kind-hearted na- not recommend been done by Machu Picchu in Peru. tion, they have ex- anybody to visit treme compassion Venice during the Apart from the well-trodden which is directed, summer season tourist routes, what else can you among others, or carnivals on recommend people to visit in Italy? toward refugees. account of great Any special sights?  ey are right to multitudes of put this question: tourists.  ere I never liked travelling on a group they are unable are crowds of tour, when virtually nothing depends to counteract this in ux on their people and serious problems with on you and your tastes and interests own and they should receive addi- services.  e best time to visit Venice are seldom taken into account. So, tional resources from the EU budget is winter – it is extremely beautiful if you have such an opportunity, I as well. Fortunately for the Italian res- even in the rain.  is place is full of would suggest travelling on your idents, Italy is not ‘the manna from romance. Hordes of tourists are the own; however, this ‘individual heaven’ that the overwhelming major- problem not only of Venice, they are a tourism’ requires a lot of preliminary ity of refugees are craving for – they challenge for other major Italian cities preparation. Maybe it sounds are a racted by more powerful EU too. Responding to these challenges cynical, but if only few days are countries with considerably higher the mayors of Italian cities which are devoted to Florence, then you can social bene ts and privileges. tourist destinations (mainly Rome, see the splendid U zi art collections Venice, Florence are a empting to with the help of ne albums instead And what can you say of the reduce the number of visitors. For of visiting the actual galleries; current influx of tourists to Venice? example, Florence has not built any likewise, instead of spending hours many occasions, both with children cannot be found anywhere outside abroad tend to relax their vigilance new hotels a long time; and that is in long queues you can visit the and on my own as I was preparing for Italy. And, of course, these small and become victims of frauds, street Most of today’s residents of Venice no coincidence, given the fact that fantastic Museum of Anthropology shooting of my documentary lms. Tuscan towns are precious. Let us take thieves, and pilferers.  ese steal are not Venetians by birth.  ere are the city can hardly survive due to and Ethnology which is part of  is museum houses a great number San Gimignano with its ne amazingly people’s expensive things, snatch bags very few young people and, in general, the onslaught of tourists, especially University of Florence. I visited it on of artefacts connected with the preserved medieval towers. Similar from their hands and remove their celebrated English explorer Captain towers (which had the same functions watches. Unlike the northern regions, James Cook – most of his voyage with those of San Gimignano, but incidents like these are a common collection had been sold to Florence. have di erent architecture) can be occurrence in Naples. I have not seen a richer Polynesian found at Svaneti in Georgia and in Secondly, there is a cliché that collection in any countries, including the Chechen Republic in Russia. And all food in Italy is very good, but, Polynesia itself.  ere are also very the town of Volterra with its Etruscan unfortunately, this is not true. Tourism interesting objects from everyday Museum is a must, too. destroys a lot, and when a restaurant life and cultural items of the native While travelling through Italy, it is visited by thousands of customers peoples of the Russian north.  e is be er not to see much but to get a per day, you cannot expect the chefs fact is that early in the twentieth deeper understanding and insight of and other sta to be sensitive to the century expeditions to Chukotka what you see. It should be investigated needs of everyone.  e same is with were organised and Italians brought step by step. cuisine. For example, food service on unique objects from there which some popular tourist routes in Venice were a rarity even in most Russian What stereotypes about Italy is sometimes very poor. Here is my cities, such as cloaks made of sh would you like to dispel? advice: if the hotel sta are Italians, leather. I also had one exhibition at ask them about the restaurants they that museum which was dedicated to I would say that there are too many themselves frequently visit so that you shamanism. I would also recommend negative stereotypes about Russia could enjoy Italian food in a nice quiet the National Museum of Bargello in and there are too many positive atmosphere. Florence which possesses a superb stereotypes about Italy at the same And I would not advise you to collection of sculptures. time. Two points are worthy of visit Italy in summer months, unless You don’t have to be fans of just the notice here. Firstly, there has been a the purpose of your trip is shopping most famous museums because in high level of the and other crimes and sunbathing. Summer will not many other museums you will nd of this category in the city of Naples. be conducive to your in-depth an abundance of the treasures that Many people during their holidays exploration of Italy.

14 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 15 CULTURE it is called “Borgo” in Italian. It is just phrases. But since I was a shameless magnol dialect. It was important to It subsequently emerged that a cluster of old houses, a church, with seller of my own imagination [as Ton- them to hear it, to hear these words, one of the camp labourers had had a large number of abandoned co ages ino used to say – auth.], this same regardless of the content. And I would a pencil with him and had wri en around. And I visit them frequently. scene later appeared in the  lm Good prepare for it all the day. Of course, down all Guerra’s poems. Later, TONINO GUER ’S And I have now remembered these Morning, Babylon, by the Tamiani there were neither pens nor pencils in already a er the war, they were abandoned houses for the following brothers.’ From that time on Eleonora the camp. And, in order to survive, I published. At that time Tonino was reason. When we are over forty, we spent long evenings translating these began to compose poems to myself – a student at University of Urbino. RUSSIAN WIFE o en come up to the window and see notes. us the woman learned Ital- it was easier to memorize them this ‘When I returned to my homeland He won two Oscars and was honoured with the title of Best not what is actually behind it but what ian, thus Tonino won her heart forev- way (these were rhymes). And be- a er war, I recounted all that had European Screenwriter, but his greatest reward always was the we want to see there. For example, I er, and that same cage with the notes fore Christmas even the lorry, which happened to me at the concentration opportunity to work and create o en recognize Russia in that valley (which have already turned yellow) used to deliver that skilly (thin soup) camp to many people: friends, which can be seen from my window. still exists. ‘But I still cannot  gure of several cabbage leaves to the cap- acquaintances and strangers. It is By ELIZABETH WYA e older you get the more you begin out which words he meant. Tonino tives, overturned. And in the end we perhaps due to these stories that to shun the things which make the wrote: “Today I want to speak to you were given nothing on that day. And I eventually ended up in the  lm spectacle of life or the masterpieces with round words.” at is the way it then my fellow-inmates asked me: industry,’ Tonino relates. ‘I never which a ract many tourists. When is,’ Lora shares her memories of him. “Please, don’t recite poems any more. wrote about those times. Although you grow old, something happens in- ‘I have strained relations with the lit- Instead, recollect and tell us how to it was a rather dramatic period of my side you and it makes you understand tle town of my childhood. I even don’t cook tagliatelle.” Tagliatelle is a kind life, it prompted me to think of life, that the music of rain is the best con- like to return there. It has remained in of home-made pasta. “Will I tell you?” love and death very seriously. And in cert in life, that the greatest spectacle my memory only in black and white I asked. “Yes, please do!” they replied. this sense the period was fabulous. I is when snow falls, and, as the excel- colours. It is like a black-and-white So I began to recall how my mother was happy and content many times in lent Italian  lm director Ermanno  lm,’ Guerra used to say. His birth- had cooked it in my childhood. “So I my life, but the happiest moment was Olmi once said, there is nothing be er place was the town of Santarcangelo di am si ing  our on the table. Adding when I was released in Germany and than having a cup of co ee with your Romagna, in the province of Rimini, water. But there are many of you, so I could look at a bu er y without a friends!’ he used to explain. and it is there that Federico Fellini, his I will whisk a lot of eggs. Now I am desire to eat it,’ Guerra admi ed. ‘I am Russian by my wife,’ Tonino close friend and colleague, was born, going to roll out dough. Look.” And Much later, having gone through Guerra used to repeat. He met his too. Did Guerra and Fellini know in then I began to “cut, cut and cut noo- tribulations and disappointments, the Eleonora in 1975 in Moscow when he their youth that they would produce dles”. And all of them were looking at  rst encounter with Rome, unemploy- came there together with Michelange-  lms and that their names would be- me, coming nearer one a er another. ment and other trials, Tonino Guerra lo Antonioni for a  lm festival – and come the trademark of Italian and even I went on with my story: “Meanwhile became so popular that he had to work ever since that day they always were world  lm-making?.. e former was water is boiling. ‘on two fronts’, as together. And Guerra more and more to become a prominent screenwriter, Look, I am throw- the phrase is. He put down roots in Russian culture: and the la er – a great  lm director. ing tagliatelle into wrote for Fellini, learned the language, became Honor- For before the Second World War both water.” And at last he collaborated ary Doctor of Gerasimov All-Russian of them earned their living by drawing: I began to o er with Antonioni. State University of Cinematography, Fellini sold his caricatures in the streets the “cooked tag- ‘Each of them took and was awarded an Order of Friend- of Rome, while Guerra worked as a de- liatelle” to every- from me what he ship. In addition to this, he worked signer for newspapers and magazines. body: “Do you needed. All three together with Russian  lm directors. But the war do ed the I’s and crossed want? And what of us are Romag- It was Guerra who wrote the screen- the t’s. During his imprisonment at about you? And noli and Emiliani. play for the  lm Nostalgia by Andrei Troisdorf concentration camp, where you? Will I sprin- Each of us hails Tarkovsky. Yet his romance with Lora he (like thousands of his compatriots) kle parmesan from the same re- (this is how he called his wife Eleono- had been sent during the war, Guerra cheese on your gion of Italy. And ra) was an extraordinary one. He did started composing poetry in his home pasta?” I “distrib- when we were not know a single word in Russian, Romagnol dialect and writing prose. uted” this “pas- boys we had the onino Guerra is a scriptwriter, a with the title of Best European Screen- while she did not speak Italian. ‘Dur- ‘I was about twenty when Fascists ta” among all of them. And it was so same jokes as well,’ he used to say. T poet, an artist, and a designer of writer and received other awards, but ing our walks we once came to a bird took me, transferred me to the Ger- quiet… Soon one of them rose and And Tonino also had a dream: he fountains. e peasant childhood and his only greatest reward always was the market where I bought Lora an empty mans who sent me to the camp. I was u ered: “Please, can you give me a dreamed that one day one of his foun- a German concentration camp, life in opportunity to work and create. On the cage, and a erwards we went to her held there together with natives of second helping?” “Here you are. Of tains would appear in Moscow. A er Rome and collaboration with the great 16th of March Tonino Guerra would apartment… As I initially felt timid in Emilia Romagna. I was the youngest course,” I answered. He came up to all, he decorated the cities he loved  lm directors Federico Fellini, Michel- have turned ninety-seven. my relationship with her, I asked her of them. When in the evenings we me and I gave him “another helping”. dearly. Unfortunately, he did not live angelo Antonioni, eo Angelopoulos, Once he told his wife, Eleonora to give me some paper and began to came back to the barracks a er our And at that moment I realised that long enough to realise his dream. But Andrei Tarkovsky and many others – Yablochkina, that he felt like an aban- write. And I  lled that cage with my labours - exhausted, hungry and feel- when you are listening to someone he did hope that someone else would all of this can be found in his biography. doned house. Why so? Why a house? numerous notes with phrases that I ing chilly - my fellow-citizens wanted who is talking about food you can feel be imbued with this idea and the foun- He won two Oscars, was honoured ‘I live in the small town of Pennabilli; came up with. ese were romantic me to speak to them in the native Ro- full. It is possible,’ Guerra recalled. tain would appear nevertheless.

16 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 17 CULTURE IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF RUSSIANS IN FLORENCE DARIA KLIMENKO e doors inhale air and exhale steam; e wealthy Demidov family made the right of the main entrance to the but you will not return here, where, generous contributions to restore Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. breaking into pairs, the crowds go strolling the great monuments of Florence, e connection of the Demidov by the Arno’s failing stream, like some Brodsky and Tarkovsky praised the family with Florence began with new breed of quadruped; city in their work, while Dostoevsky Nikolai Nikitich Demidov who in doors slamming behind them, beasts and Tchaikovsky usually stopped at 1819 moved to Tuscany to recover appearing on the roadway. Florence during their travels through his health and stayed there forever. Truly, there is something of the woodland Europe. All of them le their imprints Florence and the region of Tuscany shade about this city. It is a handsome on Florence in one way or another. became his second motherland. city, Yet at a certain age you simply turn Russians became interested in According to di erent sources, up your collar, shu ing out its people  om Florence and  rst arrived there Demidov served there as Russian your gaze. as far back as 1439. It was related Ambassador or as charge d’a aires to one signi cant religious event at the court of Tuscany, and he won Joseph Brodsky, – the Florentine Union, that is, a fame among ordinary Italians by his December in Florence, failed a empt to unite the Russian generosity, love for the arts and large- 1976 Orthodox and the Catholic Churches. scale charitable activities. From that time on the city was visited In a public garden, located at a square lorence is a wonderful forge of by Russian pilgrims (who brie y with the name Piazza Demido , the Fskilled men. is cradle of the looked round the city and hastened to grateful residents of Florence installed Renaissance produced such great Rome and Bari) along with Russian a white marble monument to the geniuses that all other cities can only intellectuals, captivated by Dante  rst member of the Demidov family sigh and envy. is small city was home and the masters of the Renaissance. in Florence – Nikolai. It was Anatole to Donatello, Leonardo, Raphael, Among them were also the so- Demidov who commissioned Lorenzo Michelangelo, who nearly elbowed called ‘holiday-makers’ who came to Bartolini to sculpt this statue. e one another there. One could bow Florence for long periods to improve symbols that represent the might and down low to Florence for Bo icelli, da their health and eventually stayed the merits of Demidov are interesting: Vinci and Buonarroti alone. And these there forever, becoming the patrons Nikolai himself is depicted as a Roman are just a few names among the many of art and collectors. ese were senator, pressing his son Anatole to his talented  gures… Gio o, Masaccio, followed by emigrants, among whom bosom, and a female  gure beside him Ghirlandaio, Filippino Lippi, we can include Dostoevsky, Brodsky, symbolises gratitude and presents him Verrocchio, Fra Angelico, Piero della Tarkovsky and others. with a laurel wreath. At the corners Francesca, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Filippo Wherever you might stay within of the pedestal are four statues- Brunelleschi and, lastly, Dante. Florence, try to start your tour of the allegories: Nature, Arts, Mercy, Siberia I would need to use the encyclopaedia city with the Duomo. is symbol of (by the way, ‘Siberia’ holds Plutus in order to continue this long list, Florence comprises three buildings: – the Greek pagan god of wealth – and then the entire article would the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, with a bag of money, symbolising the consist only of the names of great the Baptistery with the golden Gates Demidovs’ glut of wealth). Take note Florentines. Foreign luminaries loved of Paradise by Ghiberti and Gio o’s of this feature: only the fourth  gure, this  owering city as well. Dostoevsky, Bell-tower. ‘Siberia’, is fully clothed and wears Tchaikovsky, Tarkovsky and Brodsky Looking at the Duomo’s interesting a hat – an indication that all Italians lived here. Although Brodsky is more façade, one should remember that its are aware of occasional extreme cold associated with Venice, Joseph visited construction was largely  nanced by weather in Russia. the capital of the Renaissance and was the Demidovs, factory owners from On his arrival in Florence Nikolai inspired by it. Perhaps only Alexander the Urals. is family’s coat of arms Nikitich founded a home for orphans Blok was not impressed by Florence. is situated in the place of honour – to and the elderly at this square, which Lorenzo Bartolini, the monument to Nikolai Demidov at Piazza Demidoff, Florence

18 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 19 was called ‘Demidov Asylum’. Today of art. His son Anatole  nanced the elements of white, green and pinkish its façade is adorned with a high restoration of Santa Croce Church’s marble. relief of Nikolai Nikitich. e asylum front and acquired works of Perugino, If you pass round the cathedral on stands close to Palazzo Serristori Giorgione, Tiziano, and Tintore o, the le side, you will  nd yourself in (to the le of the monument in and received the title of Prince of San the street with the name Via dei Servi, the public garden – 21 Lungarno Donato (named a er the family villa leading to Santissima Annunziata Serristori), where Demidov initially outside Florence) from the Grand Square. Here, near the house no. 2, lived. Today this building is closed, Duke of Tuscany. Pavel Demidov, we can remember another compatriot but its neglected exterior can gladden Anatole’s nephew, opened schools of ours, Count Dmitry Petrovich the eyes of many photographers and in Florence, cheap dining halls, and Buturlin. lovers of the antique. shelters for the homeless. In addition e Buturlins, natives of Moscow, By coincidence, the name of Nikolai to this, he donated 38,000 lire (in following the terrible  re of 1812, Demidov is remembered throughout the nineteenth century there was when they lost their huge library, this district of Florence: the district still a system by which the value of a became the  rst Russian emigrants itself is named a er St Nicholas the currency was de ned in terms of gold; in Italy (1818). Se ling down in Wonder-worker, and there are also a this sum was equal to hundreds of Florence, they began to collect books street, an arch and a church with the thousands euros) for the restoration again in the splendid Renaissance same name there. And Florentines work and completion of the façade of mansion called Palazzo Montauti- o en joke that if the locals are used the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, Niccolini (today - Palazzo Niccolini) to meet near the statue of David, which until the nineteenth century in the very centre of the city. Until then Russian patriots should go out had been covered with unpolished recently this mansion was labelled on a date near the monument to stone (San Lorenzo Cathedral has a on the city maps as Palazzo Buturlin, Demidov. Nikolai Demidov donated similar façade). Today tourists’ eyes while the façade still retains the coat money to hospitals, helped the poor, are fairly dazzled at the sight of the of arms of Dmitry Petrovich Buturlin. and was a keen collector of works numerous sculptures and decorative Now this mansion is used as a luxury hotel where the whole nineteenth- century interior has been preserved. If you ask for permission, you will be allowed to see not only the mansion’s courtyard, but also its interior (enter through its gate and on your le go up the stairs to the  rst  oor). Moving along Dei to Italy. e poet passed away in the 1986 and where he wrote the scripts Ilyich Tchaikovsky lived and worked Cerchi, you can reach same year in the USA. to his last  lms, ‘Nostalgia’ and ‘ e in this villa, where, of the boundless the square called della Not long ago a plaque appeared Sacri ce’. ere are similarities in the plains of Russia and the sweet hills of Signoria and the town on a rather modest house, 91 Via fates of these two masters – Brodsky Tuscany he materialised the undying hall, called Palazzo San Niccolo, Florence, which reads: and Tarkovsky. Both of them loved harmonies of both regions.’ Wecchio. It was here that ‘Andrei Tarkovsky, a peerless  lm Florence, both spent the  nal years It is not the only place in Florence in March 1996 Joseph director on spiritual themes, an exile of their lives there, both became where Tchaikovsky stayed during his Brodsky was given a in Florence, spent the  nal years of Honourable Citizens of Florence. visits to this city. However, the hotels title of the Honourable his life in this house. A guest and By the way, if you are a big fan of So tel and Washington are not so Citizen of Florence Honourable Citizen of the city of Andrei Tarkovsky’s works, then you romantic places to have such beautiful for his contribution to Florence.’ can take a short tour of Florence’s words le on their walls, as opposed world culture and was ‘Florence is the city that gives surroundings, visiting the places to Villa Bonciani which is situated in awarded the Golden back your hope,’ this is what the  lm where the  lm ‘Nostalgia’ was shot. Via San Leonardo, one of the pre iest Florin – a replica of the director, who had become a homeless ese are the un nished cathedral of streets of Florence. medieval Florentine wanderer in Europe, wrote. e San Galgano and the pool at Bagni It was at a hotel near this mansion coin. Florence city hall gave him a room Vignoni. that Nadezhda Filaretovna von Meck, at trip to Florence in Via San Niccolo, where the great Notice the memorial plaque at 64 a great admirer of Tchaikovsky’s talent In March 1996 Joseph Brodsky was given a title of the Honourable Citizen of Florence for his contribution to world culture in 1996 was his  nal visit Russian director resided from 1983 till Via San Leonardo: ‘In 1878 Pyotr and his patron for many years, lived.

20 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 21 Florence inspired one more great Russian man. ‘Late in November, 1868, we moved to the then capital of Italy and took up our residence near Palazzo Pi i. e move proved wholesome for my husband and we began to visit churches, museums and palaces,’ this is what Anna Grigoryevna Snitkina, second spouse of Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, wrote in her reminiscences. e exact address of Dostoevsky’s home in Florence remained unknown. However, in the twentieth century the poet Yevgeny Yevtushenko examined documents of that time and found out that Dostoevsky had lived ‘Florence is the city that gives back your hope,’ this is what Tarkovsky, who had become a homeless wanderer in Europe, wrote. at 22 Via Guicciardini, where later a memorial e composer communicated with nicknamed e Queen of Spades plaque appeared. According to some von Meck for thirteen years only by ‘ e Florentine opera’ because it was evidence, it was there that in 1869 correspondence and never met with created on the banks of the Arno River. Fyodor Mikhailovich completed work her in person. Nadezhda Filaretovna e famous opera was put on the stage on his famous novel, e Idiot, which gave him extensive  nancial support, again in 1974, and in 1999 it opened he had been writing ng for seventeen but wished to remain practically the May Festival. Tchaikovsky became months. unknown to the object of her a ached to Florence and more than Dostoevsky  rst visited the city of admiration. once said that it was his most beloved Florence in 1862 together with the Tchaikovsky was passionate about and desirable city. And it came to literary critic Nikolai Nikolaevich Florence, called it an excellent source pass that the composer obtained a Strakhov, and later, following wasteful of inspiration, the city which nurtured house, or, to be more exact, a villa in travels across Europe, he returned creative personalities and his second Florence. What is most remarkable there with his new wife, Anna Snitkina, home. It was in theWashington Hotel is that this villa was where the famous opera e Queen provided for him by his of Spades was composed, and it was patron Nadezhda von  rst performed at the City eatre of Meck. who supported the writer  nancially. Pietro Vieusseux who was of Swiss our happy future,’ Anna Grigoryevna Opera and Ballet. is hotel stood at Tchaikovsky also Florence a racted Dostoevsky by its descent], which received all the major wrote. 8 Amerigo Vespucci Embankment, dedicated his famous clement climate and the library. books published in Europe. Today this now it is a popular tourist bar . But I sextet to his beloved According to Anna Grigoryevna’s collection is housed at Palazzo Strozzi. ere are cities to which one cannot wonder if its customers are aware of Florence. He particularly evidence, ‘a  ne library with a reading ‘ e doctor instructed me to walk a return. this building’s signi cance for world liked to dedicate his room and two Russian newspapers lot, so every day Fyodor Mikhailovich e Sun beats on their windows as music and that early in 1890 the great compositions to the were found’ and the writer ‘used to and I went to the Giardino Boboli though on polished mirrors. composer in one breath, over forty- places where he used to call at the library for reading daily gardens (situated behind the Pi y And it means that no amount of gold will four days, composed here his most stay that played a special a er dinner.’ It was the scienti c and Palace), where roses were blooming make their hinged gates turn… favourite brainchild, e Queen of role in his life and were literary Gabine o Vieusseux [the in spite of January. ere we would (Joseph Brodsky, Spades. e sophisticated Florentines dear to his heart. library, founded in 1819 by Giovan bask in the sunshine and dream of December in Florence)

22 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 23 RELIGION has plenty of space, so one could build e Venetians showed indignation here and venerate the relics. So now ture and art. Are Orthodox pilgrims a special huge church or monastery for with Maria because she wore make-up, we have many more pilgrims. interested in them? Do you succeed keeping the most precious relics in it. and used knives and forks . In one of his Moreover, there are those who go in drawing their attention to art? But Venice is a compact city, so mak- treatises Peter Damian, a prominent on pilgrimages on their own (and We hope to succeed in it one way THE UNKNOWN ing a special reliquary for the relics in theologian of that time, wrote that Ma- their number is increasing) and those or another. ‘Culture’ is derived from one of its churches was the most that ria used ‘a pitchfork similar to that with who come to venerate these holy ob- the Latin word ‘cultus’, so the true cul- could be done. which Satan torments sinners in hell.’ jects during their holidays in Italy. ture is always cultocentric. By drawing LIFE OF ORTHODOX e desire to describe all these And wearing make-up was considered ey are not pilgrims in the full sense nearer to the sacred things culture ac- shrines appeared soon a er my ar- disgraceful. But it is unknown how the of this word, but it is faith that inspires quires wholeness and reasonability, rival to Venice. First I made a general relations between Maria and the Vene- them to visit Venice. It can be said that but by dri ing away from faith it be- VENICE list of them for myself, then drew up a tians could have developed: the prin- at the present time Orthodox pilgrims comes cold and cruel. It is very inter- By drawing nearer to the sacred things culture acquires more detailed list, and with time add- cess died of plague, having lived in the are an integral part of Venice. esting to follow the evolution of paint- wholeness and reasonability, but by drifting away from ed descriptive notes to it; and a er city for only one year. ing, plastic arts and architecture down faith it becomes cold and cruel that I wanted to  nd out how these And do many people use your the centuries: works of art gradually relics had ended up in Venice. e at- An interesting story. And how did guide-book? dri away from the Church, dri ing OLGA BOGDANOVA tribution of quite a number of the rel- you collect all this information? Basically the guide-book is intend- from theosis towards humanization, ics is still the subject of controversy, Where did you get the material? ed for those who travel on their own, from theology towards humanism. and I wanted to know why Venetians By the time I was sent to serve in because a pilgrimage group is led by a Despite this tendency, a host of out- claim to be the possessors of genuine Venice I could speak Italian quite well, quali ed guide who will de nitely tell standing architects, sculptors, painters relics. us, li le by li le my book so I just visited local churches (most- the faithful about the most signi cant worked in Venice in order to glorify was created. ly Catholic churches, of course) and sacred sites and shrines of the city. the very same saints who are vener- spoke with priests. Catholics showed ated by Orthodox visitors today. e The stories of which shrines have great understanding of my research, Are there modern tried and tested best models of the Western artistic stuck in your mind? were always willing to help and com- pilgrimage itineraries across Italy? thought, embodied in the most un- ere are many of them. For exam- municated very kindly and openly, so Many believers strive to visit the usual city in the world, are not only ple, there is a very famous adventure I didn’t have to overcome any bias or island of Lido where the holy rel- of aesthetic value, but they also o er connected with the holy relics of the obstacles. When I needed more de- ics of St Nicholas the spiritual food. at Apostle Mark. e people who were tailed and speci c information, I ap- Wonder-worker are is why it is logical sailing with the saint’s relics had to proached libraries and archives. kept; they o en come that we should speak deal with the Saracens carrying out to the relics of St John about these sculptors customs examination at the border. As But couldn’t modern sources, for the Merciful, Patriarch and their canvasses. is known, pork is considered unclean example, Italian guides, really help of Alexandria; come to for Muslims, so the Saracens tried not you? honour the memory of Which works of art, to touch it while carrying out their in- I managed to  nd very li le informa- Great-martyr Barbara omitted by standard spections. Knowing this, the travelers tion in modern sources: unfortunate- on the island of Bura- guide-books, can hid St Mark’s body in a chest overlaid ly, not many people are interested in no. I o en see pilgrims you recommend to Archpriest Alexei Yastrebov. Photo by Vladimir Khodakov with the carcasses of swine, and the antiquities today. In most cases guides beside the relics of St Russian tourists? precious relics remained unnoticed. are focused on works of art rather than Paul the First Hermit at Secular guides tend rchpriest Alexei Yastrebov, rector how it developed and what its spiritual Another story is associated with the on holy objects. St Julian’s Church and, to regard masterpiec- Aof the Russian church in Venice, roots were. Venice is absolutely unique. Byzantine Princess Maria Argyropou- of course, at the Basilica es of art as things of shares with the Pravoslavny Vestnik Firstly, it stands on water which is un- la who brought the head of Great-mar- Are there many Orthodox pilgrims of St Mark. I heard from Photo by Vladimir Khodakov great value in them- magazine how he collected the materi- usual in itself. Secondly, it has neither tyr Barbara to Venice. At the turn of coming to Venice? many people working selves, while the au- al for his book, e Shrines of Venice, pagan nor modern strata: Venice is a the tenth century she married a doge Fourteen years ago, when our at the churches where saints’ relics thors and their contemporaries un- talks about his search and discoveries medieval Christian town, rich in holy of Venice, and her uncles, the Byzan- Church life was just beginning, we had are kept that Russian pilgrims visited derstood them as the ‘framework’ of and the people who come to live and shrines, which has survived to this day. tine co-emperors, gave her this relic as to contact the pilgrims or organisers them and venerated their relics. the sacred space of the church. eir work in this ancient city, becoming pa- Each of a number of small churches of a dowry. It would seem that a young of pilgrimage tours who did not  nd it meaning is fully revealed only when rishioners of its Russian church. this city possesses several strikingly wife of the doge who, in addition, necessary to include Venice into their How do you manage to combine we keep this fact in mind and view signi cant relics at the same time. brought such a great treasure to the itineraries. Today the situation is dif- the pilgrimage and cultural com- them in the religious context. Father Alexei, please, can you tell city, should have been received cor- ferent. I don’t know the statistics, but, ponents? After all, apart from relics us who is interested in the shrines of Is Rome different? dially and hospitably; but that is not as far as I can judge, now all pilgrimage and other material treasures, Ven- Your parish is fourteen years old. Venice today? And how did it come ere are many strata of history in what it turned out. groups from Russia and the Ukraine, ice is a unique city in terms of the Is it the only Orthodox parish in to pass that you began to collect Rome: we can see ‘the pagan Rome’, Although Venice residents knew the travelling through Italy, have Venice Christian art of various periods and Venice or not? this information? ‘the Christian Rome’, ‘the modern Byzantine traditions and lived near the on their itineraries. e information traditions, from the mosaics of the ere is a 500-year-old Greek church When I came to Venice, I wanted Rome’. As for Venice, it has a more ho- Byzantine Empire, they didn’t accept on its shrines has become available Basilica di San Marco to marvelous and also a Romanian parish in Venice. to understand what this city lived by, mogeneous structure. Besides, Rome all the customs of Byzantine Greeks. for everyone, and people aim to come Baroque masterpieces of architec- As for the parishes of the Russian Or-

24 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 25 thodox Church, we are the only parish ese are mainly citizens of Mol- ly li ing a table with o erings and feel homesick, feel lonely without their I conscientiously of this jurisdiction. It was opened in dova and the Ukraine who came to moving it ‘to and fro’ during memo- nearest and dearest, and in most cases came to the airport 2003 in response to a le er by a group Italy to work as nurses, caring for rial services. the local residents are unaware of this. every Saturday morning of Orthodox residents of Venice who the elderly and the sick. ey usually for several months, ob- had appealed to the Holy Synod with come to Italy for several years and in The life of a nurse, a cleaner or a Do these people eventually feel served the overcrowd- a request to send them a priest. the course of this period they become nanny is very difficult. What kinds an affection for this city’s spirit? Are ed check-in counters our parishioners. en of help do they need they somehow transformed by the of ‘Venice – Moscow’ The beginning was very peaceful, new nurses come to re- most of all and do you complex, romantic and mysterious  ights (each airplane ac- and it may seem that Venice has a place them. manage to support city of Venice after living here for commodated up to 300 fertile ground for the development them by some means some time? passengers), waiting for of parish life in it, since its very These people often or other? For instance, I don’t think that any of them is  lled travelers at the entrance residents wanted to have a parish bring their local cus- Father Arseny in Lis- with mysticism or romanticism of any to the chapel; but, alas, priest. But in reality the picture is toms, superstitions with bon and Father Andrei kind. Roughly speaking, they are in no nobody came in over all more complex, isn’t it? them, their own ideas in Madrid visit Rus- mood for romance! However, some of those months! No one You are right. e le er to the Synod of what the relations sian-speaking inmates them in the end have a desire to vener- wished to submit an in- was signed by nearly 100 people, but I between a priest and in prisons of Portugal ate the relics, so our guide-book is in tercession list, to pray saw only  ve to seven of them in person. his parishioners should and Spain; though demand at our parish. But, curiously during the akathist or One of the peculiarities of parish be like. On the one Photo by Vladimir Khodakov this example is an ex- enough, very few of our parishioners just to talk to the priest. life abroad is instability: people come hand, you should show treme one and the sit- have investigated the sacred sites of People walked past me and leave very quickly. And we don’t considerate attitude to them, but, uation may be differentin Italy. But Venice. with their bags full of have our own church building. e on the other hand, you will never what is their everyday life like? Do duty-free goods, most- Catholic Church gave us the ancient be able ‘to play up to them’, given they have an opportunity to attend Venice International Airport has ly alcoholic drinks, and Venetian Church of the Beheading of your several higher education de- church services? Do they take part a chapel. Can you tell us about it in they sometimes cast a St John the Baptist for temporary use grees and many years of life in the in any parish events? more detail, please? glance at my vestments, and we have served at this church for Church. How do you manage to find e life of a nurse is a heavy cross. Yes, the airport has a hall used as a either with surprise or the past two years. We installed a tem- a balance? Let us take a typical situation: a person place of worship (sala di culto), for it an ironical smile. porary iconostasis along with lecterns I at once did my best to take it for comes from the Ukraine where he/ is not a chapel in the strict sense of More than that, when and candle-holders inside this build- granted, as something that I would she enjoyed a high social status, was this word, so non-Christian believers some passengers saw my ing. Our parish has a Sunday school never change. e people who come respected by his fellow-countrymen, can pray in it too. Two aircra of the announcements at the and a room where we organise tea for to work abroad have to go through had a family in which he had a honour- Aero ot company arrive at Venice Air- check-in counter, they Photo by Vladimir Khodakov our congregation a er the Liturgies. tough times, so I make e orts to ac- able place, and now he has ended up port every day,Venice being one of the asked if everything was cept them as they are, taking into ac- at the bo om of the social hierarchy. most popular foreign cities with Rus- all right with the aircra ! Otherwise, say that superstitions are widespread The ministry abroad is seen as count that they have well-established All his titles and degrees are useless sian tourists. why were they o ered a supplicatory not among them, but among my com- something very prestigious. Is it standpoints and notions of many here, he has to start his life again from Several years ago it occurred to me service with akathist? Imagine how patriots who are preoccupied with di- really so? things, including those of life and re- nothing, not hoping to achieve much; that some of them could bene t from many people read my announcement plomas of higher education and high I would say that this ministry is re- lationships in the Church. I try not to and he has to face this at the age of  f- speaking to a priest or participation over the course of several months! levels of social status. sponsible rather than prestigious. teach them too much. ty, when he has more than a half of his in a short public ser- And nobody came! It is When you don’t look down on oth- life behind him! e  rst impressions vice, while waiting for quite natural that pas- An overwhelming majority of Who are these Orthodox Vene- ers, when you try to imitate Apostle are normally very bi er, such change boarding. ere was a sengers hurry, bustle your parishioners are in difficult tians that attend your church reg- Paul and ‘rejoice with them that do of residence and mode of life is like a real meeting of minds about before boarding. life situations and they can hardly ularly? rejoice, and weep with them that real ‘endurance test’. between the directorate ey need to buy sou- make large donations. How do you weep’ (Romans 12:15, Unfortunately, the majority of Ital- of the airport and the venirs and drinks, so im- survive? King James Bible), then ians simply ignore the moral su ering board of directors of the portant for Russian peo- People do their best to help the par- you feel at ease in spite of nurses. ey like to see themselves local Aero ot branch: ple. But I truly couldn’t ish all the same, they have a sense of of di erence of opin- as benefactors of poor nations who are I was given a chaplain’s expect that absolutely responsibility, so we feel that we be- ion and some people’s giving them a helping hand, forge ing plastic card, and an an- nobody would come. long to one community, to one fami- ‘eccentricity’, without that their fellow citizens (Italians) re- nouncement appeared As you see, the pas- ly. We receive support from pilgrims indignation and anger. fuse to undertake these kinds of hard at the check-in counter sengers nearly com- and from individuals who help us on For example, I already work. By saying that Italians fail to un- of Aero ot that a public plained, interpreting purpose so that we could arrange one take as commonplace derstand the deep inner drama of bro- supplicatory service [in Photo by Vladimir Khodakov my announcement as or another event. Also priests serving and as something quiet ken families I don’t mean that they feel Russian – a moleben] an imposition of my overseas receive subsidies from the ordinary the Moldovan particular disdain for our compatriots, with akathist to St Nicholas the Won- ‘prayerful help’ on them or evidence Moscow Patriarchate. customs of ‘blessing of although this does take place from der-worker, patron-saint of travelers, of a malfunction with the plane. So You obviously feel an urge to com- the waters’ for a woman time to time. But even if all the condi- would be celebrated at the chapel at if you ask about superstitions, wide- municate not only with members of Photo by Vladimir Khodakov in childbirth or slight- tions were ideal, people will inevitably such-and-such an hour. spread among my parishioners, I will your community, but also with your

26 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 RUSSIAN MIND – APRIL 2017 27 The Church of the Beheading of St John the Baptist in Venice fellow-clergymen. Which of the rep- priests of the Russian Orthodox Can you share the most vivid resentatives of the clergy are you in Church. impression that you had over your touch with? fifteen years of ministry in Italy We have contacts with Greeks and Apparently, nearly all of them with us? Romanians. A Metropolitan and serve in Rome? e most vivid impression is my dai- other clergymen serve at the Greek Certainly not. ey serve mostly in ly meeting with the human destinies, cathedral that I have already men- the north of Italy where you can  nd the human searching. As I have said, tioned. We maintain very good re- Russian parishes virtually in every small sometimes our people have to take lations with them, we come to them town. Of course, there are priests in care of elderly people who are gravely and concelebrate together, and when Rome, too. However, there are few par- ill or insane. e experience like this we celebrated our tenth anniversary ishes in the south of the country, with is a profound shock. is kind of work one priest from the cathedral came the exception of Bari, Naples and Sicily. very o en helps you cultivate humility to us and greeted us on behalf of the and revaluate your life. So it is com- Metropolitan. Is the life of these parishes orient- mon occurrence that people come to ed mainly to migrant workers? believe in God whilst living overseas, Are there many Russian priests Not only migrants. You can  nd other and each story of conversion is re- serving in Italy? social strata in Rome, Milan and other markable. When you see and feel that Recently we had an assembly and major cities. For example, these are our you do your bit to help others turn to some   y-six or   y-seven clerics businessmen, Russian housewives – the Lord and come to the Church, it were registered – the deacons and spouses of those who work abroad. really ‘blows’ your mind.

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