MAY/JUNE 1993_________________________________________________________VOLUME 14/NUMBER 3 Robert Conquest EDITOR'S NOTE Robert Conquest 'The task of the historian/' writes Robert Conquest, "is the notori­ ously difficult one of trying to represent clearly and truly in a few hundred pages events which cover years of time and nations of men and women." For the past thirty-five years Conquest has been pursuing the his­ tory of a particularly enigmatic part of the world, the part known until recently as the Soviet Union. In looking at its past, Conquest adds somberly in The Harvest of Sorrow: "We may perhaps put this in per­ spective in the present case by saying that in the actions here recorded Moscow, Saint Basil's Cathedral, Red Square. about twenty human lives were lost for, not every word, but every — © Photo by Craig Line. (Inset) Photo by Elizabeth Conquest. letter, in this book." This issue of Humanities looks at the life and work of Conquest, who has been chosen as the 1993 Jefferson Lecturer in the Humanities. He is the twenty-second recipient of the honor, which is the highest award the federal government bestows for distinguished achievement in the humanities. Born in Worcestershire, England, of an American father and an Humanities English mother, Conquest holds dual citizenship. He was educated at A bimonthly review published by the Winchester College; the University of Grenoble in France; and at National Endowment for the Humanities Magdalen College, Oxford, where he read politics, philosophy, and economics. He left the university in 1939 and joined the British army, serving in Italy and the Balkans in World War II; after the war, he joined the British foreign service and served in Sofia, Bulgaria, and with Editor: Mary Lou Beatty the British delegation to the United Nations. He wrote as well, produc­ Assistant Editors: Constance Burr ing novels and books of poetry. Susan Q. Jaffe In the 1950s, having edited a volume of "thaw" poetry by Eastern Ellen Marsh Europeans, Conquest found himself intrigued by the path the Soviet Editorial Assistants: Amy Lifson Union was taking, its history still submerged six years after the death Nadine Ekrek of Stalin. From that interest came a lifelong fascination and continuing Editorial Board: Marjorie Berlincourt, scholarly study. George F. Farr, Jr., Guinevere Griest, Conquest has published fifteen books of Soviet history. In addition to Donald Gibson, James Herbert, Thomas The Harvest of Sorrow, they include Russia after Khrushchev, Stalin and the Kingston, Jerry Martin, Carole Watson Kirov Murder, The Great Terror: Stalin's Purge of the Thirties, and most recently, Stalin: Breaker of Nations. He has written three other books on Marketing Director: Joy Evans political themes as well as six volumes of poetry, two novels—one of them science fiction—and a book of literary criticism. He is a former Design: Crabtree & Jemison, Inc. literary editor of The Spectator of London. Since 1981 Conquest has been a senior research fellow at the Hoover The opinions and conclusions expressed in Institution in Stanford, California, and curator of its Russian and East Humanities are those of the authors and do European collection. He is also an adjunct fellow at the Washington not necessarily reflect Endowment policy. Material appearing in this publication, except Center for Strategic Studies and a research associate at Harvard's for that already copyrighted, may be freely Ukrainian Research Institute. reproduced. Please notify the editor in advance so that appropriate credit can be Conquest follows with interest the events in Russia and the republics. given. Humanities (ISSN 0018-7526) is "History, production figures, census results, were all faked," Conquest published bimonthly for $11 per year by the National Endowment for the Humanities, commented in a recent issue of Freedom Review. "But even more demor­ 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Washington, alizing, the whole sphere of thought was controlled and distorted." He D.C. 20506. Second-class postage paid at writes: "The political situation is still dangerous. But at least they are Washington, D.C., and additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to shot of Marxism-Leninism. They may not quite know what they want. Humanities, 1100 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., But they know what they don't want." Washington, D.C. 20506. Annual subscription rate: $11.00 domestic, $13.75 foreign. Two —Mary Lou Beatty years: $22.00, $27.50. Telephone: 202/606-8435. Fax: 202/606-8240. 2 MAY/JUNE 1993 HUMANITIES THE MAGAZINE OF THE NATIONAL ENDOWMENT FOR THE HUMANITIES Page 8 Page 4 Page 29 The 1993 Jefferson Lecture Russian Culture Exhibition 8 A Conversation With... 4 The Riabov Collection: 29 Grand Illusions: Historian Robert Conquest A Photo Essay Chicago's World's Fair of 1893 discusses Stalinist terrorism By Laura Randall By Janis Johnson with Humanities editor An emigre bestows three A new exhibition looks at the Mary Lou Beatty. centuries of Russian art on his achievements and flaws of the American alma mater. nation's celebration of its 14 Robert Conquest: coming of age. An Appreciation 23 "...Now History Has Caught Up with Her" By Charles Fairbanks Other Features The life of the 1993 Jefferson By Constance Burr lecturer displays an impatience The detective work of Patricia with orthodoxies, whether Grimsted in documenting the 34 Noteworthy political or cultural. hidden Soviet archives. 35 Calendar 19 The Stages of Struggle 26 Faulkner's Idea By Anthony Hartley of Ownership How the material gathered by By Maya Koreneva Robert Conquest exposed the Humanities Guide The appeal of Faulkner's vision Soviet facade. to the Russian psyche. 39 The Annual List of 20 Excerpts NEH-Supported Books and The writings of Robert Conquest. Museum Catalogues 46 Deadlines HUMANITIES 3 4 MAY/JUNE 1993 BY LAURA RANDALL The R ia b o v Collection HEN GEORGE RIABOV WAS A BOY OF THIRTEEN LIVING IN A SMALL RUS­ SIAN EMIGRE COMMU­ NITY IN POLAND IN 1937, HE BOUGHT A POSTCARD OF A DRAWING BY RUS­ SIAN ARTIST IVAN BILIBIN FOR A FEW PENNIES. IT WAS THIS SMALL PUR­ CHASE THAT WOULD LAUNCH RIABOV'S LIFELONG DEDICATION TO SOVIET ARTW AND CULTURE AND ULTIMATELY LEAD TO ONE OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE AND UNIQUE COLLECTIONS OF RUSSIAN ART OUTSIDE OF THE The Transfiguration, 17th century. SOVIET UNION. "BEFORE THAT, I HAD ONLY SEEN RUSSIAN ART IN BOOKS," RECALLS RIABOV, THE SON OF WHITE RUS­ SIAN PARENTS, WHO FLED RUSSIA AFTER THE REVOLUTION. RIABOV WAS BORN IN POLAND AND EMIGRATED TO THE UNITED STATES IN 1946. "IT WAS AT THAT TIME I DECIDED THE REST OF MY LIFE WOULD BE DEDICATED TO RUSSIAN CULTURE AND ART." IT WAS A LIFE THAT WOULD LEAD THE YOUNG ART COLLECTOR FROM CORUN, THE POLISH BIRTHPLACE HE SHARED WITH COPERNICUS, TO THE DISPLACED PERSONS' CAMPS WHERE MANY RUSSIAN EMIGRES WERE SENT FOLLOWING WORLD WAR II, AND FINALLY TO THE EMINENT ARTS COMMUNITY OF THE NEW YORK METROPOLITAN AREA. THROUGHOUT HIS TRAVELS AND HARDSHIPS, RIABOV NEVER CEASED Nick olas Roerich (1874-1947). HIS SEARCH FOR RUSSIAN ART. Costume design for the ha llet, L,e Sacre A FORMER CONSULTANT TO THE MUSEUM OF MODERN ART AND du Printemps, by Stravinsky; 1Q13. PART-TIME RUSSIAN ART CONSULTANT TO CHRISTIE'S, RIABOV HAS ALLOWED HIS COLLECTION TO BECOME A PERMANENT PART OF THE JANE VOORHEES ZIMMERLI ART MUSEUM AT RUTGERS UNIVERSITY, HIS ALMA MATER. COMPRISED OF APPROXIMATELY 1,000 PAINTINGS, DRAWINGS, SCULPTURES, AND PRINTS, THE RIABOV COLLECTION OFFERS A BROAD SELECTION OF RUSSIAN ART—FROM A RARE FOUR­ TEENTH-CENTURY RUSSIAN ICON CARVED IN STONE TO MODERN HUMANITIES 5 6 MAY/JUNE 1993 custome and stage designs done in proper place for my collection is at an watercolor and gouache. An auxil­ educational institution/' explains iary library of 5,000 books, journals, Riabov, who received a B.A. and M.A. newspaper clippings, and slides in German from Rutgers. bears directly upon the documenta­ The Riabov collection demonstrates tion of the art objects. The museum how Russian art, paralleling other staff recently completed a computer­ European national cultures, covered a ized catalogue of the collection, with full range of historical styles, from the assistance of Riabov and funds neo-Classicism and Romanticism to provided by the National Endow­ Impressionism and Cubism. "We ment for the Humanities. wanted to show that the art of Russia The chance to provide a scholarly reveals international relationships enhancement of his art collection was and contexts like any other nation's a factor in Riabov's decision to donate art would do," says the Zimmerli's the entire 1,000-piece collection to Rut­ assistant director Jeffrey Wechsler. gers. "I believe in education along The manner in which Riabov Nicholas Roerich. The Sacre d Lake, 1917- with art. During the course of my col­ acquired his works of art is as diverse lecting, I was constantly studying, as the collection itself. His paintings doing research, and training my eye to and drawings by unofficial Russian see the historical context in the art. I artists can be attributed to the friend­ like to convey the importance of that ships he established as a young boy to others. That is why I believe the among the emigre community in extensive Russian art and history Poland. "Many of the artists made up development in American museums. the friends who supported me in my They may have some Russian paint­ early endeavor of collecting," he says. ings, but they don't broadly represent Some of the collection's rare icons the styles, movements, and back­ were obtained by Riabov when he was ground of the art." working as a translator in a displaced Now that the barriers of the past persons' camp in Germany after his have made way for an intense curi­ family fled Poland in the early 1940s.