MIKHAIL CHEMIAKIN. ANIMATED MASK

MIKHAIL CHEMIAKIN.
ANIMATED MASK
of Russian culture although he
enjoyed recognition after he was exiled
GIFT OF ABSOLUTE EAR
from the Soviet Union in 1971. Initially he
settled down in Paris and then moved to
the United States and lived from 1981 in
New York and from 1991 in Claverack, New
York State. Chemiakin was allowed back in
the USSR in 1989 after 18 years in exile. He
set up the Institute of Creative Philosophy
and Psychology in Hudson, USA. In 2007
Chemiakin returned to France. From time
to time he works in St. Petersburg and
created a monument to Peter the Great in
the Peter and Paul Fortress of the city. He
unveiled the sculpture Children Are the
Victims of Adult Vices in Bolotnaya Square
The Yeliseev store also gave me incredibly
little time. But I agreed as I remember it since
childhood
Leningrad
when
from
Kaliningrad)
parents
Germany,
where
my
brought
me
Konigsberg
father
was
to
(now
town
GIFT OF ABSOLUTE EAR
M
ikhail Chemiakin is a live branch
commandant. Together with the grandmother I
went to the shop which looked like a fairy tale
palace to me. Next door there was the Comedy
Theater
where
my
mother,
actress
Yulia
Predtechenskaya, worked before the war and
then my friend and actor Igor Dmitriyev did.
Thus, my childhood recollections are related to
the place as well as memory about Nikolai
Pavlovich Akimov who also liked to go to the
Yeliseev store. My mother often went there to
buy sweets. Well, I accepted the offer with
pleasure.
in Moscow in front of the Kremlin.
There are reports you will design a shop
window of restored Yeliseev store in St. Petersburg.
I remember the Yeliseev store since childhood when parents brought me to Leningrad from
Germany, Konigsberg (now Kaliningrad) where my father was town commandant.
Have you ever received such offers?
What will it be?
either midgets or children. And we cannot go
shop window of Saks Fifth Avenue store in New
I am currently thinking how to make an
above 80 centimeters over the windowsill. The
York. Millions of city residents and tourists from
intriguing shop window both for summer and
contract with the city does not allow the
all over the world come on New Year to admire
the New Year. It will be a fairy tale where
Yeliseev store to cover the shop window with
its mechanical dolls. It was a very prestigious
characters
drawings. Passers-by in Nevsky Avenue have to
project. I thought of the Sleeping Beauty and
residents will star. Technically it is a very difficult
began to draw sketches, but then I realized I did
project. The backside of the shop window does
What else did you arrange in the northern
not have enough time and could not let myself
not open and the distance from it to the glass is
capital besides the Shoe in Art exhibition in the
down.
artist
50 centimeters. The aquarium will have moving
Mikhail Chemiakin Fund in St. Petersburg?
appeared and said “I will do it” and did
mechanisms and it will be necessary to get in
In the wonderful Herzen Pedagogical
something.
though a narrow gap. So we have to employ
University I met with the director and profes-
They offered me to design the famous
106
Immediately
another
Russian
AMBER BRIDGE. INTERNATIONAL NEWSMAGAZINE. 2012. № 3 (7)
from
my
ballets
and
Petersburg
see abounding stalls and shopmen inside.
AMBER BRIDGE. INTERNATIONAL NEWSMAGAZINE. 2012. № 3 (7)
107
disagreed and offered living Russian composers
rooted in the conscience of post-Soviet people.
class” (I spoke about problems
ready to produce it. He wrinkled his nose every
Many people believe kitsch is the true art. I had
of modern art). They honored my
time. On one bright day I learned that I was no
a horrifying feeling as if I saw a galvanized
friend
longer
was
corpse. It was clearly difficult for Bezrukov to
Slonimsky. There was a concert
suspended. But I still dream of offering this
play in the mask. He admitted it himself in an
of his unique early works which
genuine
the
interview. The very idea of animating the death
were banned during the Com-
residents of the city. Valery Gergiyev once got
mask may excite naïve people who we – artists,
munist rule. I told them about
interested in the project and I hope he had not
musicians,
our old common effort. Once to-
chilled out yet.
primitive, unfortunately. A human is born with
and
composer
Sergei
captain
Petersburg
and
the
project
performance
to
gether with director Vitaly Fialko-
It is not my first Dostoyevsky expe-
vsky I staged the Nose opera
rience. I devoted several years designing a
buff by young Dmitry Shostako-
concept
vich. It was an exciting perfor-
scenery and costumes for The Meek One.
mance – absurd, grotesque –
The one-act ballet was a part of a triptych.
with
scenery,
masks,
which
includes
and
Two other ballets were Sacred Spring and
Metaphysics. Bulgarian Donvena Pandurski
rector and I realized there would
was the refined and exquisite choreogra-
be a scandal. The whole (now
pher of the ballets. The first night of the
past) elite of musical dissent ap-
triptych was in the Opera and Ballet Theat-
peared in the rebellious perfor-
er in Sofia. The Meek One is a most out-
mance – Sergei Slonimsky, Boris
standing and tragic choreographic revela-
Tishchenko,
Schnittke,
tion of Pandurski that tugs at heartstrings.
and Gennady Banshchikov. Natu-
In Sofia I saw tears of the audience that
rally, the first night did not take
was fascinated by the dance full of suffer-
place, only the general rehearsal.
ing and pain of The Meek One. Tears at a
The omnipotent KGB confiscated
ballet are a rare phenomenon. It is a pity
all
the triptych did not feature at the White
Alfred
masks
and
costumes
and
director
said
I
was
Besides, I have an idea to stage a ballet and a
performance of another genre – a hybrid –
Alas, stupid and angry articles of
and art, and conferred it to me.
which has long been flourishing in Western
domestic critics played a role in ousting
Europe and America. Let God help Kekhman and
the ballets of the Bulgarian choreographer
me work together.
from
Do you have any interesting proposals from
the Mariinsky or Mikhailovsky Theaters?
while
As for the Mariinsky Theater I hope I will
and
astonishing Volodya Kekhman has long been
urging
Mikhailovsky
the
Mariinsky
Theater.
Chemiakin’s lithographs to songs and ballads by Vysotsky
Maestro
an absolute taste but we deform it from the age
implement my long-cherished dream and stage
very
that
of seven. And then we are surprised why the
the ballet Crime and Punishment. I thought
expensive scenery and costumes are collecting
people are so illiterate, uncouth, vulgar and
Theater enjoys phenomenal success and I am
about it long ago, some 25 years ago or may be
dust and mold in the
attentively following breakthrough development
more, and composed the libretto and designed
theater basement.
of the ballet company.
I am raising my hat to
scenery sketches and costumes. Yet in 1998 our
Marina Vlady went
them! The ballet company from Mikhailovsky is
genius ballet dancer Vladimir Vasiliyev headed
on a tour of Russia with a
gradually getting the better of Mariinsky.
to
cooperate.
Theater
and admirers of ballet.
Gergiyev is used to applause and laurels and is
me
Mariinsky
naïve
ly appreciated by Petersburg connoisseurs
Feodorovna, the patroness of Russian science
from
make
image of The Meek one would be definite-
awarded the platinum medal of Empress Maria
None
–
Nights ballet performance as the touchy
Scene from Tchaikovsky’s ballet Nutcracker
After I told the story the
university
producers
complicated
costumes by Shemyakin. The di-
broke our union with Fialkovsky.
The
sensitive
to
criticism.
I
am
sad
Kitsch is deeply rooted in the conscience of post-Soviet people.
the Bolshoi Theater and told a press conference
mono-performance called Vladimir, Or the Aborted
angry. Switch on TV and look what the so-called
the
the ballet would be staged in a year. He would
Flight. She denounced your film Vysotsky, Thank
intelligentsia offers to an ordinary man. In a year
Mikhailovsky Theater to stage the Nose opera by
be the choreographer while Chemiakin would
You for Staying Alive. What do you think about it?
the TV set with all those shows, vulgarities, and
Shostakovich. Yes, it is the opera in my version
be the author of the libretto, scenery and
I spoke to Marina after she wrote a
smuttiness will bring up young people who can
which did not come out. The most interesting in
costumes. My sketches were even displayed.
negative comment. It is saddening that she, as
horrify and shock society. There are a lot of
the mystical and metaphysical story is that the
Then we painfully argued for long about who
well as me, has seen only the commercial of the
examples.
opera by Shostakovich was for the first time
would compose the music. Vasiliyev wanted to
film. I believe the idea of the film producers is
Marina Vlady is naturally concerned and
staged in 1930 by the Mikhailovsky Theater.
use existing music by various composers while I
distorted and smells of kitsch which is deeply
saddened by the wish of the wheeler-dealers in
I
108
the
GIFT OF ABSOLUTE EAR
GIFT OF ABSOLUTE EAR
sors and they called it a “master
am
signing
a
contract
with
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109
When and what will you bring to Russia
we encounter a creative phenomenon,
110
laboratory of Chemiakin and will realize he
knows the workshop for long. The workshop is
enon. I believe the script of Vladimir,
This year (like others) is a tense one. On
in the streets, parks, in ruined houses, while
Thank You for Staying Alive boils down
September 1 the Spasskaya Tower regular festival
life models and inspirers of artist Chemiakin
to his drug addiction and clinical death
of military orchestras will
and is a subconscious revenge of his
open in Red Square in Mos-
son Nikita who was abandoned by the
cow. It was invented and
father because of the circumstances.
implemented by an out-
On the one hand, Nikita Vysotsky per-
staying person – Kremlin
petuated the memory of the father by
commandant and General Sergei Khlebnikov. I am
are well-known scattered, rumpled, and tread-
creating an excellent museum of Vy-
the chief designer and producer of the festival. It
ed pieces of paper, fallen leaves, and spots of
sotsky and organizing festivals to honor
is a difficult job. Up to a thousand and a half of
dog’s urine. All that is usually seen mostly by
the name and creativity of his grandi-
musicians who come to Moscow from the whole
street cleaners but this time it will develop into
ose father. And then he wrote the script
world participate
and produced the film. I do not know
in the wonderful
whether Volodya would thank him for
festival-perfor-
such an animation. Witty and talented
mance. My stag-
actor Gaft one said an acrid phrase: “It
ing
is not scary to die. It is scaring they can
cavalrymen, musi-
make a film after your death and Bezru-
cians, bannermen,
kov will appear as you.” The phrase fits
and
the film to the maximum.
cannot tell you a
will
dancers.
I
Last year your book Two Fates
lot as it is a secret. The festival
assessed?
will end on Sepwrote
the
book
for
long.
tember
The spectator will see the creative laboratory of Chemiakin
and will realize he knows the workshop for long.
involve
about Vysotsky came out. How was it
I
«Metamorphosis» Mikhail Shemiakin
next time?
8
GIFT OF ABSOLUTE EAR
GIFT OF ABSOLUTE EAR
a personality possessing the phenom-
and
I worked for ten years on 42 illustra-
several days later
tions to Vysotsky’s poems and notes
my personal exhi-
about the singer. I have recently re-
bition will open in
ceived an exciting letter from a woman
the Oriental Mu-
who I do not know: “How important
seum in Moscow.
Scene from Tchaikovsky’s ballet Nutcracker
the art to look for blue films, wash dirty linen in
and topical your book is! It helps under-
It will display drawings in the Zen style accompa-
grotesque figures of people, animals, birds,
public, and profit from bad habits of distin-
stand who Vysotsky was.” I sent the book to Ma-
nied by scientific materials from my Institute of
ghosts, and monsters. I am sure that after visit-
guished and talented people and their tragedy,
rina Vlady. There is my article about her called
Creative Philosophy and Psychology. I am cur-
ing the exhibition people will cautiously walk
pain, and effort to earn money. The dirty linen
Marina, Marinochka, Marinka. Five days later the
rently designing a catalogue for the exhibition.
in the streets and pavements and look at what
launderers are not interested in the merits of dis-
telephone rang: “Misha, I am reading the book for
In autumn I will come to St. Petersburg to
tinguished people, only in drawbacks. They are
three days and I am crying. It is excellent that you
open the Paris Pavements exhibition in the Rus-
the main thing for them. Yes, Vysotsky was a hard
showed the phenomenon of Vysotsky in it. I al-
sian Museum. I prepared it for the past twelve
Still frame: In the past decades the eternal
drinker, but he tried to cure the disease and
ways realized I was living with a genius. Thank you
years. Besides the works which I did in my own
underground representative has won world acclaim.
wanted to quit the habit. His friends-acquaint-
for opening new facets of his soul to me.”
technique, it will feature numerous materials
Mikhail Chemiakin is a laureate of the Russian State Prize
is under the feet.
ances made him a drug addict. Everyone who
Many people say the book is interesting.
from my research laboratory that clarify my ide-
for literature and arts (1993), Chevalier of the French
knew him well realized it was the end of the sto-
It has only 125 pages. To commemorate the
as and demonstrate analogs of my research in
Order of Literature and Arts, holder of the Worthy medal
ry. But let us think: the man died at the age of 42!
work I took a picture of my desk with a small
fine arts. Together with Slava Polunin, Anton
of the Russian Academy of Arts, laureate of the Golden
Even if he drank a lot and was a drug addict how
heap of edited pages and a big heap of original
Adasinsky, and Anvar Libabov we are designing
Soffit theatrical prize of St. Petersburg, Honorary Doctor
many years, days, nights, and hours had he de-
pages. There were close to two thousand of
performances for private viewing. We also plan
of San Francisco University, acting member of New Your
voted to frantic creative work to rise to such a
them. I tried to sharpen each phrase so that the
one-act ballet to my libretto for Paris Pave-
Academy of Arts and Academy of Arts of Europe…
height in guitar poetry, excellent verses and
main idea becomes clear and avoid currently
ments. A catalogue and a separate book are be-
theater and cinema roles? He was constantly
fashionable evasiveness and verbiage. I wanted
ing prepared.
persecuted by officials and bureaucrats. That is
to speak normal, Chemiakin language about my
what we have to think about and consider when
deceased friend.
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The exhibition promises to be interest-
Svetlana Mazurova
ing for all. The spectator will see the creative
Rossiyskaya Gazeta – Amber Bridge
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111