Аннотация: A state official. Theorist of art. A Minister of Culture. A note on chapters 6-7 of the book "Diaghilev: outrunning the time"
A state official. Theorist of art. A Minister of Culture. A note on chapters 6-7 of the book "Diaghilev: outrunning the time"
For Sergei Diaghilev, a test of strength and the accumulation of experience and knowledge were a way of life.
In September 1899, he became a state official in the field of art (the official on special assignments at the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters). Publishes a magazine. He begins the preparation of the ballet.
It is at this stage of life that Sergei Diaghilev starts to be in a close contact with a ballet and its actors.
'After all, being the official on special assignments with the director of the Imperial Theaters, Diaghilev found himself in the very center of theatrical life, met and made friends with talented artists. Forced resignation put an end to many hopes and aspirations of Sergei Pavlovich. Not without reason, after that, he did not go to the theater for a year and a half.' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
Diaghilev-official begins the most active work in many areas.
The superiors of Diaghilev expressed the opinion that Diaghilev has the ability to restore everyone against himself.
The conflict begins, scandal.
March 15, 1901 follows the dismissal of Diaghilev with the loss of the right in the future to hold positions in the public service.
It seems that the Invisible Hand, knowing about the approaching year of 1917, confidently led Diaghilev through life.
After being dismissed from public service in 1901, Diaghilev spent about two years abroad. He writes various materials to the "World of Art" magazine, but he cools down in relation to the magazine.
Diaghilev shows himself as a theorist, archival expert, analyst ...
'The proof of his determination is the large article he wrote about museums. A detailed analysis of the state of affairs in the Tretyakov Gallery, the Russian Museum of Alexander III and the Rumyantsev Museum just speaks of the great preliminary archival and cabinet work carried out by Diaghilev.
The author emphasizes that the Tretyakov Gallery reflects only an 'episode' in the history of Russian painting, limited by the framework of the 1860-1890s ... Diaghilev plans to collect works by old masters from the Chinese gallery of the Gatchina Palace, the office [box office] of the Ministry of the Court of the Armory Chamber of the Moscow Kremlin, the Academy of Sciences and the Academy of Arts, Alexander Nevsky Lavra, the Rumyantsev Museum ...
An article written by a man who deeply knows and loves Russian art has become a kind of manifesto ...' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
Diaghilev showed his abilities of the art theoretician most strongly in the book 'Russian Painting in the 18th Century. The Volume One. Dmitry Levitzky. 1735-1822. Compiled by S. P. Diaghilev' (1902).
For this work, Sergei Diaghilev in 1904 received the Uvarov Prize of the Imperial Academy of Sciences.
Diaghilev writes the work "Shibanov, portraitist" ['Portraitist Shibanov'] (1904). [Mikhail Shibanov, a Russian painter]
'He [Sergei Diaghilev] seriously became interested in the history of Russian painting of the 18th century and, importantly, became a major specialist in this field. With great knowledge of the matter, he writes in 1902 in the "World of Art" about the Exhibition of Russian Historical Portraits and the reviews (on) the "Detailed Illustrated Catalogue of the Exhibition for One Hundred and Fifty Years," compiled by Baron Nikolai Wrangel with the participation of Alexandre Benois. " (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
Diaghilev achieved success as an art theorist and felt the desire to move forward. To this was added financial problems (of the "World of Art"), an intuitive sense of impending events. In 1905, the release of the "World of Art" magazine was discontinued.
Diaghilev combines the experience of a man, who has tried his hand at public service, and the competence of an art theorist.
He feels within himself the potential to move to higher management levels.
Knowledge, experience, connections are accumulated ...
Diaghilev has the necessary energy and health ...
It is useful to use the energy and capabilities of the state.
An exhibition of Russian portraits (from 1705 to 1905) was organized in favor of the widows and orphans of the participants in the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905.
Thus, it was not only a cultural, but also a patriotic action.
The exhibition enjoyed the protection, the support of His Majesty the Sovereign Emperor.
The exhibition will be opened in the halls of the Tauride Palace.
The paintings were in the possession of a variety of individuals and in different parts of the country.
The negotiation process about the transferring (handing) paintings to the exhibition was a separate task of enormous complexity. (Maybe this an unlimited movement was liked by Sergei Diaghilev?).
'The Grand Duke [Nikolai Mikhailovich] became the chief [the boss] of the future exhibition, helped to receive a state subsidy for its organization. Due to his patronage, the Potemkin Palace in the Tauride Garden came to the full disposal of Diaghilev, who was appointed the 'general commissioner' of this grand enterprise ... In addition, thanks to the document of a high patron, all doors now [for Diaghilev] were opened. ' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
Sergei Diaghilev was named in the French style - a Commissioner. (Took an example from French, European exhibitions?), but the patron is the Russian Tsar. (The book "Diaghilev: outrunning the time" as of 1906 mentions the Commissariat of art exhibitions at the French Ministry of Education and Fine Arts [Комиссариат художественных выставок при министерстве народного образования и изобразительных искусств Франции]).
Diaghilev carried out something like a census of portraits - he compiled the list [of portraits] based on the results of his trips around Russia.
The reader of Diaghilev's biography feels a certain vague assumption. It was 1904. But there was a thunderstorm in the air. The prospects of the noble estates were partially described in "The Cherry Orchard" by Anton Chekhov. It is logical to assume that the owners of the portraits at some point decide not only to transfer them to the exhibition, but also to sell them. At the disposal of Sergei Diaghilev - who managed to rely on the authority, reputation and power of the state - an unique information was accumulated ...
Exhibition - an exhibition. But a connoisseur of an unattainable level appeared - a connoisseur of provincial art collections. (At the same time, a review was conducted of the provincial nobility - what does it look like on the eve of 1905 ... Sergei Diaghilev, a descendant of the nobles of Diaghilev family, bid farewell to a noble Russia?).
'... He saw a deaf boarded up estates, terrifying for their dead splendor, visited palaces strangely inhabited by today's lovely, average people..., where not people live - where a life goes towards finish ...' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
The Russo-Japanese War began in January-February 1904. The art exhibition opened on March 6, 1905. It turned into an exhibition of furniture, porcelain, and art objects stored in numerous palaces belonging to the royal family. The palaces were examined by Diaghilev and his representatives in the most thorough manner.
Diaghilev impressed everyone with energy, intuition, and self-confidence. He had the ability to understand everything ...
At the exhibition in the halls of the Tauride Palace were presented more than six thousand portraits.
In an atmosphere of general despondency from the results of the Russo-Japanese War, Diaghilev managed to create a factor of counter mood. The impression of the exhibition was colossal and positive. Everyone was delighted.
The exhibition has become the center, axis of the cultural life of the country. The 1905 exhibition turned into the center of the spiritual, cultural life of Russia.
From March 6, 1905 to September 26, 1905, Sergei Diaghilev became the de facto Minister of Culture of the Russian Empire.
January 9, 1905 - the so-called Bloody Sunday. October 10-17, 1905 the beginning of the general strike ... October 17, 1905 - Manifesto.
September 26, 1905 the exhibition was forced to complete its activities.
By this time she brought net income in the amount of sixty thousand rubles.
It seemed that the 'responsible ministry' (that is, the government formed by the State Duma) was close. But even if the government is formed without the participation of the State Duma, aren't changes in the sphere of cultural management necessary?
November 20, 1905 Sergei Diaghilev wrote a note 'On the formation of the state department of art institutions. About the organization of the art branch in Russia' ['Об образовании ведомства художественных учреждений. О постановке художественного дела в России'], in which one can see the idea of creating the Ministry of Culture, with the transferring to this separate department (under the control of the State Duma) many functions from the Ministry of the [Imperial] Court ... The new department was to absorb the experience of Western countries.
Who could lead such a separate department? Probably only Sergei Diaghilev. In any case, he is not oppositional, and by deed he has proved his skill level, he proved his level of qualification.
How he was titled [named] in a such a case? Minister of Culture of the Russian Empire?
Let's recall the scene of the reception. The French king Louis Philippe, after coming to power, takes in the palace of Alexandre Dumas.
'The reception was friendly, but Dumas felt in the behavior of the new sovereign in relation to his loyal subject a certain restraint, alertness and even caught a mockery. (...) ... Louis Philippe smiled contemptuously and said: 'Mr. Dumas, politics is a boring craft ... Leave it to the king and the ministers. You are a poet, so write poetry!' In a few words, Alexandre was indicated his place. He somehow bowed and left. " 'He would rather ... a portfolio [post] in the new government ...' (Henri Troyat 'Alexandre Dumas'). Portfolio [post] of the Minister of Culture of France?
The comparatively in imperceptible way the French king Louis Philippe disappeared from the political horizon ... Maybe in his government there were not enough of well-known figures?
A visit of Nikolai Garin-Mikhailovsky to Emperor Nicholas II could be recalled - Garin-Mikhailovsky was with a portfolio full of projects ...
Sergei Diaghilev succeeded in a waiting of an offer to become Minister of Culture.
'... not the last role was played by the proposal made to him by the members of the Provisional Government to become the Minister of Arts. He ... refused - preferred to remain the leader of an independent enterprise ... ' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
After the collapse of the monarchy in Russia, Sergei Diaghilev took a higher place - the post of 'ballet tsar' in Europe.
'But life circumstances, unfortunately, developed so that his [Sergei Diaghilev] plans collapsed one after another. The dream to establish a national Russian museum was not destined to come true. Beloved brainchild ceased to exist - the magazine "World of Art". It was not possible to save most of the works collected for the Historical and Art Exhibition of Russian Portraits, and to make the Tauride Palace a place for permanent exhibitions. And now there is still no worthy, reasonable answer to the "cry of the soul" - to the note ["On the formation of the department of art institutions. About the organization of the art branch in Russia' - "'Об образовании ведомства художественных учреждений. О постановке художественного дела в России'"] which was sent in the ministry ... He is no longer needed by Russia? Sergei Pavlovich clearly felt that he was suffocating from heartache and resentment. Well, he will rush to other horizons ... (...) ... Sergei Pavlovich, together with his secretary Alexander Mavrin, went abroad - to conquer Europe. Their path ran through Greece, Italy, France, Germany.
A new, surprising chapter began in Diaghilev's book of life. Having received recognition in Russia, but still not finding a worthy place in it, he stood on the threshold of European, and subsequently world fame. ' (Natalya Chernyshova-Melnik "Diaghilev: outrunning the time").
Having gained the experience of a civil servant in the field of culture, the qualification of an art theorist, having worked for several months as a de facto minister of culture, Sergei Diaghilev goes abroad. In May 1906 he arrives in Paris.
June 17, 2020 12:31
Translation from Russian into English: June 18, 2020 08:44.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Государственный служащий. Теоретик искусства. Министр культуры. Заметка о главах 6-7 книги Н.Д. Чернышовой-Мельник 'Дягилев: опередивший время''.