Аннотация: Two lucky suitcases with money. Alexander Khanzhonkov writes about the events after 1914. A literary note.
Two lucky suitcases with money. Alexander Khanzhonkov writes about the events after 1914. A literary note.
I found the enough time and read Alexander Khanzhonkov's memoirs about the events of his life and about his business - after the outbreak of the First World War. [Alexander Alekseevich Khanzhonkov 'The first years of Russian cinematography. Memories', M.-L., 1937. 176 pages. Александр Алексеевич Ханжонков 'Первые годы русской кинематографии. Воспоминания', М.-Л., 1937 год. 176 страниц.]
With the outbreak of the First World War, a new stage began in the life of Alexander Khanzhonkov.
Strange events began in his business: a fire, the death of employees, the departure of important and useful people from his enterprise.
Alexander Khanzhonkov felt like an unhealthy person around the beginning of the war, and the stage of treatment began.
Loss of health and other circumstances prompted Alexander Khanzhonkov to move to the Crimea. This happened before October 1917.
In a certain sense, it was fortune and luck.
In the Crimea, Alexander Khanzhonkov prepared new and new a cinematic business plans and implemented them.
The moment came - when he learned about the emergence in Kyiv of the parallel company "A. Khanzhonkov and K".
It turned out that a parallel company with the same (duplicate) name, was established by Khanzhonkov's nephew, Alexei Khanzhonkov, who succumbed to the persuasion of a wealthy banker and to the temptation of generous funding.
At some point, Khanzhonkov found himself without money, without film (film reel). Business almost stopped. The film market has ceased to function.
But again luck smiled to Khanzhonkov.
By some chance, he received two suitcases of money. Some film materials were sold by Khanzhonkov - the results of some film projects.
He paid off all his debts, bought additional real estate in Crimea, and finally departed Crimea - left abroad for treatment.
In parallel with information about the fate of Alexander Khanzhonkov, we receive from his memoirs the information about the development of the situation in Russia.
The first months of the war - a big enthusiasm, a great patriotism. A Russial cinematography is on the rise.
Huge incomes and huge profits of those who were involved in the business field of cinematography.
Alexander Khanzhonkov depicts of the economic situation. He is not healthy man. But it is apparently not his own health that worries him in the first place. He is concerned about the need to improve the reputation of his own company, about the maintaining of an unprofitable, but very valuable (for Khanzhonkov) scientific department (film shooting on scientific topics). In the memoirs, a reader can see the word "selflessness" ("absence of a love for money") and can meet Alexander Khanzhonkov's reflections on the need to be guided by moral principles in business.
However, the company, headed by Alexander Khanzhonkov, has an excellent financial position. Shareholders are satisfied with the state of affairs.
In the field of Russial cinematography, there is a shortage of film (film reel). However, the film (film reel) is beginning to be delivered through Vladivostok and through Denmark. And after the creation of a special public committee and after the appeals of this committee to the authorities - also through Murmansk.
In the warring and relatively normal living (still, so far) Russia, 2 (two) million people visit cinemas every day.
In the Crimea - at first - a good news are coming to Alexander Khanzhonkov from the Central Russia.
But gradually the good news is replaced by bad news.
The word "disintegration" appears.
The crisis is growing - and the crisis is many-sided ... And it's a fuel crisis, and an energy, and some more and more ...
Residents of Central Russia are discovering that it is not so easy to get to Crimea and Odessa.
And yet people go... They're eager to leave.
In the Crimea, under the wing of Khanzhonkov, of the successful (?) Khanzhonkov, a lot of creative people are arriving - it's the employees of his company who moved to the Crimea from Central Russia.
But how can he pay them their wages?
Wage arrears are growing, and between the lines a reader can feel that such situation is unpleasant (torturous?) for a decent Khanzhonkov - for a man of a good faith.
Khanzhonkov receives two suitcases of money, announces the termination of his company's activities, and pays off all his debts. Former employees are moving - some to Odessa, some to Kyiv, some abroad.
Two conditional storylines - personal and public (economic) - they are interconnecting at the moment of receiving two suitcases of money, paying off all debts, terminating the company's activities and Alexander Khanzhonkov's departure abroad.
It seems that the activities of Khanzhonkov's projects have not completely stopped - something is working - both in Central Russia and in the Crimea. Some activity is going on.
So, Alexander Khanzhonkov (who left Russia), who is fascinated by cinematography, is attracted from Russia by his creations - film studios, pavilions, laboratories, projects ...
The interesting memoirs. To a certain extent, Alexander Khanzhonkov's memoirs about the period after 1914 are a biographical parable. They can serve as an occasion for philosophical reflections on the history of Russia.
Alexander Khanzhonkov - he does not live in a stanitsa, he is not a character of the "And Quiet Flows the Don" novel. It's good. This gives a different pluses.
[MMCMLVII. Khonzhenkovo, Khanzhonkovka and Khanzhonkov. An essay on geographical and historical associations. - May 15, 2022.
MMCMLXV. Alexander Khanzhonkov. Memoirs of a young, enthusiastic, successful businessman from pre-revolutionary Russia. A literary note. - May 17, 2022.].
May 18, 2022 16:45
Translation from Russian into English: May 17, 2022 21:00.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Два счастливых чемодана с деньгами. Александр Ханжонков рассказывает о событиях после 1914 года. Литературная заметка'.
{ 2999. Два счастливых чемодана с деньгами. Александр Ханжонков рассказывает о событиях после 1914 года. Литературная заметка.
MMCMLXIX. Two lucky suitcases with money. Alexander Khanzhonkov writes about the events after 1914. A literary note. }