- When zakazchitsa benefited from the product handkerchief, I saw a unique ring middle of the XVIII Century, with a subtle patterned tie of Russian masters of the imperial court, decorated with pearls, turquoise and diamonds, - says Leonid. - The trouble was that the masterpiece was smashed in three of the most unfortunate places. A break took place just at the place where the rule was pearls. "You can help me?" - Asked the owner of the treasures, which to me had already denied the best jewelers of the country. "Theoretically, it is impossible, because when Spike and restoration of the attachment I have to give such a charge on the metal temperature, which may simply wither pearls, but in practice I can try." And she agreed to it because I was the last hope.
In his workshop Kosygin created vodka from the finest needle that can give a jet of flame, which he jokingly compares with a stream of poison from the mosquito nose. Frozen in Asbestos pearl and well-soldered all the twenty-minute brace. This procedure is still remembered as a master of complex surgical procedures. Restore other damaged areas was not so difficult. When the newly revived ring returned to owner, in honor of the savior of the relics was covered with a generous table, and after the third toast, the conversation turned on wages. "This work gave me extraordinary pleasure, and I will not take money. After making your ring, as if I jumped over my head" - suddenly the master said. Aristocrat was so touched by the act of a young jeweler who gave up a lot of money that took out the old boxes golden needle with a small horse, dotted with 34 tiny diamonds, and said: "Sir, did not bother if you take a gift for your noble deed this little thing?" Of course, Kosygin graciously, and now a miniature-horse shimmers on the lapel of his jacket all the colors of the rainbow. Later he learned the history and the most pins. It turns out that one of the grand balls favorite of the Empress Count Orlov dropped his handkerchief. He raised the five-year-old girl and returned the count, and that in gratitude pinned to her dress, this hairpin with horse ... And in the XX century prapravnuchka of the five babes referred Orel "thanks" Leonid Kosygin.
The deadly legacy of Odessa grandmother
However, communication with the Odessa aristocrats not only pleasant, but ... dangerous. Soon a lady bestowed Kosygin OrloV skate to it called our "princess", who lives in Odessa, incognito, from the time of the revolution. Communication with her has turned his life Leonid Ivanovich. He was already a famous master, made to order gifts for the party leaders of the USSR and friendly states. Under his leadership, the factory was established in boyar style necklace for the Queen of Great Britain (in this order Yuveliralmazeksport allocated gold and diamonds more than three million dollars). Yuri Gagarin was also kosyginsky set - gold cuff links and pins for a tie with a diamond globe and the space rocket in orbit. Mounted in gold cornucopia was Fidel Castro, and a silver ladle, made in the ancient tradition - the first secretary of the Communist Party of Ukraine Vladimir Scherbitsky. And now a successful jeweler fate brings to an old woman dying in poverty, on the recommendation of friends selects for his extraordinarily dangerous mission.
- I got into a little Odessa apartment, whose windows were always drawn the curtains. For many years the local residents kept secret from the outside world all that was happening inside that home, - says the master. - Old woman came to me, who presented the heir of the ancient Russian family. I talked with her for a long time, but in the dim light could not see her face. "Sir!" - She said. - "My life is over, and die with me my whole race. I've got a family jewels, which brought a lot of trouble to our home. This stone found my ancestors in India for three hundred years ago .. . All those who possessed it perished at the hands of persecutors, I like the last of the kind of managed to escape with him here. I beg you, sell it and made my remaining years, and after death, arrange a proper funeral. I am satisfied with even a thousandth part of its real value .
At the same time it showed the crystal. I took a huge gem in his hands and accidentally brought it to the rays of the sun, that from time to time penetrated from behind a curtain. Crystal momentarily flared up, I admired the thick grass emerald color of the noble and its reflection of the notice as diabolically transformed the face of an old woman. According to the noblewoman, her great-grandfather, as a doctor of Russian military mission to India, met the dying runaway slave. Later, exposing his body, the doctor found a huge emerald, wrapped in his leg ... I could not refuse the offer because they realize that the more unique stones I will not ever. Also, reinforcing their confidence, the old woman gave me a gold ring with antique sardonyx, which was carved Roman goddess of victory Victoria.
Since then, Leonid Ivanovich and began serious problems. He "lit up" with a stone from local antique dealers, gypsies and thieves circles. Behind him mounted surveillance, bouncers were on duty in the machines directly from home, and once when trying to find out where the jeweler hides emerald, even criminals wanted to drown Kosygin, when he was diving with an aqualung. Then the master took the factory without pay, picked up the crystal and on its own "Moskvich" pulled in Kiev to friends, hoping to solve all the problems there with the stone.
- Passing a hundred miles, I realized that nowhere can not escape. Find me in Kiev, and I live there do not come back. I'll give the stone the old woman - would kill both her and me. How many more deaths could be this emerald? I opened the car, returned to Odessa in his factory and stamping shop crushed stone dust under the five-ton press. Collected all the dust in a handkerchief and walked to the door of the factory. There I was waiting. "Where emerald?" - Asked one of the "cool". And I gave them a bundle. "What is this? - Shouted a burly ambal saw dust. - Are you a goat, stepped on it? And I said, they say, can make an examination: is there really an emerald, but I value my life. Thieves for a long time about something consulted in the car, and then left. They did not know that from the crystal still remains a small but valuable piece of.
When Kosygin returned to the old woman to return her antique ring and the remaining fragment, I saw how neighbors carried out of her apartment furniture and clothes. The porter said that the old woman a few days ago has died.
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"Six months of work on" Golden Fleece "taken away from me ten years of my life"
In 1997 - 1998 gg. Drozdov, taking orders from one of the largest Ukrainian banks, has created a jewelry piece that has no analogues in the world. Master portrayed a mythical Golden Fleece in the huge monumental panels (1300 cm x 97 cm), now decorates the wall in the lobby of the Odessa branch of the bank. Critics and art historians have so far been unable to assess the significance of this work for the Ukrainian art.
- The complexity of this panel is equivalent to 20 caps Monomakh. In its 1764 semi-precious stones - malachite, garnets, turquoise, amber and phianites, who had to cut up to a micron. For each frame was made of stone. In my studio entire half was dominated completely crazy - recalls Leonid Kosygin.
Indeed, he and his assistants in the shop was closed for four months. Modern "Argonauts" in pursuit of his "Golden Fleece" did not go into the street, slept for two hours a day. Individual cases each fragment, ludili, performed technical polishing, metal covered with gold leaf and silver. One of them once looked out the window and remarked: "Ivanovich, you've got yesterday in the garden roses were in bloom, and today - a blizzard!"
While working on the panel were tragic moments. When it was already almost ready, Kosygin was to treat it with acids. Put it in the bath with a solution, and suddenly the eyes of the masters of all the fragments of works disintegrated. On that day Kosygin left the artisans, and he was left alone.
- I had wanted to hang himself. Then the "Download" vodka, included a video camera and confessed to the lens until until he ran out of power.
Still, Kosygin found strength, restored panels and, together with colleagues in a specified time, hung it on the wall of the bank. This work has selected an artist for ten years of life. He dropped his teeth, his hair thinned, burn scars from acid fumes covered cheeks. Today, after the establishment of a bank of symbols, Kosygin actively engaged in the revival of the heraldic tradition, and some families in Ukraine have already received from the artist in the technique of enamel first family coat of arms.
