[Евгений]

Vice-President, Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs for more than ten years collecting mechanical musical instruments. At its meeting of more than five thousand items, and many of them are rarities, there is only one. In the future they will become a public museum exhibits. Meanwhile, David Yakobashvili said "Friday" about his collection.

- How did you come to collect mechanical musical instruments?

- The collection began with the fact that I bought from a Swedish friend Bill Lidvall samoigrayuschego his collection of instruments, which were about 400 items. He wanted to make based on this museum. Bill was afraid that after his death, the children sell out the assembly, and searching for whom to pass it. Because the unusual objects in Russia are not met, I was interested. The first time he helped me find new things, acquainted with other collectors, and I was involved with pleasure.

- Where do you find items for the collection?

- I buy them in galleries and at auctions and from private collectors, mostly, of course, in Europe - we have no such things. But it is now difficult to find a subject analogues would not be in my collection.

- How well-developed market for mechanical musical instruments?

- In Europe, with the regularity of once or twice a year for specialized auctions mechanical toys: and major auction houses - Sotheby's, Christie's, Bonhams, and smaller, especially in Germany and Switzerland. For example, a German auction Breker, specializing in old technology. They sell cameras, radios, various mechanical items, including jukeboxes.

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- Terms of collectors who are interested in such things, wide?

- There is a Society of Friends of mechanical music, bringing together collectors from all over the world and includes 200-300 people, maybe more. Once a year they gather, usually in America, to discuss various issues, exchange information and views. And by the way, many members of society are going to come to my opening a museum in Moscow.

- Coming soon will be opening a museum?

- Already started to excavate. Have to solve a lot of bureaucratic problems, but hopefully we will overcome them. Now think over how to show things in action, for every visitor because they do not zavedesh. Music, which plays an automaton, you can listen through headphones. The screens show how to move automata, mechanical shape.

- What's unusual can be seen in the museum?

- For example, the eight-meter body: it is inserted into the special rolls, and it plays music that was recorded a hundred or more years ago. The collection of hundreds of Street Organ - from large, are exhibited in the squares, to small organetok, they are placed on the palm. French masters did organetki from the XVII century. Maybe there was something before, but did not reach us. In general, the mechanical music dates back to Ancient Greece and Rome. There are instruments in which the mechanism was started the movement of water or air, and through the mouths was the sound. All this is described, but the tools themselves are not preserved. In the Renaissance, the mechanics developed by Leonardo da Vinci. And his achievements, such as a prolonged mechanism used in watches and caskets.

- What is the oldest thing in your collection?

- Perhaps, desk clock beginning of XVI century. I've got more: Dutch, German, Swiss with automata. For example, one bronze with the figure of Bacchus. He pokes his tongue, his eyes moving from side to side, and when the clock is discourage hour, picks up the cup. Later, in the XVIII century, began to make musical clock - with the sound of organ or bells, on which the hammers hit, playing a melody.

- And something most rare and valuable in the collection can be distinguished?

- Interesting and unique items that were made in a single copy for some of the king and do not recur. I have several such items. For example, a bracelet of the XVIII century, which is worn on the arm, like a clock, and from it comes out a bird and sings. Or snuff box with the magician, who moves his hand, and on a wave of his hands first pops up a tree, then a vase, a bird sings on four frets, and then it all disappears. Or watch the English masters of the XVIII century by James Cox, author of the famous clock "Peacock" from the Hermitage. All things are the Cox made a single copy, several are in the Hermitage in Beijing in the Forbidden City and me.

- All items are in working order?

- Basically, yes. Some items come to us in working order, but we are rebuilding.

- You often they have children?

- Yes, of course. They need to start that the mechanism worked and did not stagnate. At least once a week or once every two weeks.

- We have a little insulting to develop the institutions of a private museum ...

- I think museums will now be appearing. Many collectors in this endeavor. The main thing is that peace and tranquility were then to be, and museums.
http://friday.vedomosti.ru/article.s...11/04/29/17162