[nikola]

People from Odessa.

  
"But mentally Jubilee ..."
On the last anniversary of one of the finest, most talented artists in Odessa, more than thirty years living in a beautiful far away - in New York City - Ilya Shenker. Recently he turned 85!


In a l e n t i n a r o l y b on in a while I have to

    For me it is a double anniversary - exactly half a century ago, fate brought me acquainted with a remarkable pair - Ilya Schenker and his wife Larissa.

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No, half a century ago things were different. After high school I started working in Giprograde, where he met with Lyalya Shvalbinoy, a charming young woman with a gleaming silver threads premature graying of hair in a thick cap of dark hair, which is experiencing a once in a while, obviously, his first artistic success - at the National competition of architects Lyalya received high recognition that many friends Lyalya led to the joy and pain in the cheekbones - jealousy and anger at the ill-wishers. Maybe Lyalya then the first but not last, I think, again met with joy and envy of others. (I remember friends Lyalya surprised that she had not forgotten a cash prize contest somewhere on the chair, on the drawing board. The then habit Lyalya leave a purse, keys and other similar "stuff" in the most unexpected places joined her colleagues in the proverbial).
       Parents have always been taught that their elders should be treated by my name. And even though I had just graduated from high school, but recently Lyalya Institute, I am mindful of parental guidance, became (in my opinion, the only Giprograde!) Refer to it by name and patronymic: "Larissa losifovna!". Lyalya laughed at me and since then, although she has long known as "adult" name - Larissa Shenker, for me it is, so forgive me for this weakness! - Lyalya Shvalbinoy those distant years.
       However, remember that long before he met with Lyalya, I heard from my mom with gratitude uttered the name "Dr. Ulanitskaya!". Then itself for a certificate has been in the district hospital, in the Ascension of the alley, and after the bustle of the corridor came into the office of Dr. Ulanitskoy, fascinated me and noble appearance and the participation of an attentive and impeccable intelligence. I realized my mother.
       Dr. Ulanitskaya was mum Lyalya Shvalbinoy.
       I remember Giprograd those years, and many, many working people there, and with admiration and with gratitude, and sadness. And Rachel Abovnu Vladimir - "Valechka why you do not want me to work?" "Rachel Abovna, I'm afraid of you!" - On the simple-minded I answered. Rachel Abovna famous for the harsh and exacting, but I did not differ zeal to work on the drawing board ... And Noemi Grigorievna Milgram, with whom I went on business trips, and it revealed to me the charm of a provincial architecture. And Alexander Ivanovich Nikolayev, who spent in Stalin's camps, who had returned from there totally deaf. We sat with him one time, a number more were copied, and while walking to lunch, he talked about "Yuri Olesha" They were classmates in high school, played soccer together, and then met at the "green light". I read in Literaturnaya "message about the death of Yuri Olesha, and in the morning, coming to work, written by Alexander Ivanovich:" Died Olesha. He clutched his head, and I heard like a dull groan ... How ignorant I was, why then did not record anything from his memoirs! Why do so few ask?
       And Lyudmila Pavlovsky, with such tact inscribed a new house on the corner of Pushkin and Zhukovsky, and it is among the Stalinist pomposity novostroya.
       In short, remember you can and should be many. But it Lyalya Shvalbina introduced me to his house, met her husband - Ilya Yakovlevich Schenker. And now, after half a century, going back to that distant time, I realized that they, Lyalya and Elijah, for me, just finished school, became the first art academy. Perhaps immodestly, but I can say that the girl I was well-read, went to museums and exhibitions in the library. But live painting! This is the first time - Ilya Shenker.
       And now, passing, passing by Catherine, the area between the Little Arnautskaya and Panteleimon (although I like literature preserved in the street name Novorybnoe), I lifted up my head up and tenderly looking at the window of the last (high!) Floor of an old house.
       Happy "Pigeon"! They lived Lyalya parents (his father was also a doctor), and Lyalya with Ilya.
       Elias, from the Institute of Architecture went to war, conquered all four years, returning, he graduated from the Architecture, but also studied painting with Theophilus Borisovich Frayerman. Communion to Harmony through architecture (in those days was someone to learn) and the invaluable lessons Frayerman, as well as air, light, transparent, colored shadows of Odessa, its environment, its beautiful inhabitants of the houses and streets, and were apparently the basis on and which has grown, hone, otgranilos, blossomed, shone in a low light work of artist Ilya Shenker.
       When Lyalya introduced me to Ilia, by typing in their home, he and the studio was not. The narrow room with only a small window - it was his studio in those days. For me, everything here was a revelation, and paints, and has written watercolors, and numerous drawings, but above all the master himself.
       My God - I think - because when we first met Ilya was only 37 years old.
But he was not just me, girl, seemed wise, he was already wise.
It was the biblical wisdom of its people, the wisdom of Tzaddikim villages from which their ancestors were born, it was the wisdom of man, full experience the bitterness and cruelty of war, evil and the front and post-war hard times with his "struggle with cosmopolitanism" and "business doctors" who has had a loss their teachers - G. Gotgelfa and T. Frayerman ...
       For thirty-seven years, Ilya Yakovlevich already survived so much, that could last for several lifetimes. But the tests do not harden it. He and those that are younger years, was not only wise, but also ironic, cheerful, sociable, friendly, generous man. The list goes on and on.
       I do not know, I can not judge for what fate has been so friendly to me, that gave me not just familiarity, but the cooperative attitude of Elijah and Lyalya me. Not only is my anticipation of the joy of communicating with them frequently raised in their "skies", but they came for me, in my "dungeon". (It was from Lyalya and Ilya I first heard: "We must get to know you and Zhenya Golubovskii!." Once we went three for Big Arnautskaya. From Richelieu to greet us was a young man in a brown coat and a hat (!) It was very fast (now I think it ran for some book-a rarity). My companions and a young man, without stopping, said hello. "This is Zhenya Golubovskii" .- I heard and looked around. Know how! ...) Once the three of us went to the Philharmonic, where I met Zhenya Golubovskii ...), they took me to his friends, and I still remember the impression made on me by the library of Joan and Leni Berinyh (I have not been familiar with Zhenya Golubovskii and its library!). There were also funny stories. Once, it was the first or second of May, Ilya and Lyalya gone for me, but on the street stood a young man. Sasha Freidin "- he introduced himself. We reached the Potemkin stairs, where her side, over Luna Park, it was ice cream parlor. The three of us talked, laughed, and Sasha sat in silence. Suddenly he covered his face with his hand, I am nothing guessing, but managed sympathetically asked: "Are you a bad feeling?", As my question was followed by a materialized response. Before meeting with us Sasha has "noted" May Day. Many years later, Sasha and I cheerfully remembered our first acquaintance. And then Ilya Lyalya complained: "That is called, introduced a young man with a girl!".
       But very often we walked in Odessa, over the sea.
       One spring day, we walk reached Lermontovsky resort and sat down on the grass under shady trees. The sun pierced the foliage, the grass jumping sunbeams. Ilya and in these walks, in this Odessa «dolce far niente», took the album and pencils. Half an hour later, maybe, on paper, appeared a sketch. After a while, Ilya "touched" his watercolors, and in July gave me my portrait. On it the date and signature Schenker. 12.UP.1958. It hangs on the wall, like a little jewel, and, looking at him, I remember Simonov lines: "And older, the owner of one himself to his portraits of jealous ...
       Ilya wrote to me several times. And all sorts of stories happened. I remember once he wrote a completely magical portrait up there, on Catherine. During the work of Ilya told a sad, then funny stories. At that time, he recalled a sergeant in the air regiment during the war. History, in the artistic performance of Elijah, was very funny. I still remember how to reproduce the completion Ilya monologue zlivshegosya for someone elders: "From yahidny - spoons knocking!". I have already fallen from laughing, and then I pushed Ilya whether he was seeing my uncontrollable reaction that made the wrong move, but, my God, my wet watercolor eye appeared irreparable stain. It was not funny, so sorry it was mutilated portrait. But Ilya stayed himself. After a moment he had written on the spot stains black patch and exclaimed: "All, Valya, will Kutuzov!". About Moshe Dayan, we did not yet know ...
       But this case is nothing compared to my other fault. Wrote at the beginning of his picturesque way only watercolor, Ilia in the second half of the fifties are increasingly turned to oil painting. He conceived a great track with oil and asked me to pose, yet at the stage outdoor sketches. I gladly accepted. Ilya Lyalya came to the slopes of Joy, I sat on the grass, Ilya wrote Lyalya something to tell, sometimes went to her friend who lived nearby, on the street heartening. We met on weekdays, after work, in the long sunset hours Odessa summer. Once we agreed to meet on Sunday, has already become a familiar time.
       Using a Sunday afternoon (in those years, Saturday was another working day, however, Khrushchev cut on Saturday workday by two hours, and we long to get used to it!), I am with their company peers went to the beach, in joy, a day of swimming, sunbathing, swimming back to the blue in the face again ... sun tanning has already begun to droop. "God, I also been waiting Ilya Ya!". Thrown over a dress, I flew up the steep slopes of joy. Thank God, not late, I was glad when he saw coming towards Ilya and Ljalju. Hold the Champagne! Seeing me, Ilya said: "Valya what you have done!" And a bitter doom waved. I was confused and began to look around, pull up dress, perhaps stuck to the wet bathing suits?. "Valya, face, face!". Instead of my usual pallor, which apparently belonged to the dominant scenic design artist, my face blazed red flame Odessa tan. Delicate Ilya Yakovlevich still invited me to sit in my place among the fragrant herbs Otradnensky, took up his brush, but it was clear that to write to him no longer wanted. A red spot to destroy the entire delicate coloristic system. I felt like a criminal, temperamental Lyalya from behind her husband threatened me with his little fist. More in Joy, we did not come back ...

       Then I went to Leningrad, the university, and when we came back with Zhenya began to visit them in another apartment on the corner of New Novorybnoe. By this time Elijah has already had a studio on the corner of Grand Arnautskaya Belinsky.
       It was there we were taken to their friends - from Moscow, from St. Petersburg. A brilliant talent of the artist mastered all the new space. The old faithful watercolor and oil painting powerful graphics side by side with - his Don Quixote knew not only all of Odessa, but shenkerovsky knight of La Mancha at its Rosinante passed on boundless expanse of the former Soviet Union. Inspired by Pushkin cycle of prints was a major event in the domestic arts Pushkiniane. I am happy that our daughter, working on the publication of the Odessa chapters of "Eugene Onegin" is translated into several European languages, was allowed Ilya Yakovlevich and used his motives in the design of this book.
       My last meeting as an Artist's Model with Ilya Yakovlevich was in 1966. It's that time wrote a portrait of Peter Todorovsky. And my portrait. The model I was still mediocre .. Once arrived at the wrong skirt. At this time, Ilya Yakovlevich, without further ado, he gave me already and for "Kutuzov", and for tan Joy, and a full skirt.! My love for him is not diminished by this.
       And then the outcome. They've gone and Schenker. And the space of Odessa has been shrinking as shagreen ...
       Lyalya Shvalbina became Larissa Schenker, a famous editor of the Word /Word », which I look on the Internet, Ilya famous painter, whose exhibition - an event which many people write in prestigious journals ..
       And what I write? Of course, no art criticism essay. How to complete this text? Maybe the lines of the same poem by Boris Pasternak, the words from which I remembered and put a header.
       "You - authenticity, you - the charm, you are inspiration itself. This is all at a distance should tell you my letter. "
       So it is, "flowers belated" birthday to the past?.
       No, still for half a century late, thanks for the "pigeon" for "Kutuzov", for joy, for having lived in Odessa, Ilya Shenker and Lyalya Shvalbina whose names magically rhyme and continue to each other.
Ilya Lyalya.
Lyalya and Ilia.

1. Artist IJ Schenker (Photo from the archive SZ Lushchik)
2. IJ Shenker. Engraving "So, I lived in Odessa ..."
3. IJ Shenker. Etching, until 1974 (photo from archive SZ Lushchik)
4. IJ Shenker and L. Shvalbina, Odessa (Photo from the archives SZ Lushchik)
5. IJ Shenker and L. Shvalbina, New York (Photo from the archive SZ Lushchik)
6. Workshop IJ Shenker, 1974
Left to right: J. Schenker, R. Livshin, Anya Kalmykov, GA Kalmykov
(Photo from the archive SZ Lushchik)