[ВЯЧЕСЛАВ]

Alexander Chatsky

REMEMBER LYUSIKA MEZHBERGA



On Sunday evening, July 22, 2007, I learned that in Italy, in Carrara, five days ago of a heart attack, died Odessa artist Leo L. Mezhberg.

He lived alone and only on the second day after his death, a neighbor noticed the key sticking out the front door to the apartment Mezhberga. He called the Carabinieri ...

Of forty son Andrew (a pianist and painter) and the former wife of Lev Leonidovich - Alia (Asya) Murtazina (violinist) live in the United States. Many friends left in the Masters in Odessa.

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Ten years ago the first time on L. Mezhberge told me his teacher at the Odessa Art School Dean Mikhaylovna Frumin. Exhibition DM Frumina in 1946 at the Museum of Western and Eastern art produced in thirteen Lyusika very strong impression, especially its "Samarkand sketches. In the fourth year the school, he studied at the studio of a great master - DM Frumina. In 1966, a joint trip with Dina Mikhailovna in Moscow for posthumous exhibition R. Falk of the Union of Artists and an exhibition Petrov-Vodkin in the Tretyakov Gallery. In the same year, Dina Mikhailovna left for Bulgaria (as it turned out in his only trip abroad) and took her Lyusik Mezhberg with his wife.

Years later, a grateful pupil will in 2002 published a catalog of solo exhibition of his teachers - DM Frumina.

Understanding creativity Dina Mikhailovna study in her studio and many years of friendship Mezhberg in the period of emigration has always considered the greatest success of his life.

Lyusik once said: "The Musical Odessa is famous for its teachers, who could" raise hands "to his disciples. Dina Mikhailovna knew how to" put her eyes. "A good teacher should be different so that the disciples did not create a similar, but different artists. That was Dina Mikhailovna Frumin . No wonder among her pupils: Mezhberg, Freidin, Ostrovsky, Malyshev, Mezheritsky, Sychev, and many others. Each of them held as an independent creative person.

 
L. Mezhberg with his friend - an artist
Ostrovskii
1950 In his memoirs, Dina Mikhailovna wrote: "LA Mezhberg - a talented young man, who has written their own, an excellent job akademzadaniyami. A painter and a colorist by nature, fanatically loves art ... was a remarkable artist in all genres and forms. Fascinated not only painting, and sculpture, mosaics, graphics ... with great success is exhibited in the United States and other countries, "1.

In 2003, LL Mezhbergu 70 years old. For his birthday in the gallery on the street. Lanzheronovskaya was presented an exhibition of works of L. Mezhberga Odessa private collections.

Two years later, in summer, Lyusik newly arrived in Odessa. I invited him to her. He became interested in paintings and drawings of his fellow students, artists and A. Freidin G. Malyshev. Pointing to those of them that he liked. The recently published catalog of works of Odessa artist VG Krihatskogo (1877-1942) was unknown to him, and he flipped through his curiosity. In memory of that meeting were two photos.

A few days later he went to Kiev to organize an exhibition of his works at the National Art Museum. It did not happen. I tried to fly to Moscow, but it was necessary to overcome any formalities ... In the end Lyusik returned to Carrara. Often called Dina Mikhailovna. Their conversation lasted for hours. Once decided to send his favorite teacher, two art album. Knowing that my correspondence is stored in the mail, Dina Mikhailovna recommended Lyusiku (for greater safety) to send a parcel to my address.

Imagine my disappointment when the post office gave me a parcel and I saw only a bit wet album Vyuara, tarnished photos and flyers autobiography.
Someone pulled out a catalog and slides, and to save weight poured the water, which absorbed the contents of plastic packaging.
In a note enclosed in the packet, he wrote:

"Dear Alex!
I am sending you photos of recent works from the series "Odessa". Pictures turned out not very good, blue always terrible, but some idea what you have (good turnover of Odessa: "You'll have"). I am sending you also autobiographical data on all issues, one slide with a still-life "memory of Gumilev and the latest catalog of the exhibition. Of all the photos and select the directory works for encyclopedia 1. I now work a lot, started a lot of work, while drawing. Thank you in advance, greetings to family, Odessa, and all his friends. Yes, I still put the book on Vyuare for Dina
Mikhailovna.
My e-mail (a) no.
With best wishes. Your Lyusik Mezhberg.

 
Autobiography of Leo Mezhberga "Mezhberg Lev Leonidovich.
Hereditary Odessa, was born on the street Staroportofrankovskaya the night of August 23 to August 24.
My father was a musician, he studied at the Odessa Conservatory professor corneum.
Mother came from an educated family in Odessa, the sister of her mother was married to a wonderful poet Haim Nahman Bialik.
From the mother and father, my grandfather were masters of silver, the engraver, and the father of my mother, my grandfather, Isaac Belenky was an artist-engravers. The brother of my father was a historian - a professor at Kiev University.
Drawing I started early - with two years as he could hold a pencil.
When her parents went to the theater, they put me to bed album, colored pencils and a large binder of pre-revolutionary journal "Field" and I have nothing else had, so pencil in hand and I fell asleep in the morning, my father waking me playing the clarinet marches from operas and symphonies. I immediately reproduced the melodies, but in 4 years in short pants and a sailor put on a chair, and I sang arias and popular songs of that time, but especially all liked it when I sang Gremin's aria from Eugene Onegin: Onegin, I I will not hide, I am madly in love Tatyana. This went on my cloudless childhood until 1941. The war began. We are family: me, my brother and mom last echelon left Odessa. The father remained at the defense of the city. Beginning of this hell - the bombing, machine gun fire on the cars, corpses, dismembered skull, environment, puddles of blood, screams. Miraculously, we jumped out of the circle and hit the village Mamlyutka in northern Kazakhstan. Then he moved to Central Asia. Throughout the war, I was drawing on scraps of paper, as our pilots shot down the fascists, tank and naval battles - it was my child's participation in the war. I had a pencil "Ruslan" and I really suffered when he was becoming less and less.

In 1945, we returned to Odessa. In 1946 I enrolled in a children's art school. In 1947 participated in the first rally of young Ukrainian artists in Kiev. In these years, I won first place in the Republican contest of young artists, and then took first place in the All-Union contest of young artists work with oil "Lastochkina Street in Odessa." In the children's art school, studied at Maria Georgievna Pavliuk.

In 1950 he entered the Odessa Art College. In 1953 I was drafted with 4 courses, where I studied with Dina Mikhailovna Frumina. He served in the aviation industry in the city of Chelyabinsk. All service very much to draw and paint sketches. For reproduction of Titian's "Venus", which I hung in the barracks, I was punished by six months exile in construction battalion. Demobilized in 1956 and continued studies in college, where he graduated in 1958 2.

Studied: Lyubov Osipovna Tokareva, A., Nicholas A. Sheluto, Professor L. E. Muchnik, Dina Mikhailovna Frumin, Tamara I. Egorova, IA Yanchilina (anatomy), Strelnikov (perspective), AB bed ( etchings).

After graduating from college he worked in the printing house, decorating the shop of the Art Fund, which is very learned. Began participating in art exhibitions. In 1960 I was admitted to the Union of Artists. During the years of stay in the Union of Artists participated in regional, republican and all-union, foreign art exhibitions. He received diplomas for the best work on the all-Union exhibitions, one signed by Johansson, one signed by Gerasimov. Many works were acquired by the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine and the Union. Participated in 41 exhibition, was noted in (including - Avenue A. Ch) six of the best young artists of the Soviet Union, an exhibition which was displayed in all the cities of Europe. From Ukraine's my job "Vilkovo, the return of the fishermen" were shown in Canada at the international exhibition.

My works are in many museums of the former Soviet Union, in the museums of America and France, Brazil and other countries 3. The main theme of my works were my childhood experiences associated with war, and my hometown - Odessa: Odessa 1941 "," Liberation of Odessa "," Fight at the Opera House, "" Utochkin - the first Russian aviator, down a bike on the Potemkin stairs "(Triptych)," Cycles "(Triptych)," Early morning at the stadium, "Country football," "Courage," "Early Spring", landscapes Poltava, Moscow region, Black Sea, a large cycle Vilkovo, cityscapes Odessa still lifes, portraits, etchings, landscapes of Lithuania.

Many works are in private collections around the world and in particular: M. Shostakovich, N. Dodta, Rothschild, Yehudi Menuhin, Vladimir Horowitz, N. Milstein, M. Rostropovich, I. Stern, Leonard Bernstein.
Since 1973, I lived in the United States of America, of which he is. Over the years, I created a lot of work, cycles of "Memoirs of Odessa", "Jerusalem," painting "Last Supper", "Wailing Wall", "Marsabit Monastery, King David playing the harp," a cycle of American landscapes, "New York summer "," Rain New York ", a large series of Italian and French landscapes and a large number of still lifes and portraits.

Reproductions of my works have been placed in the magazines "Creativity", "Art in America", as well as many articles in the Russian and American press, the journal "Art News".
From 1991 to 1994 I lived in Paris and many worked there, especially tempera.
Since 2001 I live in Italy in a small beautiful gorodochke Carrara in Tuscany. "

  In his article, "High degree of skill" (2) Isaac Vaynshelboym cites the following Leo Mezhberga story about his family, of himself, which is a good supplement to his autobiography: "The family, especially my mother and her entourage kept in their children Jewish spirituality. In my generation has influence the situation in Odessa, where, contrary prevailed in the country's anti-Semitism, Jewish culture and Jewish tradition, I think, been stronger than in other major cities of the USSR.

In the darkest times in our home for Passover was always unleavened bread. At the seder attended by a friend of my mother, associate professor Conservatory Raisa Isaakovna Oygenziht and her husband, Horowitz - a cousin of the famous pianist Vladimir Horowitz.

My mother was from a famous village Medzhibozh. The family honored the memory of his grandfather the Baal Shem Tov. In our house sounded and Hasidic Jewish folk songs.

My brother Kostya killed at the front of the Second World War. In memory of my mother found her son in the Second Jewish cemetery of an abandoned tomb, which restored the gravestone, regularly visited her with me and perform all the prayers. This leaves a mark on his life ... When I first arrived in Jerusalem, I felt as if I lived there ...

I became a painter, when Jewish culture in the country has been suppressed, and the Jewish theme in the art of repressive eradicated. Fortunately, the artist can write for a narrow circle. In the synagogue at Siltings I met a very interesting Shoikhet, reminded me of our prophets. The old man served as an excellent model for a series of portraits. One of them I managed to take to America.


In Jerusalem, I did three cycles of paintings of the Holy City - Jerusalem of King Solomon "," District Hasidic "and" modern city ". By the Jewish question will not come back again.

I want to tell you about one episode that occurred in the summer of 1951. After the first year of the Art School of eighteen Lyusik Mezhberg at the invitation of his friend and classmate of Joseph Ostrowski came to his home in Shepetovka. That Shepetovka, which Ostap Bender said: "The last city on Earth, on which the breaking waves of the Atlantic Ocean.

Here is what L. Mezhberg: "Once we were writing at the station, already finished sketches, turned out amazing, the tune was an extraordinary, all poured into scaly bends rail and locomotive fumes. He came up huge bruiser, and growled:" What plans are shooting? "He grabbed my sketch and tore it into small pieces. Osik sketch I survived, but my friend was so upset that all the way to the house calmed me ... And from Shepetovka I returned with a bag of sketches ".

For me, one of the most impressive sketches L. Mezhberga Paris. Subway. Spring "echoes the artist's memories of his youth.

I enjoyed looking at the works of Lev Leonidovich Mezhberga (DM Frumin did not like the word "work" in relation to painting), fully reproduced in two directories published by the gallery "Franklin Bowles" in New York in 2002 and 2005, and conscious of how much and how to make the Master!

In Odessa - hometown of the Artist, his friends and acquaintances survived more than a hundred of his works, some of which, I hope we'll see on the exhibitions dedicated to the memory of L. Mezhberga.

Illustrations to the article from the Catalog
"Lev Meshberg" Keeper of the flame "Franklin Bowles galleries (USA)

NOTES
1. I told Lyusiku that he wrote in "Енциклопедію сучасної Ukraine" article on GM Malyshev and would like to write about it.
2. DM Frumin wrote in his memoirs: "Unfortunately, the fifth year (not being protected by the Directorate), he was taken into military service and sent to Eastern Siberia, where the painfully difficult to serve two years." Remembering what happened half a century, Dina Mikhailovna slightly wrong.
3. Check with some galleries and museums: the Tretyakov (Moscow), Russian (St. Petersburg), Pushkin (graphic collection), Kyiv National, Saratov, Simferopol, Vologda, Kharkov, Alupkinskoe, Paris (collection "Russian Art in Exile"), New Jersey (collection "Russian Art in Exile"), Nicholas Roerich Museum (New York).

REFERENCES
1. Frumin Dina. My memories. - Odessa: Gallery "Bridge", 2005. S. 144 (pp. 76-77).
2. Vaynshelboym Isaac. High degree of skill. //"EM". - № 465. - 19.04.2001 g.
3. Chatsky Alexander. He went out into eternity. //Tikva. - № 578. - 01.08.2007