[Allena]

And here is the first part of the article! The same number 39. Admins, help me, please, if fross no objection, to put everything in order. Thank you.

Desecration of monuments
Nicholas Khardzhiev - pride and glory of Russian culture. Who and why it seeks to present a greedy scoundrel
Vladimir Nadein
Only at the end of the 60-ies Nikolai Khardzhiev allowed himself to break purdah. His name became famous among connoisseurs of Russian avant-garde.

 

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In the most recent years of his long secret life of the eternal and the poor beggar struck many millions of dollars. Not that the clear sky, but - almost.

He is so trusted them! In it, who despised money, suddenly awakened premonition of rest and will have only two possible outcomes - when there's no money at all or when they are enough.

When he appeared many millions, he was sure - enough. But the incredible happened. His millions rebelled. They betrayed the master. These millions taken away from it all. First - the essence of life. Then - joy of life. Then - the life thing.

Now these big money to finish off the memory of his life. The fact that he only managed to do. One of the whole of Russia. One of the world. For this case, he sacrificed love, fatherhood, siblings, friends and girlfriends. For the sake of Russian avant-garde, the great artistic movements, which in the early twentieth century saw hooliganism, vypendrivaniem and heroism of feeble mind, he without hesitation sacrificed all the joys and benefits that may be bestowed upon his long and 93-year-old life.

And now the money finished off a good memory of him. Why are there good! Just memory. Just the information that was, say, on this earth Russian intellectual Nikolai Ivanovich Khardzhiev. What is he starving and freezing, but saved for posterity the memory of the incomparable Miguet Russian culture. Today no one to grieve at the abandoned Russian graves in Amsterdam. And former erased in the public consciousness without a trace, if an electronic eraser on a computer sketch. It remains only something about the millions and something about customs.

However, and this notoriety quickly fades. The main reason is that the memorial wreath Nicholas Khardzhiev though looked evergreen, but the suites, he was not the laurels. Of the bucks.

But less greenback rustling in his wreath, more recently, such a lavish and lush. Too many people stroked this coveted green sticky hands. Art critics, ministers, well-wishers, notaries, professional provocateurs, close friends, experts on Russian avant-garde, the robbers, the bankers, merchants, journalists, housewives cute, thinking about his future, customs officers, officials on both sides of a "cultural curtain" ...

Together, they soon raznesut recent flyers on their bank accounts, and then the name of the martyr Russia's culture forever rest in piles of fossilized dung information.

And if anyone in koi ever touch a shovel in disgust this sintered product secondary, and then appear before the descendants of the righteous, not a hero, whom we all owe, but very, very bad man. Predator and ignorant. Psychopath with a thieving proclivities. Ham, a coward and insufferable braggart. Slacker. Moaner and rogue. Army deserter, or, at best, a clever malingerer.

And, stroking his conscience on the wool, will repeat the fastidious historians almost gnomic curse that sent the famous widow, Nadezhda Mandelstam slightly less famous victim was the poet, his once-fearless savior: "Nikolai Khardzhiev (SOB), a eunuch and loot."

This image is advantageous to almost all who were involved in the last years of his life. But to allow such a development history can not. And not just because the curse of their Nadezhda Mandelstam sent in some years, when he had to hurry with the manuscripts to please the keen interest that erupted to her husband, the publishers of the West.

And then, immediately after the arrest of Osip, when it proceeded on behalf of the chilling horror of belonging, who gave her his bachelor rookery in Shabby komnatuhe? Kohl Khardzhiev. He fed her sausages, otpaival tea and slip into chocolate. And she was every chocolate, which, choked with tears, not feeling taste, swallowing his future oblichitelnitsa, just worth a hungry young writer a week - without work and without income, without friends, though a little richer or more influential than himself.

Marina Tsvetaeva and Anna Akhmatova met only once, as they say, himself. And it is all in the same squalid lair Khardzhiev, one of the few places in Moscow, where there lived a quiet courage.

But no, not at all why the name of Nikolai Ivanovich should be assigned to the most esteemed in Russia of the twentieth century. Fate sent him a historic mission, and he did it brilliantly. He more than any other man in the world, is obliged to Russian avant-garde for their salvation.

And only when it became clear that his beloved avant-garde out of mortal danger, Nikolai Ivanovich Khardzhiev began to think about his salvation.

ESCAPE Amsterdam

No matter how hard I try, I can not avoid this painful vision. Sheremetyevo-2, Monday, November 8, 1993-th. Khardzhiev 91 per year. He was tall, his back almost straight. From under the broad, shrubs vrazlet eyebrows somewhere forward directed unblinking gaze. Lidiya Chaga, wife of 84 years, flexible and agile, a former ballerina, casually chatting with Willem Vistshteynom. Professor of Russian Language and Literature, University of Amsterdam. The professor is young, but because hardzhievsky suitcase gets heavy to carry him.

They stand, waiting for landing, waiting for the flight to Holland, the city of Amsterdam.

Why in Amsterdam - more on that later. We are checking passports. 'll Do not come? .. Khardzhiev invited to a congress, but this is just an excuse. In the hands of an elderly couple's passports with temporary visas. But both know that in his Moscow apartment, they will not return ever.

This "never" tortured them. About life abroad, they dreamed of for decades. Twice plans disrupted. Twice robbed. As Europeans: kindly, smiling, shamelessly and brutally. Is this not the third time? If so, then if they wanted to return they will simply nowhere. All that they had already loaded into boxes, Sveza somewhere in the not known to them the place. From this point, surreptitiously breaking the boundary, which has the world's largest castle, the unique collection should again come to them in Amsterdam in all its splendor invaluable.

And if you see? Maybe not too late to return everything to their seats and try to squeeze into this new and terrible life in Russia? Just out of the tanks fired at the Duma. They killed hundreds of people. Or thousands? The door of their apartment, which stores an invaluable, easy to knock out arm bandit average fatness. Where to look for protection, if only forces left here on this bag with drugs? That's why I standing next Willem Vistshteyn. The young professors nice smile, but such a terrible Russian pronunciation that thought Khardzhiev dvoyatsya. When a word is uttered - no, like a decent, for the abomination of long-term view would have found a villain without an accent. How grinned gentle smile of encouragement - well, typical European thief, even with a half-way to return home.

But here, life will not. The apartment is still there, but not at home. So far, their salvation was obscurity. But in recent years, news of the collection Khardzhiev, about his collection of rare paintings and manuscripts of Russian avant-garde is becoming increasingly common in Moscow, Russia, around the world. Visions of one another all the more horrible haunt Nikolai Ivanovich. The thought that his precious treasure, so masterfully uberezhennye more than half a century, from the Cheka-OGPU-NKVD-MGB-MVD-KGB, that all these rotten leaves, yellowing photographs, drawings and frayed strewn across paintings that for decades he cradled in his hands, cover of darkness of loneliness may become a thing even vile bureaucrats from the Russian Museum, and the stupid bandit ... No, even the thought is intolerable ... Better hurry to board the plane, and then go into a clean European terminal and clear: "Fraternal greetings to you, ladies and musyu!"

Well, then, after "musyu? In the articles on the forefront, which are sometimes published in the West, Nikolai Ivanovich, as befits a scientist, made numerous footnotes to the English-, French-, Germanic-, Italian-and God knows what is multilingual sources. But could speak only in Russian. This is not a fraud case. Among the scientists is very common special knowledge of foreign languages: reading and common sense to know how to catch, but say a word or a rumor that some perceive - the problem simply unbearable. Nikolai Ivanovich was just such.

His wife was a child in France, but retained in memory only "sorry".

But they yearned for a life without fear that would leave Europe and with this pitiful vocabulary. Especially since the arrival of the collection of hope remained strong. A collection too ... Yes that there the whole collection, even a small part of it ... This ensured the life of the well-fed, gentle, respectable.

Both spouses were not too young, and yet driven by the thought of death, realized how little suited to them the concept of "long". And so it happened. Khardzhiev died in Amsterdam with the same temporary visas. Nikolai Ivanovich - two years, Lidiya - six months earlier. People are very old age, nothing unnatural.

Estestv otherwise contrary: after a magical dream come true, after the appearance of abundant bank accounts in Switzerland and the Netherlands, after buying a three-storey house in a quiet part of Amsterdam, Nikolai lie on the bed in his room on the second floor in disgust, turn away from the window (from Holland? From Europe? from non-country?) face to the wall and so prolezhit until his death.

House on Olimpiyapleyn, 55 chose Lidiya. She, a former ballerina with rostochkom vershochek, flexible, like a cat, liked the steep spiral staircase between floors, making the elevator (been there and your home elevator), it is almost never used. With this ladder and it falls on Nov. 7, 1996 and died at the hands of the first kind, and then the suspect and her scampish immigrant from Russia. She squandered untold money and hours talking on the phone with the Moscow acquaintances, and they remember it well-directed review of Holland, from which emanate anger and anguish: "Much like a shallow plate with tulips, tulips and tulips again."

This point of departure from Sheremetyevo - as the peak of Greek tragedy. It seems to choose their own future, but everything is predetermined by higher forces.

After six hours they were in the coveted Amsterdam, the best room in the Hilton. Vase with fruit, wine, chocolates, of course, a bouquet of tulips, dinner in the room - all paid for. And so it is now and go. Henceforth and forever for them - all paid for.

Whom? Why? For what?

WHY Harjit?

The last two and a half years of Nikolai Ivanovich Khardzhiev, since he became a foreign millionaire, describes almost every minute. Russian newspapers and magazines, foreign newspapers and magazines, television, books.

Ordeals and suffering Nicholas Khardzhiev throughout most of Soviet rule remain in impenetrable darkness. The impression is, if anyone is seriously interested. Though I must say immediately that any, to choose a week in Amsterdam Khardzhiev easier to describe and explore, than any of the nine decades he spent in the Soviet Union.


His biography is easy to fit in a paragraph of medium size. Born Kahovka in 1903. His father was an Armenian, his mother - a Greek from the Turkish city of Smyrna. They met in Odessa, where Nicholas in the 21 years of age came and trained as a lawyer (in what institution - it is not clear). Lawyer did not work a second, dreamed of literature, but make sure not to have a special talent, gave himself (and, as later turned out, the rest of life) study of the Russian avant-garde. In the literature of his idols once and for all become Khlebnikov, torsion, Harms, in art - Malevich, Tatlin, Larionov.

But the main shield against the ills of life in Soviet times was Mayakovsky. We Khardzhiev, generally a very stingy on the written word, about Mayakovsky wrote the most books and articles. But it is doubtful whether he liked Mayakovsky as ardently and tenderly as he adored and admired Mr. Klebnikov Harms. After 1935, when a letter from the poet's mistress Lili Brik appeared the famous Stalinist resolution: "Mayakovsky was and remains the best, most talented poet of our Soviet epoch, around each row of the recent futurist crowding is a dense ring of commentators that the non-partisan and socially passive Khardzhiev break a number of literary generals still would not have succeeded. And all interpretation Mayakovsky was given at the mercy is the highest literary rank.

Once to Victor Shklovsky (one of these generals) had left his wife Sophia Khardzhiev Narbut, his lot for many years to become loneliness, poverty, dirty shirts, thin boots. Most likely, this time should include the beginning of his collection on the history of Russian avant-garde - art and literature during the early twentieth century, which by the end of this century ascended to the heights of commercial triumph in the West.

But then the end of the century was still almost a century. In the 29 th year, Kazimir Malevich made a step which, experts believe, made him the most expensive later Russian avant-garde artist. Asked to go to an exhibition in Warsaw, he went to Berlin and left there about a hundred of his best works. Hoped to return, but the Soviet Union were on Malevich's other plans. Six years later, just sat there, Malevich died in incredible poverty. The government has denied a former professor in a modest increase in pauper's pension and blocked from traveling abroad to try to escape from cancer.

If in Berlin Malevich offered $ 20 for the painting, he thought it would be a deal happier. Most recently, one of the abandoned works in Berlin, "Supremacist composition", was sold at auction for 21 million dollars.

With all the fantastic ingenuity and virtuosity of the work of the great Russian avant-garde Filonova auction value of his works is not close to the paintings of Malevich. According to one art critic for The Washington Post, here affected by the fact that Filonov was a little more understandable to the Soviet arts bureaucracy, making it more likely to buy in domestic museums, and, consequently, fewer were exported to the West. Kazimir Malevich in the Soviet Union feared less, why he does not dwell in the vaults, and became available for the world. Almost half a century hung Suprematist works by Kazimir Malevich in the walls of the famous Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York and the Museum "Stedeliyk" in Amsterdam, before they reached the current price exorbitant figures.

In 1933, when Malevich, already banished from teaching, is still enthusiastically worked in his Leningrad studio, his paintings were affordable for the average employee.

Then I bought them Khardzhiev? Let us say at once: no one knows. Khardzhiev never tell anyone, as he became the owner of eight paintings by Malevich and many of his drawings and sketches. But we know that it was at the request of Khardzhiev Malevich wrote his only surviving (alas, unfinished) autobiography. We also know that at the beginning of 30-year Khardzhiev with two of his equally young colleagues took to write the history of Russian avant-garde, which became involved in a lively and not a futile correspondence with the key witness for the avant-garde events.

From artists and poets, their relatives and friends of active participants and random events, three young researchers have received many notes, afishek, clippings from newspapers all perished, memories. All this would have cost nothing, and indeed about the commercial side of the project once it would be ridiculous to stutter. Khardzhiev friends picked up the fact that everything felt almost no debris, but they - and only they - the priceless evidence of history. But to capitalize on this "debris" could perhaps only trouble.

Death of Kazimir Malevich coincided with another straightening artistic policy of the Party and government. Mayakovsky forgive his youthful pranks, but other futurists strongly driven out of "multinational soviet art". Genius Klebnikov not even studied at Faculty of Philology. Name Malevich was not in the most detail encyclopaedias. Larionov (left Russia in 1914) until the end of the Khrushchev "thaw" ceased to be a traitor. Ender, Guro, Matyushin, Goncharova, Chekrygin (the first illustrator of Mayakovsky) - all of this constellation of talent was reflected in the official mirror dimmer than realism Reshetnikova or obedient innovation Saryan.

Nikolai Khardzhiev official ecstasy had no effect. Stiffness estimates and invariance in deep worship of the same creators were inherent in him still in a very young age. Later, by the end of the 60's when he becomes very famous among the elect, and completely unknown to the general public, it would be called intolerance, hysteria, anger.

Indeed, the list of those to whom Nicholas Khardzhiev denied in his artistic sympathies, was very extensive. These included not only treated kindly by the authorities Soviet realists. Khardzhiev, for example, denied a famous Kandinsky innovator of belonging to the Russian avant-garde, stubbornly believing it "German". Chagall was for him too rational. Rodchenko had no relation to art.

Although the 37-th year is traditionally considered the peak of Soviet repression, Khardzhiev tried to distance themselves from the authorities as far as possible in the early 30's. His passion for collecting old papers and absurd mazilok that have recently been the essence of the youth revolution in art, while the NKVD was not interested.

The project to create the history of Russian avant-garde, for which the 30-m was enthusiastically seized upon by Nicholas Khardzhiev, Vladimir Trenin and Theodore Gritts, the beginning of 30's played out perfectly. Collaborators Khardzhiev considered it necessary to wait until better times. Gritts soon lost interest in the idea, but with the death of V. Trenin in 1942, all of them has collected personal archives Khardzhiev, which he tirelessly filled up one of his well-known methods.

Care (or exile?) First wife ever formed deeply secretive, reclusive Khardzhiev. He never amounted to an inventory of his collection, entirely relying on a brilliant memory. He never anyone, under any pretext, never let the collection thing. He developed the habit of clear-cut: in the presence of strangers (and strangers were all without a single exception), he had read any book, pressing her to his chest and covering his hands title.

Hella Rottenberg Dutch journalist who wrote an action, rather controversial, but so far the only book on Khardzhiev, argues that bad character Khardzhiev even saved him from arrest in 1937.

In general, the intolerable nature Khardzhiev all researchers have devoted much attention. Or too much. Rottenberg, who has long been Moscow's own correspondents prominent Dutch newspaper, describes the "hruschobnuyu" 2-bedroom apartment on the street Khardzhiev Kropotkin, now Prechistenka as "hole, in which he lived like a rat." On the walls of this "hole" hung works by Malevich ( "Red Square"), Rozanova, Guro, Filonov. "Red Square" hanging in front of a desk Khardzhiev always and always. Other images yielded their place to new. At one time over the door hung "Three bather Malevich, then they changed lithography El Lissitzky.

When the house manager's office conducted throughout the house renovated for apartments Khardzhiev exception was made. "Khardzhiev rolled such a scandal that the neighbors, house management and even the authorities did not dare to touch him and persuade," - wrote Hella Rottenberg. I believe that, despite its solid experience in Moscow, a Dutch journalist still can not imagine the level of the kindness of our neighbors, our house managements of humanity, and the actions of our authorities (including other key episodes) attached to them is not peculiar to humanity. Based on the description Rottenberg, everything was simpler. By the early 70's Khardzhiev was already in a position to give a bribe - a bribe for him and not evicted from the apartment during the overhaul.

But all this happened much later that tragicomic episodes, which H. Rottenberg presents a seriously fun for us. She writes that in 1937 Khardzhiev was ordered to appear in the secret service. He behaved ... very self-confident and brought out the patience of those few who questioned him. " Can you imagine Chekist late 30's, which "enraged" interrogated? Or, more precisely, imagine how would look the person questioned, that their self-confidence derived from the Cheka itself?

Held whether the two scandal - is doubtful. But no doubt not is the fact that from the mid 30's to late 60's, Nicholas Khardzhiev formed the basis of its archive on the history of Russian fine and literary avant-garde, the archive, which cost the majority of experts assesses the way: from $ 150 million to -- "priceless.

But the Soviet state to the archive had no relation. "Despite his (Khardzhiev) passion for the forbidden art of the Soviet authorities as a whole did not touch Khardzhiev" - wrote Hella Rottenberg. This assertion is more than any inaccuracy or stupidity. This is a complete misunderstanding of the role of the Soviet law enforcement agencies in the system of Soviet art. Khardzhiev not be touched because he was invisible, inaudible, that not for one moment relaxed for half a century - from Yezhov repression through Khrushchev's struggle with "pidirasami" to the lazy, but always greedy of Brezhnev's stagnation.

In short, the Soviet authorities did not impose a paw on the archive Khardzhiev only because unaware of its existence. Missed. Stukach goof. For all this, our government will get more from conservative journalists, who need to remove, disrupt epaulettes, to deprive the chairs of all, who could not take away from Khardzhiev Khardzhiev.

So many millions of lost, so necessary for our people in the industrialization of ... that is, ugh, retired unfortunate elderly.

MAKE A MILLION

In fact, from the poor to become rich is easy. This requires a bit of money, a lot of patience and infinite faith.

Start collecting leaves. Every day in the rain and a bucket, when heat and frost collect leaves near Moscow. Read poltyschi best books on the theory drevesnyh crowns. Gently in the scientific and lay them on a daily basis in a herbarium. Describe the changes, analyze the causes. Do not miss a single day for 60 years. Then put his herbarium with a description of the exhibition. You - a millionaire.


Or buy the "Moskvich" - a machine whose world is worthless never seen. Dismantle it and enter it in pieces in a room of their two-room "Khrushchev" apartment. Daily wipe, twisted, lubricate. Fight with every spot on the varnish. Turns away, wrap the nuts in order to achieve a compliant smoothness. After 75 years, taken at an auto show. You - a millionaire.

Do not believe me? So you're not from Khardzhiev.

He lived a long life, many important points which is almost impossible to explain. Leave aside the Cheka, which allegedly discouraged Khardzhiev their ugly behavior at the interrogation. But the war ... My father, the same age Khardzhiev, also a member of the Writers' Union, also a literary critic, but also the dean of the University of Odessa, but also a PhD, was mobilized on the second day. And, of course, soon died.

Khardzhiev, healthy young man without a definite occupation, was not even sent to dig trenches, because (illustrated by his friend) "suddenly fell ill with pneumonia." Pneumonia - a disease no boy, but the explanation once again sound like something too as Europeans. "In the trenches" chased even pregnant mothers of families - who would have thought it dismiss the young athlete's growth under the ninety-meter?

More - more. Throughout the war Khardzhiev quietly sat consultant to some of the capital's film studios, evacuated to Alma-Ata. So says his biography, but in this explanation I did not believe the letter. In Alma-Ata, as in other cities, often rounded up. Covered their even those who are accidentally left in a different jacket ( "But it's here, just around the corner") his "book". I immediately sent into the fiery maw of the front.

Why Khardzhiev not get into it - a mystery. What exactly did the "Studio" - a mystery. Where at that time was his archive (then still mostly literary, but still hefty) - also a mystery that has no one to reveal to anyone.

I do not think that Khardzhiev in this regard had any pangs of conscience. This was a man of integrity flint. He was firmly convinced that the very fate appointed him to be a guardian angel Russian avant-garde. And more to fulfill this mission, just anybody.

Therefore Khardzhiev cruelly interrupted in everything that prevented this historical mission. And tenderly cherishing even those features that everyone around him seemed loathsome (and often were such), but could prevent the preservation of all these leaflets programmok recordings on napkins, the outline on the back of the envelope.

"I hate wives"

Khardzhiev was an inexhaustible storyteller and a witty, charming conversationalist, affable host - well, just flavor. That's when he thought it necessary to someone like.

Khardzhiev was unbearable insolent, debilitating extortionists, impudent, a boor and despot, to whom do not reach the simplest and most compelling arguments.

By the end of life he no longer friends - it all their hurt and dispersed. He had no family left - he refused even to those without whom it may simply would not have survived in its difficult years.

About once a month, he brought his sister, Helen laundry. And it was not incidental postirushka, remembers his nephew Khardzhiev. It was hard work, as worn clothes in need of repeated evaporation, otherwise it will remain dirty. At the same time Khardzhiev frosted from her sister's house something edible, even though he knew that the family and that she did not get out of need.

When Helen died, her son telephoned Khardzhiev. Tube took Lydia Chaga, by the time his wife and mistress of external relations of her husband. "The younger sister? - Asked in surprise Chaga. - Nikolai Ivanovich no sisters.

Khardzhiev masterfully suck up to those who have discovered something more or less significant for the history of Russian avant-garde. "Well, why do you? - Friendly rebuke he holder. - You're still losing. It is better to give me, and I'll give you the first sign. If persuasion acted Khardzhiev stayed nice and polite - but only up to the seconds, until the owner has requested his property back. At this point Khardzhiev gave vent to my liking: quarreled terribly beat backhand, played all sorts of scenes - but did not return a borrowed item.

Merely Nadezhda Mandelstam managed to return the manuscript of her husband, which she gave Khardzhiev for the preparation of a compendium. This year it took a humiliating correspondence and mobilization of three muscular young fellows, who promised Khardzhiev smash all his lair and break his neck. Khardzhiev terribly frightened, brought out all at once, in his arms and folders - but at the same time managed not to return about a third of the most valuable manuscripts.

"I hate women" - he admitted in one of the very rare interviews. Khardzhiev was convinced that it was his wife prevented him recreate a complete history of Russian avant-garde. The word "wife" he was talking very broadly, including here, except their wives and widows, and all those who insist on the possession of objects of art only on the basis of biological closeness to the Creator. Khardzhiev easily come to the anger of this injustice, when the outstanding works fall into the hands of relatives, nothing in the arts do not understand.

According to one legend, to which he Khardzhiev may put his hand up, the daughter of Kasimir Malevich Una, one of the indisputable heirs to the now endless number of applicants, she asked naively Khardzhiev: - Well, my dad really was a good painter?

- The greatest! - Answered Khardzhiev inspiration. He was very fond of Unu. But if she wrote a book about her father with an analysis of his work, he would have criticized her in tatters.

For it was not successful works of Malevich and Khlebnikov, if their author was not himself. But it did not matter until he was bezvesten. With fame came enemies. True.

(To be completed.)