For a book about physics publishers offered to illustrate the science-fiction story "The Fall of a supernova." In the same year Hulot illustrated for publishing "The Art of" book on the history of the gramophone. Hulot enrolled in various libraries, up to the district. He rummaged in the piles of old magazines that our neighbor kept in a dark room, began to buy books. Hulot choked on illustration, but not from the work itself, but from the need to meet and talk with the party leadership publishers, who better than he knew how to draw book. Alterations tormented him, and in the evening, he complained and grieved.
In one of these evenings, when our guests left early, and Hulot was terribly depressed, descended to us artists Eliseev and Skobelev, bringing with them the backbone of the Contemporary. This company offered Hulot draw play Aksenova "Everything for Sale. They came quite drunk, discussing his crazy idea that they must play three of the artist and that each of the artists would design one act play. The first step - Skobelev, the second - Eliseev, and the third - Hulot, and overall artistic direction it too. Oleg Efremov rose, fell, got up again and with tears in his eyes said Hulot: "Well, explain it in your picture, eh?" Well, explain how it all mean? ". Oleg Tabakov and his tiny wife, L. Krylova, too, begged Hulot tell about my discoveries in the arts. Of course, none of this venture failed. He has designed performance of the main theater artist Pyotr Kirillov.
I am going one day at work. At a stop on Sadovaya waiting trolley. Suitable elegant, slim, well-dressed man, bowing to me and says: "Hello, how are you, as Hulot?" - And I answered: "Sorry, I do not remember." "I am Boris Alimov, my brother Sergei came to see you on Tuesday. I - the main artist of the journal" Knowledge - force. "Remember it now?"
Indeed, not to remember all those who came to us.
I remember the artist Leonid Lamm. Lamm, Sobolev, and Hulot for three hired one of models and wrote it, and maybe lyubilis, who knows? Lamm has always remained silent on this subject, Sobolev protested, and Hulot argued that it is necessary for creativity.
By evening the company grew, all the noise and arguing, about movies, films, performances. And suddenly - silence. Appeared Mikhail Grobman, Misha at the time was like a statue - mikelandzhelovsky David. He spiritualized his personal experiences, all that most artists of our time not seen or understood. All slackened when he came Misha, and started the main theme - the Jewish question. Misha told us about the Promised Land, about the Six Day War, and we all rejoiced at the victory of Israel. Hulot rejoiced with us and then discussed it with my father. Mischa then argued that the world center of art must be Jerusalem.
SWEET LIFE
At the same time our friend Ilya Kabakov bought his first apartment and invited us to the housewarming. The apartment is located in Kursk Station, a new house, one bedroom, while almost no furniture, but with a fridge. We Ilyusha already had a little daughter and wife, oddly enough, called Irochka. She was one of the main experts on the Polish cinema. She was not very pretty, but as soon as she began to speak, everybody forgot about it and listened, his mouth open. Ira in the evening cursing Ilya, not exactly for the fact that guests brought, without warning, or for the fact that the chairs were not enough. But I was envious that they have such a large, bright apartment, so even with the parquet floor, so we also have a ... Hulot protested, saying that so and so, we will, in fact all of the basements were being evicted, and the money anyway. Ilya - yes, he is lucky, republish it all the time, he has money. Hulot, I'm not persuaded, and I do not understand why we need to continue to live in the basement. So, thinking we have come to our house on the Krasin and saw a huge great machine of the American Embassy and the messenger, who handed us an invitation to the reception. Celebrated the friendship of some Soviet-American artists. Our yard audience stood in a daze until the limo was out of sight.
I was afraid to go, but curiosity got the upper hand. Donning a new red suit, wearing a very long earrings with pearls and climbing in the tall English shoes, which were great to me in two sizes, went to the reception. Going was hard, and Hulot angry: "Well, why did you bought them, well, why?" And I have not got the other, and so wanted to be like in such fashionable black boats. At the reception was a lot of artists. Brusilovsky and his tiny wife, a translator. Tolia its very richly dressed, for it has always been black velvet dress with a huge lace collar, from which it was barely visible. Sam Tolia, ironed, combed, with a smile, then talked with one American, then another. Were Zhutovski, Bulatov, Vassiliev. Important sitting director Gerasimov and his wife, actress Tamara Makarova. Hulot all the time we wore glasses with a drink and tiny sandwiches. Many of our friends walked, staggered by the abundance of food and drink for free. Ambassador's wife, a beautiful woman, which is slightly hudozhnichala and patron of our bohemia, showed his work hanging on the walls of the house. Soon all this pall, seemed boring, and we left.
Walking along the Arbat, we got to the theater actor, where he was a good restaurant and a lot of interesting cine audience mixed with all kinds of rag-tag. There, we decided to have dinner. We have long studied the menu and finally settled on lamb stew and Pozharsky chops. I am Irina and Ilyusha Kabakov drank something out of pineapple, white wine and champagne, and Hulot, as always, vodka and beer. Nice walk. There, for the conversation we learned that it turns out that his mother was well acquainted with the family of my uncle, and that, come on Ilya septuagenarian anniversary of my uncle, we could all get acquainted with much earlier, immediately after our arrival in Moscow. "It's a pity, - said Hulot, and Kabakov, - how much precious time is lost." Then we began to discuss how we will go to the House of Journalists, which will celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of "Knowledge - The Power."
Organization decoration this holiday instructed Boris Alimov, Sergey Alimov, Boris Lavrov and Mikhail Grobmanu. At the entrance they built the doll, but the authorities deemed it obscene and ordered him to withdraw. There were posters, it was beautiful and fun, scurried pretty familiar faces Oleg Tselkov and Tani, Nusberga, A. Velikanova, Kabakov, Romadina, Biesty, Epova, many journalists and editors working in this journal. Then they showed us an American film producer Kramer. It was the anti-war painting "At the last bank. The film shocked me, I went for a long time under the impression from this film. Then there was the dinner at which Boris Alimov gave the mug Leonid Finkelstein for the fact that he was partial to their colleagues, all those suspected of disloyalty and would not let a trip abroad. Alimov did was right. Finkelstein did not return from his first trip abroad in England.
AGAIN UNKNOWN
Soon Hulot's birthday, we waited for the guests. On the table was a bouquet in a vase of chrysanthemums. Hulot, joyfully anticipating the delicious dinner and fun evening, walked around the table, rubbing his hands, and arrange wine glasses and wine glasses. Popped minute Ernst unknown, stood at my broken piano, congratulated Hulot and fled. "What happened - I asked Hulot - why so quickly gone Ernst?" It turns out that he has lodged in his studio haired Jeanne, an actress from the theater of Stanislavsky and his wife Dina, after learning about it, took her daughter and left the house. After talking a bit on this topic, we spent the whole evening drinking, dancing, singing, and then together with her friends arranged this concert. All fun until the morning. In the morning I left the theater on tour. Put me on the train and waved to me, Hulot disappeared, and the train drove off, I do not remember in what city. I was in the same compartment with his girlfriend Larissa Reysler and actor Ian Krasnyanskiy. The fourth was not long before it moved from Tallinn Nikolai Alexeyev. On the table were already fried chicken, pickles, radish, well, and, of course, vodka. Kolya sat sad-pregrustny, and I have to cheer the company began telling the past stories, well, history with Ernst Neizvestny. "Oh, - cried Kolya - so it's my wife, Jeanne!" "Well, then do not worry, it will not last long," - I tell him. But Kohl and he quickly consoled.