In a workshop at the Falk

[Евгений]

Ken Vidra (St. Petersburg) Memories (2004)
--------------------------------------
Ken Vidra Joseph was born in Petrograd in 1924. She graduated from the Philology of Moscow University. Worked as a teacher, since 1960 served as the first published by "Science". Now retired, lives in St. Petersburg. Published a mini-memoir about Akhmatova ("Neva", 1989, № 6), "What it was, Frida Vigdorova?" ("Star", 2000, № 5) and a historical sketch "I want to rescue from oblivion (ML Vinaver and the Political Red Cross) "(" Star ", 2002, № 3). The following proposed memory dedicated to the famous artist Robert Rafailovich Falk (1886 - 1958).

When was this? Perhaps, in late autumn or winter 1953, and maybe in early 1954. We managed to recover from the campaign against cosmopolitanism, leader of the peoples had successfully doth rest. And there was already Stranglethorn fear prior to his death.
Journalist and writer Frieda Abramovna Vigdorova1 invited me to go with her to the studio of the artist Robert Rafailovich Falk.
Frida - my oldest friend. Among other good deeds (where appropriate is an old word), she introduced me to many wonderful people.
Years of disaster for her over. And was the dismissal of the "Komsomolskaya Pravda", was a long silence and forced her and her husband, a famous writer Alexander Raskin. All this was, but now she released her book "The Road to Life." Publisher to pay off the debts distributed. Next year or two can live and work without thinking about their daily bread.
Frida wants to buy from Falk's painting to help disgraced artist.

Читать дальше... 

This idea was prompted by Yevgeniya Vladimirovna Pasternak (first wife of the poet), who considered himself a student and a Falk who wanted to help him. Frida did not have to persuade.
Why is disgraced? Renowned artist Robert Falk, a professor VHUTEINa during business trip abroad in 1928, voluntarily stayed in Paris. He lived and worked there for ten years. Returned to his homeland in 1938. He was not repressed, but not forgiven. Practically does not, suppressed ... except that reproached participation in the "Jack of Diamonds" yes accused of formalism. He made no attempt to atone for his sin creating loyal paintings.

I'll tell you that no one picture of them that we in the day showed Falk, there was no hint of the chanting of Soviet reality.
Till this day I have not seen a single picture of Falk, but his name was well known to me. I am interested in futurism and well remember the names of members of the group Jack of Diamonds.
And yet, beloved granddaughter of Stanislavsky Kilyalya (childhood nickname), I have several times seen in the house of my university friends, was called Cyril Romanovna Falk. At the time of our marriage cursory acquaintance of her parents, Kira Konstantinovny Alekseeva and Robert (Roman) Rafailovich Falk, long since disintegrated.

So, Eugene V. leads us to Falk. Emerged from the subway. On the contrary, in the place exploded Christ the Savior Cathedral - a high fence, cover up modestly famous communist unfinished - the Palace of Soviets, later reincarnated as a swimming pool "Moscow". We go around the fence on the right, walk along it and turn into one of the lanes. This area Prechistenka, a favorite residence of the old Moscow intelligentsia.
Entered into a house in Art Nouveau style, which looked somewhat neglected. Elevator drove us almost to the attic. There was a workshop.
The door opened for them by the artist himself. He is very young. Dark hair was touched with gray. Face significant and expressive, but sickly pale look a certain detachment. The studio is cool. Falk, in a dark ragged clothing: a sweater, jacket and scarf. Putting the studio was originally designed for artists. The workshop is spacious, with a skylight, but the windows are covered with dust. A bright wall paintings - portraits and still lifes. Immediately apparent that these important color saturation, and there is no clear line form. Form creates a color. Canvases are everywhere - leaning against the wall, put in long, narrow tables. Almost immediately joined us yet another visitor. She kept confident, feels like a fish in water. Eugene V. whispers to us that this is Sarah Lebedeva2. Her arrival was a surprise for me. She - well-known sculptor. I saw several of her busts at the shows. I was struck by their nezhensky handwriting. Appearance corresponds to her creativity: a broad, squat, I would say, thickset figure, strong hands. This is one of those that "galloping horse to stop." She is over sixty. Regular features, Slavic face, smoothly combed, dull, makes his way from the gray brown hair laid on the back in a big bunch, colloquially referred to as Kichko, light-gray eyes, breathe wit and determination. What they are different, these two women - Lebedev and Eugene V.. Once Shklovsky called a «Zoo» wife of Boris Pasternak "young and pretty, but it is now a fragile, feminine. Narrow face, a beautiful shape nose, high forehead, covered with wavy graying bangs. Remember Pasternak: "The artists shy, like a dream, krutolobost" - it's about her.
One - embodied the power, the other - the weakness, not managed to fight for a loved one and defend their women's happiness. One - a woman-creator, the other - a more modest talent. But each of them could be said of another: "We are one blood, you and me!".
In both - the dignity, nobility, inflexibility. String Pasternak, addressed to Eugenia Vladimirovna, can be attributed to Sarah Dmitrievna: "Your sense of, like air, is unselfish." Now they are united by the desire to facilitate the fate of the wizard, to help Falk. Sara Lebedeva - sister Anna Radlova, poet, translator, especially the well-known translations Shekspira3. Anna Dmitrievna Radlov died in the camp, it seems, in Karelia, not in 1949, not in 1950. Sarah Dmitrievna arrived in camp and secured permission to attend the funeral.
We return to Falk. He began to put on an easel paintings. Shown by periods. Old work was not. The earliest - Parisian paintings, sketches of the late 1920's. Shown in silence, as a mechanically. Replica ladies were served. Eugene V. We were told that Paris - the most expensive, as irreplaceable. However, you can hire.

I've always dreamed of going to Paris. Above my desk hung a map of Paris, were albums with views. Aunt-émigré donated a collection of postcards. Without realizing it, I started calling the place where the paint landscapes: "Conciergerie", "The Church of Saint Madeleine" ... Falk's face that something slipped by, .. he just woke up and asked, hopefully: "You were in Paris?". No, never was, and now, alas, will not.
Falk went out again. Started in Moscow, then Samarkand, Moscow again. Many Moscow views - views clearly at the top. Not Moscow courtyards and views of the roof of the dome. The city gave. Sarah Dmitrievna explained that Falk likes to write from the balconies. Collecting balconies friends. - "And you do not have a balcony?" - Suddenly asked Falk. No, we did not have balconies.

Remember me so sad detail. In the middle of our lengthy visit Falk said that he would do a little break. Took the aluminum bowl of cold gruel and sat down, slowly, began to eat.
Not to recall the portrait zhiznelyubtsa Alexei Tolstoy's work Konchalovsky: a person is deeply satisfied man and an image of abundant eatables, he is going to absorb. So he is not eating something cold semolina.

When the show works is over, Frida was asked what she wants to buy. Somehow, she asked me to help her choose. All experienced Frieda and her husband, including the long lack of money, it was so fresh in my mind that I did not advise her to buy any Parisian work, nor even Samarkand. I'm ashamed to admit it. The more so as the prices were, as I understand now, just ridiculous.
I advised Frida buy a modest, but in my opinion, a very nice watercolor (about the size of 60x40). Early southern spring, but rather the end of winter. On the background light blue sky and a whitish haze stretch oddly curved smooth pinkish branch.

Freda asked to pack watercolor. I can not understand why I had not thought to buy for yourself anything from the work of poor painter. Swallow strong language that I want to reward yourself. What happened, happened.
Warms the soul the idea that Falk has lived up solo exhibition in the Moscow Union of Artists, who appeared for many Muscovites discovery of a great artist.
A few words on Frida bought watercolors. She did not like her. About a month later Frieda invited me to her as a gift. I overcame the temptation and firmly refused. The fate of the ill-fated watercolor I learned recently.

I told this old story Fridinoy daughter Sasha Raskina, and she said: "Yes, I remember this picture. When we were in 1957, moved from a communal apartment on the Aeroportovskiy, and we have to Galey4 went into their room, my mother hung the painting with us. And we began to chuditsya plexus branches by a woman, almost hung. Once we were uncomfortable with this picture. We have mom show, where we dreamed this woman, her mother said: "Since you are such fools, I'll give this picture." AND GAVE - Nadezhda Mandelshtam5. And she bequeathed it, along with other paintings, Genet Levitinu6 ... Many years later I saw this picture in his house. " - "Well, how did she?". - "I looked at her sadly. Of course, Mom was right: we were fools! ".
Seeing what I write, Alexandra Ruskin sent me an excerpt from the yet unpublished notebooks Frida Vigdorova. This record, I want to finish my story.

    October 4, 1958

    Today funeral Falk.

    On the bulletin board, interspersed with all sorts of "declared the contest ... the conditions of competition ..." "will be held on Thursday ..." casually, boldly written: "Died R. Falk. Memorial service at MOSH in 11 hours. "

    The people were many. Next to me stood a beautiful, but very painted woman. She wanted to cry, but she was afraid: tears would flow eyelashes and blush. She looked ahead, tightly compressed lips.

    The first said Ehrenburg, and his voice could be heard crying. He said very briefly:

    - I hope that our children and grandchildren will see how the work of Falk will decorate Russian museums.

    When a person dies, he said "sorry" and think if this "farewell". And I want to say - sorry, sorry, that we were not able to make your life easier ...

    Nyssa said: - He has undeservedly suffered. He taught us the selflessness and heroism in the art.

    Then he sang Dorliak. I do not know the melody. And the words were similar to those that sound when listening to Tchaikovsky's Trio.

    On the walls hung paintings - portraits and still lifes. I saw them in his studio a few years ago. Today crashed into memory and persistently stands before my eyes red, almost crimson pitcher next to the Egyptian stone head.

    I looked and I thought that only now understood: when the block to talk about music, he has in mind not only the melody, but the word, and painting. Here's the scarlet sounded. Rang.

    I never saw his face - the flowers, flowers and human backs.

    I did not push ...

1 I will not here speak at length about Frieda Vigdorova [1915 - 1965], one of the most remarkable men of our time. Confine myself to the words of Anna Akhmatova (from the inscription on the book "Running Time", a gift from Akhmatova's daughter Frieda, two months before his death). She calls Frida "only the highest example of kindness, generosity and humanity for all of us."

2 C. D. Lebedev [1892 - 1967] - honored. Artist, member of the Academy of Fine Arts.

3 Although it is not relevant to the topic, tell the tragic fate of the spouses Radloff. Male Anna Dmitrievna - a famous film director Sergei Èrnestovich Radloff. In 1930 he set up in Leningrad, the famous theater. During the war theater were evacuated in Pyatigorsk. On what I know on the oral stories of those times. Compounds German army broke through the North Caucasus and cut off the road to retreat from Pyatigorsk. Part of the troupe went on foot along mountain trails. At the exit of the city near Radlov suffered a heart attack (in the opinion of future judges, he pretended to attack). Theatre performances resumed in the occupied city. Then the theater depart along with the German army and was captured by Soviet troops in Kiev. Radloff was tried and sent to a camp. A few years later, AD Radlov died.

SE Radloff had been in custody for ten years. He was released in 1954, already in the Khrushchev era, but without the rehabilitation and the right to reside in Moscow and Leningrad. Created a new theater in Riga. He died in 1958.

4 GA Kulakovskaya (Kiselev) [1937 - 1974] - eldest daughter of FA Vigdorova.

5 See also the testimony of MK Polivanova: "For the first time after the arrest of M. She was at home. <...> In the kitchen, but the most simple tables, stools, cupboard and refrigerator was an old Empire-style mahogany sofa and hung a wonderful Central Asian watercolor Falk. Osip and Nadezhda Mandelstam in the stories of his contemporaries "- Moscow. Natalis, 2002.

6 ES Levitin [1930 - 1998] - art critic, one of the heirs of Nadezhda Mandelstam.

1.Kena Vidra.
2.Hudozhnik Falk R. Self-portrait in yellow. 1924.