Michael Piotrowski: "Russia is not standing on my knees!"

[SergeiSK]

Interview Michael Piotrowski in today AIF

"Russia is not standing on my knees!"
Hermitage director of the debt pit, outback and weddings in the museum.

Michael Piotrowski, as the imperial guard, now 15 years is the guardian of the masterpieces of world art. And repeating: "The Hermitage has been and will be. He has a huge potential survival: three evacuations, fires, war, revolution ... Even when sold almost polmuzeya, he is still great. He is in some way symbolizes Russia. She, too, will pull all - to a certain extent ... "I asked:" And to what? "

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- at least until the end of the world. We endure all. But we need to think not about the limit, but the full impact a homeland. And also get rid of the inferiority complex, which generates two extremes: either aggressiveness or, conversely, crying - beating their breasts. Here, they say, they say, Russia rises from his knees. But when she stood on them at all?

- Well, for example, in the dashing 90-s ...

- Far from it! Russia then took a stunning turn, avoiding the most serious consequences. We lost the competition, but found a non-standard way: eased the reins, and retaining people from the bloodshed, and eventually moved to a new, viable regime. From then we got out of the crisis with minimal losses. Remember the same Civil ... And in the 90's, in fact, only the scenery changed. Radical changes have not happened. Now, if Russia had disappeared from the map, divided into a thousand pieces, then - yes, it would be really universal (anyone horrible, but to whom and joyful) change.

spit on the floor
- Nevertheless, many feel that everything has changed fundamentally. You, too, occasionally complain: "Every man for himself, the bitterness and savagery - in spite of all the computer gadgets ..." turned morality.

- Add in the fact that it forced people to rethink views. And see the light, realizing that not everything is measured in money. The crisis - a chance for civil society. From it you can only get together. I came up with an image: there are people in debt, and one of them was wondering: "You can climb up stairs, standing on the shoulders of his comrades in misfortune. But the rest will remain something! "Everyone - a choice.

- Your phrase: "We live in a barbaric society, in the era neovandalizma ..." Are you only about Russia?

- About the world. Vandals in sverhtsivilizovannom Copenhagen, for example, not only humiliated the poor, the Little Mermaid sculpture: head and she saw off, and razmalevyvayut in different ways. And with the lattice around the Alexander Column with maniacal persistence get out the double-headed eagle. Eerie graffiti on the walls - and in Russia and in Europe and in America. With the freedom to come and very unpleasant things ... Previously worked internal prohibitions: for example, do not spit on the floor in the museum. And now - simply spit. You know how much pluck out of the carpet Hermitage downtrodden chewing gum? Moral taboos - a place where cultures converge with religion.

Masterpieces and roads
- Recently, the Russian Orthodox Church has asked the Tretyakov Gallery for a few days to transfer the icon of "Trinity" by Andrei Rublev for worship in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra. Denied. Was a scandal. And why?

- Then each - their own truth. Yes, museums have to worry about safety of exhibits. Incidentally, the estimated value of "Trinity" - half a billion dollars, a safety - 4 million but has icons miraculous - the same Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God, not once saved Russia from the invaders. Her sacred significance for the country immeasurably. Yes, this is a valuable cultural object in XII. But it should perform and its principal, ritual function. The Tretyakov found a way out: put "Trinity" in the temple-museum in the gallery. A number of other icons such special meaning they do not. In the Russian church tradition it is: when the icon is trying her thrown, cut down and replaced by another. New, sanctified, no worse.
Do not forget that when the church pozakryvali, religious values have given to museums. Iconostases survived, because they have a second personality: the art, which is addressed to all people, not only to believers. At the ungodly time of museums in general, assumed the role of churches. Few people then knew who the Apostle Paul. About Paul learned of the Veronese painting in the Hermitage. And now they say, they say, museums store stolen goods. Not stolen, but that was destroyed! When decided to melt the famous silver shrine of Alexander Nevsky, the bones lay intellectuals, arguing that it is an enduring value. Persuaded. In order to somehow appease the State Hermitage gave pereplavschikam duplicates of ancient coins from the funds. A silver iconostasis of the Cathedral of Kazan did not survive - also went into the oven ... So you should not here calling for justice. In this and built all of the revolution. Icon in the museum - the product of a talented author, and in the church - the subject and method of worship: no time to delve into the nuances and admire the work of the wizard. In the Hermitage, as well as in the Tretyakov Gallery, stored thousands of icons. And with each, I assure you, you can make a full copy, and then bless it and pray.

The poor, but proud?
- You said: "The museum - it is somewhere between the temple and Disneyland. Do not you think that the Hermitage is not "between", but closer to the show industry?

- No. That we oppose this. Everyone here its scope, and we still imperial museum. Elements of the theater and show are included in museum life, but so far as if on tiptoe. Theater, as well as TV - is a virtual counterfeit. A museum - the real thing. And this is its chief charm. All that is in the museum, you can see on the Internet - on the big screen with excellent resolution. Consider all the details. But no, people come to watch here, because only the originals have aura. And more: we gain can not be objective. There are many things that can not be done even for the sake of big money - for example, to surrender the premises of the Hermitage to somebody's wedding. To someone started to bend his fingers: "Behold, I paid and now in the Imperial Hall will drink vodka. Legendary Leningrad wedding with Romanov's royal crockery smashing - no more than a myth ... While the New York Metropolitan and other museums of the world sit - and nothing. And with us too much demand: we - the symbol of the country.

- Comparing the disparate size of the budget of the Hermitage and the Metropolitan, you said: "We are all poor, but proud." This is forever?

- The fact that we will be proud - that's for sure. Russia has much to be proud. Proud we are, whether we are rich or poor. And this will last forever. And the budgets of the Hermitage and the Metropolitan already comparable - we used to be a hundred times smaller, but now only 10. The situation is changing for the better ... In the National Gallery in Washington, there are many paintings that the Soviet government sold abroad. American journalists asked me: do you hope to return these masterpieces? I joked: "Yes, of course, when the rich. Then it was a grim joke - I was sure that this will not happen. Only a few years, and Vekselberg bought seemingly forever lost to Russia Faberge Easter eggs. So it is not the evening!

Dossier
Michael Piotrowski was born in 1944 in Yerevan. His father, Boris Piotrovsky was director of the Hermitage 26 years (1964-1990). Piotrovsky studied Arabic Philology at Leningrad University, taught history at the Higher School of Social Sciences in the Republic of Yemen. From 1967 to 1990. worked in the Leningrad branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies, USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1990 he was appointed the deputy. Director of the Hermitage, and in 1992 headed by him.
(The case facts)

[Mark]

Сообщение от SergeiSK

Even when sold almost polmuzeya, he is still great.

Himself with dad is mean?

More touching, when we found that the shortage of 200 units of storage, then from Shvydkoy he received only a reprimand ...

[ВЯЧЕСЛАВ]

Сообщение от SergeiSK

In the Russian church tradition it is: when the icon is trying her thrown, cut down and replaced by another. New, sanctified, no worse.

 
Who ever hear that something like this?? Brad.

[наследник]

I believe that AIF is something not so understood by Piotrowski, he could not blurt out such. Strong scandal excuse ...

[Кирилл Сызранский]

Сообщение от VYACHESLAV

Who ever hear that something like this?? Brad.

Anything can happen in a thousand years of Orthodoxy in Russia.
Previously there was a tradition of icons that have become unusable to let in the water.
Now they are burned.
ramshackle icon should be placed in the church, where she was burned in the church furnace. If not, then the icon should burn yourself, and the ashes buried in a place that will not be defiled: for example in the cemetery or under a tree in the garden. (c)
http://www.cofe.ru/blagovest/ubb/non...ML/000891.html

[наследник]

Сообщение от VYACHESLAV

Message from SergeiSK
In the Russian church tradition it is: when the icon is trying her thrown, cut down and replaced by another. New, sanctified, no worse.

Latest in the appearance of AIF ... refinements.
  One thing - the procedure adopted by the ROC, the other - "to throw, chop"

[Кирилл Сызранский]

Why throw it away. Icon painters, and they gave a new face wrote.