People and events:

• WRITER VASILY AKSYONOV IS 70
• ANDRON KONCHALOVSKY IS 65
• IT IS A CENTENERY SINCE THE BIRTH OF YURY ROERICH, A STUDENT OF ORIENT
• LEGEND OF RUSSIAN BALLET - NATALYA DUDINSKAYA
• TO CHERISH THE MEMORY OF PLAY WRITER ALEXANDER VAMPILOV

WRITER VASILY AKSYONOV IS 70

On the 20th of August writer Vasily Aksyonov was marking his 70th birthday. His works can justly be described as the annals of our time since they reflect conscientiously the Russian history of the second half of the 20th century.
When a child Vasily Aksyonov sensed how tragic the Stalin time was since he was a son of a party official Pavel Aksyonov who fell victim to repressions together with his wife in the early 1920s.
Childhood of the would-be writer is described in detail by his mother Yevgeniya Ginzburg in her book entitled "Steep Route". This is one of the stories which tell most frankly about horrors of repressions and life of political prisoners.
Vasily Aksyonov grew up in the town of Magadan in Russia's north where his mother was exiled. The boy was an involuntary witness to conversations between people who were sentenced for their political views. No doubt, their judgment influenced the world outlook of the would-be writer.
Vasily Aksyonov's first stories published by the Russian YUNOST journal in 1958 are keynoted with love of freedom of thinking; their appearance was possible owing to the so-called period of "ideological thaw" on which writers of younger generations pinned much hope. Aksyonov's realistic novels "Colleagues" and " Star Ticket" brought him fame. They appear to be the author's confession, he makes wide use of young people's modern talking. This was inadmissible in literature of that time and caused criticism of the authorities. The author won a reputation of a trouble-maker. Prestigious publishing houses rejected his new works. Yet Vasily Aksyonov was not the one to be stopped in such a way. Shortly his novels "Oranges from Marocco", "It's Time, My Friend" and others appeared in which he rather ironically portrays Soviet realities. His clashes with censors and official critics resulted in a ban of his new novels--"The Burn" and " The Island of the Crimea". The last novel was a book about an embodied dream.As is known, the Crimea is a peninsula, yet in his book Aksyonov tells about an island which does not know the socialist way of life. It is inhabited by descendants of Russian noblemen. Even the title of the book contradicts common sense and sounds as a mockery at everything that is routine. In fact, this is a nostalgic and clever book. In 1980 after severe criticism in news media the writer was deprived of the Soviet citizenship. He learnt about this when he was on business trip in the United States.
In emigration Vasily Aksyonov continues to write. He writes in both Russian and English. Yet the main theme of his works is life in Russia with all its merits and drawbacks. In the United States Vasily Aksyonov has written a book entitled "In Search of Melancholy Baby", this is a story of Russia in comparison with the United States. He also wrote a novel which he called "Moscow Saga", a novel of three generations of Russian intellectuals. Western critics wrote that the "Saga" is something like Lev Tolstoy's "War and Peace" of the 20th century. A life-story of one family is closely intertwined in the novel with numerous historical events and their interpretation.
Though by now Vasily Aksyonov has been living for over 20 years abroad he says he is a Russian writer. When he is called a Russian emigre in the West he patiently corrects saying "I am not an emigre, I am Russian". Recently he was a frequent guest of Moscow. In his interviews he says: "Moscow has changed greatly. I have never thought this is possible. To my mind, Moscow has never been so lavish, so adventurist, so bright and extravagant as it is today. I think that today Moscow is one of the world's leading centers outstripping London and New York in many respects. Unfortunately, the world has not come to realize this".
Recently presentation of Vasily Aksyonov's new book entitled "Cesarean Section" took place in Moscow. The book in not traditional in form. This is something like a novel which includes prose, verses and plays united by one and the same plot. The action takes place in Russia, in the United States and on the Kukushkiny islands which actually do not exist. The prototype for the main character, an aged writer tired of life, is, not doubt, the author himself. There are no allusions to medicine in the book, the author plays upon words "secheniye", or section, and "svecheniye", or fluorescence, which are much similar phonetically in Russian. The author says: "I wanted to build up the whole story on a popular belief that people born with the help of Cesarean section are different from the rest, they actually do not know fear. From their birth main characters in the novel differ from ordinary people." According to the author, his new book has written an end to a certain period in his creative activity, the author has decided on using new ways for expressing his ideas. Vasily Aksyonov believes that in the new century signs of serious changes have appeared in literature. The genre of the novel can disappear entirely or will be radically reformed. Interest in novels has been declining in the world. Other genres can appear and people will recall of novels as today they recall of Homer and Russian folk epic. As for poetry, this genre is eternal, it will exist as long as mankind exists.
Vasily Aksyonov has just finished a new book entitled "The Negative of the Positive Character" which includes stories of recent years; these are part of both Russian and American culture. Russian careful thinking is combined with American swift action and a measured pace of life in Russia is interrupted by the so-called "jazz" notes. The writer is convinced that human problems are much similar in both countries. His book tells about love and hatred, hopes, imagined independence and real freedom of spirit.

ANDRON KONCHALOVSKY IS 65

On the 20th of the previous month a member of the renowned Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky family, Andron Konchalovsky, was 65. Born to a family of writers Natalia Konchalovskaya and Sergei Mikhalkov, brothers Andron Konchalovsky and Nikita Mikhalkov, devoted their life to filmmaking. Initially many thought that Andron will make a pianist, and he graduated from the Moscow Conservatoire. Probably, this is the reason why recently Andron Konchalovsky was a success as opera director. He staged Tchaikovsky's opera "Yevgeny Onegin" in La Scala and Prokofyev's "War and Peace" and Verdi's "Un ballo in maschera" at the St. Petersburg Mariinsky theatre. In 2002 the first night performance of "War and Peace" staged by Andron Konchalovsky was given at the Metropolitan Opera.
He did not make a musician. In a book of his memoirs Andron Konchalovsky writes that he realized he must make films. This understanding came to him after he saw the film "Cranes Are Flying". His career in cinema was breath-taking. His short film "The Boy and the Pigeon" which he made as a student was awarded with the Bronze Lion prize of the Venetian festival of children's films. Yet genuine fame came to Andron Konchalovsky after his films "The First Teacher" after Chingiz Aitmatov's novel and "A Nobelman's Nest" by Ivan Turgenev. From that time on Andron Konchalovsky was seen as the hope of Russian filmmaking; he was placed in one row with Andrei Tarkovsky and Larisa Shepitko.
His films "Uncle Vanya", " Romance of Lovers" and "Sibiriana" received a great variety of prizes at various international festivals. Andron Konchalovsky was one of the first Russian filmmakers cooperating with Hollywood. His films "Maria's Lovers" with Anastasia Kinski, "Tango and Cash" with Sylvester Stallone and "Runaway Train" were a great success. Andron Konchalovsky's grandiose project entitled "Odissea" won the Emmy award of the American Academy of TV arts.
At present Andron Konchalovsky is completing work in Russia over a film entitled "A House of Fools". It has already been chosen for the programme of the forthcoming film festival in Venice.
 

IT IS A CENTENERY SINCE THE BIRTH OF YURY ROERICH, A STUDENT OF ORIENT

On the 16th of August Russian scientific public marked a centenary since the birth of the prominent scientist Yury Roerich, a student of Orient. A member of the world-famous family of the Roerichs, Yury was a bright and brilliantly educated person. He was an expert in philology and philosophy, archaeology and history of arts. And this is far from complete list of his interests. When a child he displayed numerous gifts, notably, a remarkable talent for studying languages. At the age of 19 he graduated from the French Sorbonne as Master of Indian philology, at 21 he could speak fluently 5 European languages, and later he had a good command of 10 languages. The major part of his life Yury Roerich spent outside Russia. He took part in the famous Trans-Himalayan expedition sponsored by his father, outstanding philosopher and artist Nikolai Roerich. For many years Yury Roerich headed the Himalayan URUSVATI Institute of scientific research involved in comprehensive studies of Orient. On his return to Moscow at the age of 55 he joined in the work of the capital's Institute of Oriental Studies. Many believe that among Yury Roerich's numerous accomplishments is the spread of the so-called "Living Ethics" teaching which the Roerich family assimilated during their stay in India and which is defined as a science studying energy laws of spirituality. Here is more about Yury Roerich from his colleague, the head of the Institute of Tibet in Sikkim Nirman Singh:"Yury Roerich is one of the most prominent scientists of the West and the East who had encyclopedic knowledge. There were no boundaries for him in the field of learning. He was a genuine humanist. He has coined a golden link connecting not only India and Russia and the East and the West but also all nations of all countries and times."
An exhibition was sponsored in the Moscow State Museum of Orient to cherish the memory of Yury Roerich. It has on display over 100 items pertaining to creative activity of Yury Roerich and reflecting his rich inner world.In the days of the jubilee international scientific conferences were held in Siberia's major cultural and scientific center, the city of Novosibirsk, and in Yury Roerich's native land, the Novgorod region in Russia's north-west. A variety of themes discussed by speakers at the conferences were prompted by a wide-range of Yury Roerich's interests.

LEGEND OF RUSSIAN BALLET - NATALYA DUDINSKAYA

On the 21st of the previous month the outstanding Russian bellet dancer, a brilliant teacher and public figure Natalya Dudinskaya was marking her 90th birthday. She entered the history of Russian arts as a great classical dancer of the 20th century.
Her career began in 1931 upon her graduation from the Leningrad School of Choreography where she took lessons from the prominent ballet dancer Agrippina Vaganova. She became a soloist dancer of the Leningrad Opera and Ballet Theatre, which is called the Mariinsky theatre today. She was the first to dance solo parties in the Russian ballets of the 1930s and 1940s. Notably, she starred in Asafieff's ballets--"Flames of Paris" and "Lost Illusions". Her emotional performance appealed to public, she danced leading parties in all classical ballets. Exuberance has always been Natalya Dudinskay's distinguishing trait. She impressed audiences with her faultless technique and fantastic pirouettes.
Natalya Dudinskaya still teaches at the Vaganova Academy of Russian Ballet. Her best students are world-famous ballet dancers Ulyana Lopatkina and Anastasia Volochkova. Among her students are young dancers from many countries. She teaches them Russian classical dance. In the run up to her jubilee she said: "I thank God for the gift of many years of life and try to be worthy of this. What I want most is to work more and more.."
Natalya Dudinskaya has been awarded with 30 Russian and foreign titles and awards. In 1994 and in 1996 the US National Biographical Institute nominated the great dancer the "Woman of the Year". Last April Natalya Dudinskaya won the national Golden Mask theatrical prize in the "For Honor and Dignity" category. One of small planets discovered in 1989 was named after this remarkable woman.

TO CHERISH THE MEMORY OF PLAY WRITER ALEXANDER VAMPILOV

On the 19th of August one of the Russian best play writers Alexander Vampilov would have been 65. Alexander Vampilov died when he was still young, he died tragically at the age of 35.Public appreciated his talent after his death. Dozens of theatres included his plays into their repertoire. Among them were the renowned "SOVREMENNIK" theatre and the Moscow Art Theatre.
Alexander Vampilov was born in 1937. That year the world marked a century since the tragic death of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. The Vampilov parents named their son after Alexander Pushkin. At first Alexander Vampilov became known as the author of funny short stories, yet his genuine calling was to write plays. His plays "Hunting for Ducks", "Senior Son", "Parting In June", "A House with Windows Facing the Field" and "Twenty Minutes with Angels" have become classics of modern drama. Most of them Alexander Vampilov wrote by the age of 25. Then he was patiently waiting for theatres to stage them: the capital's theatre and literature elite of the late 1960s and the early 1970s did not take seriously the young provincial writer from Siberia. In his plays Alexander Vampilov described life of his contemporaries. His heroes are ordinary people; they are, as a rule, well-to-do, satisfied with their life and acquisitive. Yet deep in their souls they are restless and drifting, lonely and disappointed in social ideals of the time. The plot of many plays is build up round a misunderstanding or an evil joke and they often end tragically. Such tragic sentiment ran counter to the general optimistic note of the officially recognised art. Alexander Vampilov's plays were taken cautiously bearing in mind the opinion of censors. There are lines in the writer's note-book saying that to become popular you should emigrate or turn out dead. These words turned out to be prophetic.
Distinguishing feature of Alexander Vampilov's plays are emotional dialogues and laconic and meaningful replies. By sparse means he achieves the greatest effect. This is most evident in films made after his plays. Say, "Holidays in September", a film made by Vitaly Melnikov after Alexander Vampilov's play "Hunting for Ducks" features a gloomy house, dim light of a cafe and clouded weather. There are nothing that is superfluous.
Alexander Vampilov's plays are modern to the present day. Prominent actor and stage director Oleg Tabakov intend to stage all his plays. He says he loves Alexander Vampilov for his talent and wants to convey this love to present-day audiences.