There's No Beauty in Beauty Xontests

Alexander Shilov, 54, is one of those few, lucky artists who has enjoyed recognition during his lifetime. In 1983, just four years after his first personal exhibition in Moscow made a big splash, he received the honorary title of People’s Artist of Russia. In 1985 he became a People’s Artist of the USSR. Last year, Shilov told the State Duma that he would donate some 400 of his paintings to the state if a special building were allocated to house the collection. In uncharacteristic style, the Duma acted swiftly and unanimously to approve the resolution. Soon thereafter, Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov acted with characteristic efficiency and allocated a nice, 19th century mansion at 5 Znamenka street. In May 1997, the gallery opened its doors.

Of course, official endorsement of an artist can be a double-edged sword. But it certainly has not stopped Shilov from voicing his views on today’s state ideology – he is not the type to mince words. Accordingly, the artist has both fervent admirers, who like his “living” portraits, and vociferous critics, who reject his “artificial photographic style.” But the facts speak for themselves. This past January, on a cold, Saturday night – eight (!) months after the opening of the gallery – there was a one hour wait outside in the cold to gain entrance.

In pursuing this month’s story on Russian Beauty, Mikhail Ivanov sat down with the artist to hear his views on the subject.Photos by Vladimir Popov unless noted.

Russian Life. Many people have their own views on beauty – but should not an artist know this better than others? What is beauty for you? The beauty of Russian women in particular?

Alexander Shilov: Of course, it all starts with the eyes. And then, through the eyes, through her appearance, what is important for me is charm and goodness. I need to see in the woman’s eyes serenity, femininity, tenderness, and, by no means, any aggressiveness, or masculinity. I am against the woman trying to catch up with the man. Nature had in store for the woman a mighty role, so much so that the woman is much stronger than the man. In short, the French are right to say chercher la femme [“look for the woman”], for I believe that the woman is behind everything that happens  on the globe, good or evil. That is the way physiology is, it is beyond our control. That is the way life on earth was conceived.

RL:  Speaking of appearance, it is widely believed that only in Russia one can meet so many beautiful women ...

AS: I think, yes, in terms of percentages, Russian women are more beautiful than other women in the world. Take my favorite country, Italy. I arrive there full of visions of Bryulov’s female characters in my eyes. But I don’t see Bryulov’s type of Italian women there. Sure you can find some – say one woman with beautiful hair, or with beautiful eyes, but, on the whole, Russian women are prettier.

RL: Why so? Some say it is all in the genes?

AS: I can’t explain this. I just don’t know, I am not a scientist. That’s the way life on Earth was created: it means that’s the way it was supposed to be – that women in Russian should be the most beautiful. Of course, single cases of beauties can be found everywhere, but, on the whole, the prettiest women are in Russia. But [now] they lack education and charm, and I wish they were less mercantile. For Russian women are losing something they used to possess. For instance, when I am tired after work, I like strolling the Moscow streets – the Arbat and all. And sometimes you can find old babushkas, old Muscovites. Here she is, clad in an old, greasy, weird-looking coat which must be 70 years old, since she has no money to buy herself a new one, and she carries a shabby-looking bag. But her eyes shine with so much purity, so much disinterested modesty and femininity... A real woman shines through her, regardless of her beggar look. There is no mercantilism in her look, something which unfortunately is taking root in contemporary young [Russian] women.

RL: You think this spirit of disinterested modesty is being reduced to nil nowadays?

AS: Yes, I do and the policy of our state leads to it, and so does the state ideology.

RL: How is that?

AS: Don’t you see it yourself ? It is all about money, which is proclaimed the number one priority. And this is being said via all mouthpieces, on all corners – on TV, on radio, in the press.

RL: In this context, what do you think of the numerous beauty contests in Russia?

AS: Show me first who the organizers are, “who are the judges”? And then we’ll figure it all out. I haven’t seen beautiful women out there. All are weird-looking, walking “flat hangers.” [There is ] nothing beautiful in those women. In real life, a poorly dressed young girl is a hundred times better-looking than those ones. People just make business on this. My attitude towards this is very negative ... Somebody builds up publicity and one’s renown. That is all there is to it ... In real life, women are much more beautiful – both externally and internally ... Plus a woman who goes out there stripping herself on stage is no longer a woman for me, because she’s become totally void of modesty. Neither mystery, nor femininity, nor purity.

RL: And yet,  with economic changes, the arrival of high-quality make-up and clothing Russian women have become even prettier, no?

AS: I’ll tell you what. If a woman’s internal universe is rich, even with modest financial means – but provided she has taste – she will be more attractive than any woman with super-expensive make-up, all in jewelry.

RL: What about Russia’s top models, three of them are leading ....

AS: I can’t stand those top-models. I don’t want to even hear about them. It has all been made up. It is a show for imbeciles. I haven’t seen a single beautiful woman out there ... They promote these women, and then they advertise some lipstick. They just make money on this.

RL: How do you think the ideal of a Russian woman has evolved in Russia, we had Turgenev-type women, then we had...

AS: I am for Turgenev-type women. I am beyond fashion.

RL: Can one still find some nowadays ?

AS: They were few in the past, and there are even fewer now. You should come up with a corresponding state ideology in Russia, whereby it would be prestigious to be a decent, modest woman. And now, a modest woman who finds herself in a boorish society is shy to be modest, to be herself, [to be] quite good, decent..

RL: What are the traits you expect to find in a woman ?

AS: A woman must be faithful to me... Even “in spite of myself, in spite of everybody” as Henrich Mann rightly put it when he was writing his touching letter to his fiancee. She must be feminine, neat, modest and of course, intelligent. If a woman is very beautiful but stupid, nobody needs her. Balzac had a great observation about this: “Strolling the street, the gaze of a lover of women will be stopped by a beautiful woman. But he will stick with the intelligent woman.”  RL