Historical Events in May and June

May

1 International Labor Day,

3 Today is the 50th birthday of the writer Tatyana Tolstaya (1951). A philologist by education (graduate of the Leningrad State University), and granddaughter of the writer Alexei Tolstoy (author of the novel Peter the First), Tolstaya is the author of numerous short stories and novels, including her collection, Once upon a time on a golden porch sat... (1987), You Love, You Love Not (1997) and the recent book Sisters (1998), published with her sister, Natalya Tolstaya, also a philologist and writer. Tolstaya’s writing is distinguished by a light, refined style and often sardonic humor. For her contributions to Sisters, Tatyana offered short journalistic essays poking fun at many contemporary phenomenon, including weight-loss mania and militant political correctness in the US. Tolstaya presently teaches Literature and the Art of Writing at Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, NY. Her latest novel Kys (2000) received rave reviews from literary circles in Russia.

4 This will be the 70th birthday of Russian conductor Gennady Rozhdestvensky (1931). A graduate of the Moscow Conservatory (both as a pianist and conductor), Rozhtestvensky became a conductor at the Bolshoi Theater in 1951, making his debut in the ballet Sleeping Beauty. At the same time, he was also conductor of other symphonic orchestras. He was one of the first conductors to include in his repertoire the newly-discovered (after being banned for many years) works of Sergei Prokofiev, Dmitry Shostakovich and Igor Stravinsky. From 1961-1974 he was art director and chief conductor of the Symphonic Orchestra of Radio and Television. From 1965-1970 he was chief conductor of the Bolshoi, the period widely considered the theater’s Golden Days. He has also been a conductor at the Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra, the BBC Orchestra and the Vienna Symphonic Orchestra. Since 1976, Rozhdestvensky has been a professor at the Moscow Conservatory and counts among his pupils Sergei Slonimsky, Nikolai Sidelnikov and Boris Tishchenko. Last year, in a widely publicized administrative shake-up, Rozhdestvensky was appointed director of the Bolshoi.

Today is also the 120th anniversary of the birth of Russian political and state leader Alexander Kerensky (1881-1970), the popular and flamboyant post-Romanov Duma leader. On March 2, 1917 he joined the Provisional Government as Justice Minister, then became Minister of Defense and the Sea in the first coalition government. On July 8 he became the chairman of the Provisional Government that was severely crippled by the Kornilov affair and, on October 25, 1917, was overthrown by the Bolshevik coup. He escaped arrest and tried to rally support abroad for Russian democracy, to no avail. He lived in Paris until 1940, after which he moved to the United States. Demonized by the Bolsheviks, he was also little loved by Russian emigres in the West. Kerensky lived out his years in America, and published several essays and memoirs, namely The Kornilov Case (1918), Gatchina (1922) and From Afar (1922), and The Kerensky Memoirs (1965).

8 Today is the centenary of pianist Vladimir Sofronitsky (1901-1961), one of the brightest and most talented representatives of the Russian piano school. Upon graduating from St. Petersburg’s Conservatory in 1921, he won the hearts of the public in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. His art was greatly appreciated by the composer Alexander Glazunov (1865-1936). In 1928, Sofronitsky performed concerts in Paris and Warsaw and met with Sergei Prokofiev; the following year, they went on a joint concert tour of France. Sofronitsky’s art came to full blossom in the 1930s. His repertoire included works by Nikolai Myaskovsky, Dmitry Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Aram Khachaturyan and Alexander Skryabin.  His style was called “romantic,” but it was also distinguished by clarity and logic, a natural, courageous and generous simplicity.

9 Victory Day.

11 On this day 90 years ago, conductor and composer Vladimir Loktev (1911-1968) was born. After graduating from the Moscow State Conservatory, in late 1941 he created the unique Children’s Ensemble of Song and Dance, which included a choir, a ballet group and an orchestra. He then devoted the rest of his life to teaching music to children. When asked why he became a teacher, Loktev responded, “Because there is nothing better than that in the world. Isn’t it tempting to create an interesting, passionate man from an ordinary child?” Among his former pupils are opera singer Tamara Sinyavskaya, ballerina Natalya Bessmertnova, and choreographer and dancer Vladimir Vasiliev. Loktev also wrote music, but made a point of saying: “I write only children’s songs.”

15 Today is the 110th anniversary of Mikhail Bulgakov’s birth (1891-1940). One the most mythical personalities in Russian literature, and arguably the best Russian writer of the 20th century, Bulgakov’s life and work will be the focus of an in-depth article in an issue of Russian Life later this year.

19 One hundred years ago, the geologist Yuri Bilibin (1901-1952) was born. A corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bilibin dedicated his life to researching gold deposits. When he graduated from the Leningrad Mining Institute in 1926, Ural gold deposits had been exhausted, so he turned his attention further east. He discovered many rich deposits in Yakutia’s Aldan mountains and then in the Far North East. Yet his biggest achievement was scientific work outlining the natural conditions inherent in alluvial gold deposits. Bilibin also established a connection between ore mineral resources and the different stages of the earth’s crust formation. Today, a famous gold town in Kolyma region is named after him.

23 Today is the 50th birthday of chess Grandmaster Anatoly Karpov (1951). Even though the best years of his career are behind him, Karpov made history as the youngest world champion of his time. He won the world crown at age 24 when the 11th world champion, Bobby Fisher, refused to defend his title. In 15 years, (1975-1990) he played seven world championship matches, beating opponents like Viktor Korchnoy and Gary Kasparov. Later, however, Kasparov totally dominated Karpov during numerous matches known as the “duel of the two Ks.” Karpov, however, continues to play chess actively. In 1994 he set a world record, becoming the first world chess player to win 100 tournaments (beating the previous record—78—of Alexander Alyokhin). He won the Chess Oscar in 1973-1977, 1979-1981, 1984 and 1994. He is also an active social and political figure and has headed the International Association of Peace Funds since 1992.

24 Ascension of the Savior.

25 Russian actor Oleg Dal would have turned 60 on this day (1941-1981). His cinema debut as Alik Kramer in the film My Younger Brother, based on Vasily Aksyonov’s novel Ticket to the Stars, was a huge success. Yet Dal’s talent had a not so welcome “supplement” for theater and movie directors—his difficult character. Dal demanded total freedom of art and in some cases sought to become a co-author in productions, which few directors tolerated. This meant that Dal was constantly switching theaters, from Sovremennik, to the Maly Theater, to the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya and the Leningrad-based Theater of Komsomol. Add to this an addiction to alcohol from an early age and it is clear why Dal didn’t live long. His cinema career was lucky, however. He was invited to act in films by talented directors such as Vladimir Motyl (Zhenya, Zhenechka, Katyusha—1963) and Iosif Heyfits (A Bad Good Man—1973), along with his friend, the bard Vladimir Vysotsky. He was initially disappointed with his role in the 1972 science fiction film Sannikov’s Land, because he felt the story was watered down by the film’s songs. Yet, contrary to his expectations, the film was a smashing success, and the soundtrack is still popular today. He was equally successful on TV. In a 1970s TV series, “Variant Omega” he played a positive hero—Soviet intelligence officer Sergei Skorin working behind German lines. He also fulfilled a lifelong goal when he played Grigory Pechorin in Anatoly Efros’ TV play based on Mikhail Lermontovs’ novel A Hero of our Times. In his final years, Dal was broken morally and physically. The death of his close friend Vladimir Vysotsky in 1980 he saw as an omen. “I will be the next,” he repeated. Indeed, on March 3, 1981, Dal went on a drinking binge that killed him well before his time.

June

1 International Day for the Protection of Children.

3 Today is the 120th anniversary of the birth of artist Mikhail Larionov (1881-1964), and tommorow, the 4th, is the 120th anniversary of the birth of artist Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962). The art and lives of these two artists are inseparable. They are bound together like the dates of their births and deaths. Both were extremely innovative for their times, both worked in the primitive style, the so-called “artistic folklore” or lubok  (Russian buzzword for kitsch) style, and both were infatuated with impressionism. Both artists became famous after their exhibitions in Paul Gillaume’s gallery in Paris (1914). In that year, the husband and wife team moved to Paris, where they worked as theater decorators with Sergei Djaghilev, creating sketches for Rimsky-Korsakov’s Golden Cockerel, while Goncharova became one of the leading artists for Russian Seasons in Paris. In the last period of their creative lives, Goncharova and Larionov illustrated books and worked as theater decorators.

12 Independence Day.

15 One hundred and ten years ago today aircraft designer Vladimir Petlyakov (1891-1942) was born. Petlyakov created the famous Pe-2 dive-bomber and the Pe-8 heavy bomber, which raised havoc behind German lines in WWII. During the battle of Stalingrad Pe-2s destroyed Germany’s gas reserves near the village of Morozovsky, leaving German tanks without fuel. During the Kursk battle, Petlyakov’s bombers destroyed the enemy’s artillery and ammunition warehouses, tanks, armored vehicles, and trains with military hardware. Unfortunately Petlyakov himself perished during a flight above the fronts of WWII. But the 11,427 Pe-2s constructed during WWII were a more than worthy memorial to the designer. Petlyakov’s baton was passed to Vladimir Myasishchev, who developed the now famous “Myasischev” long-range strategic bombers.

17 Today would have been the 90th birthday of the writer Viktor Nekrasov (1911-1987; see Russian Life fiction insert Senka, May 1996). Nekrasov fought in WWII and then broke into literature with his novel In the Trenches of Stalingrad (1946)—an honest account of life at the front. At first, the novel was personally approved by Stalin (and in 1947 won the State Prize for literature). It even served as a basis for the film Soldiers (1957). Later, however, Soviet ideological gurus did an about face and interpreted the work as tarnishing the image of Soviet soldiers. It was therefore not reprinted for many years. Nekrasov’s other works—such as In the Native Town (1954) and Kira Georgievna (1961) tell of a war hero’s uneasy return home and how the repressed were silenced. Nekrasov enjoyed sweet success during Khruschev’s Thaw, but in Brezhnev’s retrenchment of the 1970s, his work again fell into disfavor. In 1974, Nekrasov was forced to emigrate and settled in Paris. There he continued to produce quality work, such as Notes of an Onlooker (1975), On Both Sides of the Wall (1978-1979) and A Sad Little Story (1986). In the early years of perestroika, the taboo was lifted and the avant-garde mouthpiece of glasnost, Ogonyok, printed an interview with Nekrasov, who by that time was already old and gravely ill. He died in 1987 from cancer without returning home to Russia.

21 Today is the 60th birthday of Taganka Theater actor Valery Zolotukhin (1941). A native of the Altai region, Zolotukhin dreamed of becoming an actor from early in his childhood and enrolled in the State Institute of Theater and Art (GITIS). He possessed a good voice and a talent for comedy, but pictured himself only as a dramatic actor, so he joined the Mossoviet theater. Yet, after seeing a performance at the then famous Taganka Theater, he realized that only there could he act, and he has been working there continuously since 1964. He has played many brilliant roles, namely in Ten Days that Shook the World, based on John Reed’s book, A Good Man from Se Tsuan, by Bertold Brecht, and House on the Embankment (Yuri Trifonov). He was also famous on the silver screen, with memorable roles in The Master of the Taiga (1968), Bumbarash (1972), The Tale of How Tsar Peter Got the Arab Married (1976), Little Tragedies (1980) and many others. He also provides the famous voice over that sings the soundtrack in Leonid Gayday’s comedy film Ivan Vasilievich is Changing his Profession. Zolotukhin is a deep, colorful original talent whose acting is distinguished by drama and humor bordering on the eccentric. He often performs folk and popular city songs during recitals, one of them being “On June 22 at 4 AM sharp...” (see next entry).

22 On this day 60 years ago, Germany attacked the USSR without declaring war (and despite a non-aggression pact) in an attempt to beat the Soviet army in a blitzkrieg. As Valery Zolotukhin sings, “On June 22 at 4 AM sharp, Kiev was bombed and it was announced to us that the war began.” Kiev was bombed by the Luftwaffe, but on land the Brest fortress took the first hit. Built in the 19th century, at the time of Hitler’s attack the fortress counted just 3,500 defenders. They refused to give up to the enemy, preferring to die rather than surrender. Even today one can see on the Brest fortress walls these inscriptions: “We’d rather die than leave the fortress.” Or “I am dying, but don’t give up.” In 1956, a memorial was unveiled at the site of the remnants of the fortress and in 1965 the fortress received the title of “Hero Fortress.” The father of film director Andrei Smirnov (see last issue’s calendar) Sergei Smirnov immortalized the exploits of the defenders of Brest in the book Brest Fortress, bedside reading for generations of young Russians. Thus, on June 22, The Day of Memory and Sorrow, when Russians pay tribute to the twenty seven million compatriots who died in the war, homage is paid first to the defenders of Brest, now part of Belarus (with whom, by 2005 Russia is to once again have a common currency).