RussianMind #17 20 - 07 January

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RussianMind №1 (17), 20 January - 2 February 2012, www.RussianMind.com

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Contents

RM TEAM ACTING EDITOR OLGA KUDRIAVTSEVA

6-7

5

10-11

LAYOUT YURI NOR HEAD OF EDITORIAL BOARD MARK HOLLINGSWORTH

RussianMind №1 (17), 20 January - 2 February 2012, www.RussianMind.com

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Old New Year, Really?

Lord Bell: The PR Consultants Who Campaign Against

12-15

Putin Gone for Lunch Back in February 18-19

16-17

COVER PAGE: LIZAVETA WYATT. MANAGING DIRECTOR AZAMAT SULTANOV SPECIAL PROJECT DEPARTMENT DARIA ALYUKOVA BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ALINA BLINOVA

Sarah Fabergé: All About Surprises

IT DIRECTOR OLEKSII VYSHNIKOV SUB EDITOR JULIA GOBERT

21

William Blake and British Visionaries in Moscow

Poland’s New Generation Art

22-23

ACTING EDITOR’S ASSISTANT RUKHSHONA SHAKHIDI DISTRIBUTION OLGA TSVETKOVA IN PRINT: RICHARD BLOSS, XANTHI SKOULARIKI, TATIANA IRODOVA, OLGA LESYK, GAFUR SADIKOV. CONTACTS: EDITORIAL STAFF: OLGA@RUSSIANMIND.COM

24-25 How Can I make good New Year’s Resolutions? 26-27

From Paris with Love: Dior Models in Russia in 1959

The Land of Contrasts: An Intro to Western Siberia

28-29

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Whose Coat Is That Jacket?!

Rugby: 5 Main Events of 2011

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RM Guide

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Editor

OLD NEW YEAR, REALLY? Whilst Britons end their holiday celebration marathon with New Year’s night, for Russians it’s just the enjoying the New Year’s spirit. Even returning back to work they continue congratulating each other and wishing all the best. Moreover, post-Soviet countries celebrate the New Year twice – the traditional, for the whole world New Year on 1st January and the Old New Year, on 14th January. The background of the Old New Year goes back to the times of the Julian calendar, according to which the year starts 13 days after the New Year on the Gregorian calendar. Although, the Georgian calendar !

" # $ % & ' calendar. That is why the New Year became a holiday which is celebrated by both calendars. Almost a century has passed since this calendar mess, but the New Year of the Julian calendar is still popular in Russia, and the tradition of celebrating the coming year twice is widely enjoyed. Nowadays, the Old New Year is not as festive as the New New Year! The majority of Russians prefer to celebrate it with their family and close friends. Nevertheless, the holiday includes traditional meals, celebratory drinks and as a Despite this, the New Year celebration cycle continues until the end of January, RussianMind is keeping the balance between the Russian and European traditions. We are back to work, full of enthusiasm, energy and fresh ideas. To make a good start, in this issue we have combined art, culture and history. Turn to page 12 for an interview with Sarah Faberge, descendant of the world famous jeweller; read about the new generation of ) % * + #/0 5 6 7 8 % 9 + :/ < !

= ">" + / Enjoy this issue and remember, if at the end of January you still hear “Happy New Year�, don’t be surprised, it’s the Russians!

Best Olga Kudriavtseva Acting Editor

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LORD BELL:

THE PR CONSULTANTS WHO CAMPAIGN AGAINST PUTIN by Mark Hollingsworth

LAST MONTH VLADIMIR PUTIN ACCUSED BRITISH AND AMERICAN PUBLIC RELATIONS CONSULTANTS AND LOBBYISTS OF UNDERMINING THE RUSSIAN STATE AND DISRUPTING THE ELECTIONS. IN THIS ISSUE WE PROFILE LORD BELL, THE PR ADVISOR WHO HAS BEEN MOST ACTIVE IN CAMPAIGNING AGAINST PUTIN.

Lord Bell had honed his skills at the advertising agency Saatchi and Saatchi and his personal allure led one former colleague to comment, ‘He was so charming that dogs would cross the street just to be petted by him’.

The role of Western PR spin doctors in Russian politics can be traced back to 1996 when Boris Yeltsin was re-elected President. Lord Bell, the media guru who had helped Margaret Thatcher win three elections in Great Britain between 1979 and 1990, was hired to work for Yeltsin. Working closely with the oligarchs and American spin doctors, he reinvented Yeltsin's persona. Lord Bell is a master of the personal touch and has a soothing bedside manner. He is credited with transforming Yeltsin from a dour, aggressive, hard-line, mechanical politician into a smiling, accessible populist.

In conditions of secrecy likened to protecting nuclear secrets, Lord Bell hired the American image consultants DresnerWickers who moved into Suite 120 of the President Hotel in Moscow. ‘Secrecy was paramount’, recalled Felix Braynin, a Yeltsin aide. ‘Everyone realised that if the Communists knew about this before the election, they would attack Yeltsin as an 6

American tool. We badly needed the American team, but having them was a big risk’. When Yeltsin won the 1996 election, Lord Bell was regarded by the Russian Oligarchs who had funded his campaign as a brilliant strategist. And so when Boris Berezovsky moved into exile in London in 2001, he turned to Lord Bell to advise him on his campaign against Putin. In the court of Tsar Boris, no one has been more important in transforming the fugitive oligarch from obscurity to prominence than Lord Bell. Appointing Lord Bell was one of Berezovsky's shrewdest moves. A

smooth operator, he has proved adept at representing foreign clients, notably the Saudi royal family and, more controversially, President Lukashenko of Belarus. Berezovsky was impressed by the spin doctor’s energy, charm and guile, and even more by the leading X Lady Thatcher, Rupert Murdoch, his business hero, and former President F.W. de Klerk of South Africa. Optimistic, articulate and well-connected, the chain-smoking Lord Bell was also a power-broker and Berezovsky hired him as much for his contacts book as his PR skills. ‘Using Tim Bell is the communications equivalent of dialling 911’, said one industry executive. He was therefore tailor-made for Berezovsky who has poured millions of pounds into

Bell seldom appeared to disagree with his client's endless stream of ideas for propaganda, appearing to be as much an admirer as a mere advocate. He has his own take on his client. ‘The trouble with this world is that one man's freedom \ terrorist’, he has said. ‘There is some kind of dirty tricks campaign being waged against him [Berezovsky]. To attack him, physically intimidate him and to mount media attacks on him at every level. And where he approaches authorities in other countries, he discovers record put there by the Russians questioning his integrity and status ... I think Boris Berezovsky is a very important person because he believes more profoundly in democracy and in human rights than

commissioning antiPutin advertisements, PR stunts, political lobbying and to promoting his personal message. Since late 2001, everything has been facilitated by Bell’s company, Bell Pottinger, to whom Berezovsky pays a retainer of ÂŁ25,000 per month plus expenses. Their invoices – which run into hundreds of thousands – are always paid in full and on time, a measure of Lord Bell's importance. Such is the closeness of their relationship that in 2002 Berezovsky agreed in principal to lend Bell Pottinger ÂŁ1 million on ‘friendly terms’ and with ‘no need for any security or warranty’, according to a lawyer directly involved in the negotiations. During their meetings at the oligarch's 9 *

BORIS BEREZOVSKY

LORD BELL

almost anyone I have come across’.

Lord Bell has been responsible for ensuring that there is a place for Berezovsky at Britain’s top tables. As well as speaking at the Reform Club, he has lectured at Chatham House, addressed Eton schoolboys, spoken at the Oxford University Russian Society (in 2004) and was once quizzed by a group of senior EU policy makers. He has enjoyed favourable coverage in the Sunday Times – even penning several articles under his own by-line – and been interviewed regularly by BBC2’s Newsnight. He took to calling impromptu press conferences, paying to hold them in the grand auditoriums of the Royal United Services Institute on Whitehall and at Chatham House in St James's Square.

VLADIMIR PUTIN 7

In June 2007 he was a panellist on BBC1’s Question Time, the only Russian so far to have appeared. His message was always the same: Putin was creating an authoritarian government, seizing the mass media, } renationalising privately owned companies. Unsurprisingly, Russian authorities questioned how a fugitive such as Berezovsky could gain access to such venerable British institutions and be afforded such a respectful reception. As well as securing platforms from which to wage his high-level campaign, money also went on lavishing selfpromotion and media stunts. Lord Bell was tasked with organising

New York Times, the Washington Post, The Times, the Financial Times and the Daily Telegraph. Headed ‘Seven Questions to President George Bush about his friend President Putin’, it accused Putin of genocide in Chechnya and of whipping up ‘militaristic hysteria similar to Germany under the early Nazi regime’. It urged Bush to ‘look into the eyes of your friend again’. Joining Berezovsky as signatories were several Soviet-era dissidents.

the demonstration outside the Russian Embassy in Kensington Palace Gardens in October 2003 when fellow oligarch Mikhail Khodorkovsky was arrested, and in May 2004 he was further responsible for the presence of dozens of limousines which drove past the Russian Embassy bearing large signs accusing Putin of running a police state. ‘Free Khodorkovsky’, ‘Russian Business vs KGB’ and ‘Russian Business vs Police State’ some of them read, a clear indication of the strength of Berezovsky’s opposition.

At the St Petersburg summit of G8 nations in July 2006, Bell Pottinger planned to place an advertisement on behalf of Berezovsky's civil liberties foundation in The advertisement

Just before the 2004 Russian presidential election, Berezovsky commissioned a fullpage advertisement – at a cost of some £250,000 – which appeared in the

contained a photograph of President Putin, who was chairing the summit, made up to look like Groucho Marx. It carried the comedian’s famous line: ‘I wouldn’t want to be a member of any club that would have me as a member’. The organizers ordered its removal and it was never used. ‘What seemed to upset him [Putin] was the word “Marx�,’ Lord Bell remarked. Much of Berezovsky’s political networking has the little-known Global Leadership Foundation (GLF), which comprises a group of former political leaders who

advice to current rulers, notably in emerging markets. The GLF was set up by Graham Barr, an associate of Lord

LORD BELL ADVISED LEADING FIGURES: MARGARET THATCHER, RUPERT MURDOCH AND FORMER PRESIDENT OF SOUTH AFRICA F.W. DE KLERK. 8

Bell and an executive of Chime Communications (Bell's holding company), and former South African President F. W. de Klerk. It was launched in March 2004, at Chevening in Kent, residence of the British Foreign Secretary, an indication that the GLF was sanctioned by the government. Lord Bell also played a key role in managing the anti-Putin message during the aftermath of the murder of former !6 € % Litvinenko whose a very public and international event. The disturbing photograph of the former FSB

bed, wired up to a lifesupport machine, gaunt  with those penetrating blue eyes, was shown repeatedly around the world. The use of what soon became an iconic photograph – of a hairless and physically wasted Russian ĂŠmigrĂŠ three days before he died – is a powerful example of the way in which Berezovsky, aided by Lord Bell, used the tragedy of Litvinenko’s death in his campaign against Putin. When Litvinenko severe stomach pains after his meeting at the Millennium Hotel, Berezovsky's initial reaction was to dismiss his fears that he had been poisoned. ‘He is fantasising again’, he sniffed. But when it became clear that

like. I think, therefore that this may be the time to say one or two things to the person responsible for my present condition. You may succeed in silencing me but that silence comes at a price. You may succeed in silencing one man but the howl of protest from around the world will reverberate, Mr Putin, in your ears for the rest of your life. May God forgive you for what you have done not only to me but to beloved Russia and its people�.

he was seriously ill, Berezovsky was quick to take advantage, though not without Litvinenko's approval. Alex Goldfarb, who had known Litvinenko for many years and had helped him escape from ‚ 7 } from New York. The full Berezovsky propaganda operation – with all its guile and relentless energy – produced a blitzkrieg of global publicity. Goldfarb placed calls to journalists on several newspapers, the BBC and Channel 4 News. For several days he gave at the hospital on Litvinenko's condition and the latest theories on how he had been poisoned. Throughout, the handling of the Litvinenko story was run and coordinated behind the scenes by Lord Bell and his team. Both Berezovsky and Goldfarb instantly pinned responsibility on the Kremlin.

The day after Litvinenko’s death, Alex Goldfarb read extracts from the note on British television and radio as if it had been composed entirely by Litvinenko. Yet the authenticity of the note and who had actually written it became the subject of speculation and scepticism. Izvestiya, a newspaper regarded as the mouthpiece of the Kremlin, accused Lord Bell of writing it. In fact, it was subsequently admitted that it had been composed by Goldfarb and Litvinenko’s lawyer, George Menzies.

The iconic photograph was taken and released by Bell Pottinger who retained its copyright ownership. Two days before he died, Litvinenko purportedly dictated Goldfarb. The widely quoted passage blaming Putin is but part of a much longer and more powerful piece of prose:

The media campaign was immensely effective in helping to turn public opinion against Putin. Litvinenko’s death was presented almost universally as an international espionage scandal, with the Kremlin in the dock. The British press erupted in a frenzy of anti-Putin rhetoric. Whoever was behind the murder, media manipulation ensured

“As I lie here I can hear the beatings of the wings of the angel of death at my back. I may be able to give him the slip but my legs do not run as fast as I would 9

that the man who gained most from the ƒ ƒ year-old Litvinenko was Boris Berezovsky. It was certainly not his enemies. The exploitation of the Litvinenko story continued well after his death. On 7 December 2008 he was buried at Highgate Cemetery in a specially sealed casket provided by the Health Protection Agency. A few days later Berezovsky gave a press conference directly challenging Lugovoi to face trial for Litvinenko's murder. Within days another story was fed to the press: Berezovsky himself had become the target of a potential Kremlin murder plot just a few weeks earlier. Then, as the Kremlin tried to turn the tables by claiming that Berezovsky himself was behind the killing with the aim of discrediting Putin, the fugitive repeated his assertion on BBC's Newsnight that the President was behind the murder and that Lugovoi was merely the front man carrying out orders. Standing beside the Oligarch was the ever-listening and ever-watchful Lord Bell. Today, as the Russian people campaign against Putin, Lord Bell is still part of the PR machine that is promoting their message in the West.

Opinion

I

never was a literary person. At least not in English anyway. I just can't get my head around the concept of seasons of mists and mellow fruitfulness. Please tell me: what is there to get romantic about a miserable grey day followed by another miserable grey day? It's a bit like waking up in the morning: ‘I try to smile †8 ‡ 7

thing. < ˆ the mists roll in from the sea sometime in mid September and eventually disappear sometime in April. We can forget about the beginning of the year. It's obviously a Russian thing. Nobody ever goes back to work until the ' 7 me of my time in Paris where everyone stops work the week before & have at least three public holidays in January. Whole villages put little ‰ ‰ "gone for lunch - back in ‰ mean that if you include the weekly tube strike ‹ & calendar is kind to you the average Frenchman in January only works on Wednesday afternoons. But what is really England have started to do the same thing. € England work more

7 any other country in Europe. But if you could get anybody to answer the phone on December #

$ ˆ have colleagues who have managed to string things out until the 9th ' ƒ in mind that we are supposed to be living in times of austerity - make is this austerity hitting? Œ media that we are living in times of unprecedented - how come between December 26th and ' went crazy in the shops on Oxford Street and in any year on record? Bearing in mind that the traditional way of life for most English people is to live on money that \ I am becoming more and more confused. On told that the end of the world is nigh and that we should repay our credit ‡ listening and we are still spending money whether we have it or not. The only conclusion 7 ' ‘ doesn't compute. For a 7 ! the shops that you had all about to close - are doing very well thank you. So far from being 10

thanks for asking. I think the only answer and get them to credit

\ ˆ\ just stepping out for a few days for a spot of retail therapy....if I'm 7 ˆ\ ˆ can see a host of golden daffodils on the horizon. ˆ ! †

Opinion

GONE FOR LUNCH – BACK IN FEBRUARY by Richard Bloss who welcomes us to 2012 11

Person

SARAH FABERGÉ: ALL ABOUT SURPRISES by Daria Alyukova RENOWNED HOUSE OF FABERGÉ WAS FOUNDED IN ST. PETERSBURG IN 1842 BY JEWELLER GUSTAV FABERGÉ. IT WAS HIS SON PETER CARL WHO LED THE FIRM TO WORLDWIDE RENOWN AND CREATED THE UNIQUE AND PRECIOUS SURPRISE EASTER EGGS FOR THE IMPERIAL FAMILY. HE WON THE FAVOUR OF THE IMPERIAL ROMANOV FAMILY IN THE 1880’S AND THE ADULATION OF THE WORLD WITH THE AWARD OF THE GRAND PRIX AT THE 1900 WORLD FAIR IN PARIS. IN 1917, FABERGÉ PRODUCTION WAS TERMINATED IN RUSSIA WITH THE ONSET OF THE BOLSHEVIK REVOLUTION AND THEIR WORKSHOPS WERE TAKEN OVER BY THE SOVIET GOVERNMENT. A PERIOD OF DRAMATIC CHANGE IN THE SOCIAL SYSTEM IN RUSSIA CHANGED THE WORLD AND THE HOUSE OF FABERGÉ FOREVER. IN A SECOND BLOW, THE FABERGÉ FAMILY IN 1951 LOST THE RIGHTS TO USE THEIR FAMILY NAME IN SELLING FABERGÉLABELLED DESIGNS WHEN PROTRACTED AND EXPENSIVE LITIGATION FORCED ON THEM A SETTLEMENT THAT CEDED THEIR RIGHTS TO AN AMERICAN CORPORATION IN RETURN FOR ONLY US$ 25,000. HISTORY CAME FULL CIRCLE IN JANUARY 2007 WHEN THE FABERGÉ NAME WAS REUNITED WITH THE FABERGÉ FAMILY. TATIANA AND SARAH FABERGÉ, THE GREAT GRANDDAUGHTERS OF PETER CARL FABERGÉ, TOGETHER WITH MR JOHN ANDREW, MAKE UP THE FABERGÉ HERITAGE COUNCIL WHICH GUIDES THE UNIFIED FABERGÉ IN ITS PURSUIT OF FABERGÉ’S ORIGINAL VALUES, PHILOSOPHY AND SPIRIT. SARAH FABERGÉ IS A GRANDDAUGHTER OF NICHOLAS, THE FIFTH SON OF PETER CARL. IN CONVERSATION WITH SARAH RM GAINED A GLIMPSE OF THE EVENTFUL FAMILY STORY THAT COULD INSPIRE A FANTASTIC BOOK. RM: Sarah, do you think talent can be inherited? Or does a dynastical business continue because of the tricks of the trade that a child naturally imbibes, seeing them on a daily basis? ! X 5 7 } 7 8 *

< 9 < 7 8 7 8 7 ": 8 < 7

7 12

Person

THEO AND SARAH FABERGE

RM: As a child, were you told your parents expected you to take over the business? S.F.: My father never pushed me towards that. But I was brought up surrounded by the beautiful things he made. He was always busy with something – sketching, carving wood, inventing. He had a watchmaker’s tool set – not for actual watch-making, but for working with various small parts. Also, I certainly assimilated an attitude of care towards artefacts of the past.

SARAH FABERGE WITH KATHARINA FLOHR, CREATIVE AND MANAGING DIRECTOR OF FABERGE 13

Person

MINIATURE INTERIORS IN THE WINDOWS OF FABERGE BOUTIQUE IN LONDON

RM: And what were you interested in as a kid? S.F.: Since my early years I’ve been fascinated by psychology, which later took on a cast of academic and practical interest in cognitive psychology, as well as various aspects of leadership and human resource management. RM: It must be very helpful in your work now? S.F.: Exactly. I’m convinced that creativity

} good, solid team. We try

us to keep an eye on every aspect of our work.

to support team spirit and corporate culture – although our employees are located in different countries, we have regular conference calls which are attended by everyone.

RM: And where are the employees actually located? S.F.: In the UK, Switzerland, France. In Paris we make haute joallerie pieces, the most expensive and bespoke items. The Swiss branch specialises in watches.

RM: Does this help Fabergé to preserve the spirit of a family enterprise and the charm of unique production in the epoch of the assembly line production? S.F.: Precisely, and it’s also very useful at the business end – it facilitates management and allows

RM: Who has the the company’s course? S.F.: Fabergé has the Heritage Council. It’s quite amusing how every member naturally took

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their own roles according to their personal aptitude. For example, Tatiana Fabergé is a historian; she’s the source of expertise on history of the dynasty. John Andrew – a famous journalist, a family friend and a collector of pre-revolutionary Fabergé – is a walking encyclopaedia when it comes to the company’s artwork. I am particularly interested in the management aspects and shaping a harmonious team, as I’m keen on psychology and design.

Person

RM: How often do you see other jewellery brands using the ideas or techniques that were introduced by FabergĂŠ? S.F.: Well, in a certain way the interest towards traditional Russian shapes, ornaments, and symbols is a trend, zeitgeist. After all, we cannot patent an egg shape or Russian artistic

to dilute brand identity. For example, we have a capsule collection inspired by powerful graphic forms and bold colours of constructivism. Apart from jewellery, it includes a set of silver and enamel beakers.

motives! Although some pieces still cause the dÊjà vu feeling – but market is market, and this is } RM: Do you plan to enrich your product range with something from post-Imperial Russia, like Soviet constructivism? S.F.: We are doing this, but in small doses – not

RM: Do you remember Russia? What were

S.F.: Oh, it was a

ˆ was 16 at that time; we went to St. Petersburg in December, when the days are short. We ˆ overlooking Neva. On ˆ % ˆ get to sleep. We walked around the city and spent a lot of time in the museums.

On January 18th FabergÊ launches the Big Egg Hunt – a fundraising initiative that aims to raise up to £2 million for a leading children’s charity, Action for Children and Elephant Family – the UK’s biggest funder for the endangered Asian elephant. The interactive public event begins on February 21st. It will feature 200 giant and uniquely crafted eggs strategically scattered throughout London – sometimes in most unexpected locations; indoors, outdoors, London artists, architects, jewellers and designers including Diane von Furstenberg, Marc Quinn, the Chapman brothers, Mary Katranzou. The Big Egg Hunt will be crowned by an auction just before Easter – the eggs are destined to become highly collectible works of art. Proceeds from the sales will go to Action for Children and Elephant Family.

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Culture

WILLIAM BLAKE AND BRITISH VISIONARIES IN MOSCOW An exhibition of watercolours and engravings by William Blake, British poet, mystic theologian and artist of the late 18th and the early 19th centuries has been presented to the Russian public his outwardly compositions and visionary poems, Blake was a perfect example of a "poor artist" } several generations of his ƒ to Surrealists, nearly all modern painters could cite Blake for It was organised with the assistance of the British & ’ 7 are delivered from the major British collections, including ’ — 6 9 ˜ € 9 Œ ) — + ƒ * /  9 +& / 5 € — +9 / ) +5 ! %/ 6 ƒ ) +€ / ’ % are queuing to see such famous watercolours as 'Last Judgement', 'Newton', 'Paris's Judgement', and illustrations to Dante's 'Divine Comedy', to the 7 ' 9 5 Shakespeare and Herbert ! Alongside these will be exhibited the works by Dante — ‹ 6 ƒ ' ' ! ) 6 € Beardsley, other British painters The exhibition runs until 19 February Address: Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, 12 Volkhonka, Moscow arts-museum.ru 16

Culture

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Art

POLAND’S NEW GENERATION ART " # As the new art season unveils, three contemporary artists from Poland are introduced to the London art scene exhibition organised by the Calvert 22 Foundation, curiously titled ‘The Forgetting of Proper Names’. Wojciech Bakowski, Anna Molska and Agnieszka Polska are turning heads with their galvanic, fresh art show. “The Forgetting of Proper Names� is a twomonth show opening on 25 January that focuses on Poland’s vibrant contemporary art and culture and which explores the way the past is reshaped over time and reinterpreted as it crosses cultural boundaries. The main event is an exhibition of three young Polish artists who in London: Wojciech

(b. 1979), (b. 1983) and !

(b. 1985). These artists primarily work with the moving image and cross-discipline methods. Hence, there will also be performance, screenings, literary readings and discussion that explore the artist’s innovative engagement with the avant-garde’s history and Poland’s changing social conditions today. Now in their late twenties and 6™7 7 Molska and Polska grew up in post-communist Poland. Although close in age and sharing a use of media and materials, each artist interacts with their subject in individualised and diverse way.

contemplative and introspective, rather than restorative, more romantic type of nostalgic attitude. This in turn provides a counterpoint to, and makes comment on, an ever elusive contemporaneous style, which refers to a rapidly changing order that undermines any notions of durability and implies a sense of rootlessness. If nostalgia is a yearning for a home then where there is desire, it follows there must be a lack, a need. Further, a consideration of nostalgia, melancholy and loss in the constitution of personal and cultural identity leads to issues of such ‘lack’ as central to the construction of subjectivity, the formation of personality and the creative development of artistic signature. This becomes

The artists, presented as part of this particular exhibition employ in their practice the

AGNIESZKA POLSKA, SENSITISATION TO COLOUR, 2010

important when thinking of the younger generation of Polish artists in the context of the historical and political realm after the collapse of the binary geopolitical world structure in 1989. In her animated videos, by juxtaposing archival black and white photographs of performances, actions and spaces, illustrations from old textbooks and vintage magazines, !

conducts and performs her private research into the archaeology of modernism, whilst simultaneously attempting to identify and analyse the nature of remembering and forgetting. Polska’s monochromatic video work, based upon poor black and white photographs, further questions the intentions

ANNA MOLSKA, JESUS LOVES ME, 2005 18

Art

_ ‚>[‚ƒ „†^_ \^> ";^[ ; }>=q"[ ~ €€

of creating the history of art through visual analysis and historical study, as well as erroneous memories and the misreading of history. A graduate of the now legendary workshop of Grzegorz Kowalski at The Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, Anna Molska’s work embodies Kowalski’s conceptual and multidimensional educational approach. This, in turn, was shaped } of Oskar Hansen, an architect, urban designer, utopian visionary and author of the humanist ‘Open Form’ manifesto (1959) written as a reaction to ‘stagnant’ modernist form, which encouraged partnership and collective authorship within creativity. In contrast to collective, cultural memory, or external memory related to history,

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bands KOT and NIWEA, and a member of artists’ group Penerstwo.

personal memory is expressed in the context of events related to the private individual and autobiographical memories of the self. For $ % , the subject and period of nostalgia is located in the time of his early youth/childhood, the particularly fascinating, yet bleak decade of the 1980s – that time of active resistance against totalitarian, communist speech, of social transformations, the birth of Solidarity, the imposition of martial law and the ensuing general shortage of goods. } rituals, as well as the realm of the artist’s own consciousness, is perhaps visible protagonist of )  › and music community. He operates across multiple platforms, as the founding member of

The commemorative, as well as contemplative and, to a degree, celebratory nature of , Molska, and Polska’s art on the one } ƒ ƒ sac: the impossibility of a construing of the past, and on the other, honours a ‘forgetting that is constitutive in the formation of a new identity’. A ‘forgetting’ that is crucial to the formation of autobiographical, individual memory, which retains its holistic and prescriptive nature. The curator, Lina explains “For better or worse, the artists in The Names are as much East as they are children 19

modus operandi are the globalised cultural arena. " # % % through both personal insight into contemporary # & how a young generation ' precarious relationship with the past, the present */ The Forgetting of ) Œ ƒ curated by Dominik Czechowski and is ƒ depth publication, digital resources, curator and artist gallery talks, and a special performance by Wojciech Bakowski. " Names 25 January – 18 March calvert22.org

LETTERS TO YOU:

Psychology

“HOW CAN I MAKE GOOD NEW YEAR’S RESOLUTIONS?â€? Dear YOU, It’s that time of the year when everyone is asking you “What are you New Year’s resolutions?â€? If you have a clear picture in your head, then I congratulate you. But what if you’re not happy with the way your life is going? Ask yourself, do you really want to relive 2012 as the previous year? If your New Year’s resolutions are to stay healthy, be good to people and party less, it’s very general and your chance of success is close to zero. However, if you are really   8 7 these tips useful:

certain steps on a daily basis and no one said it will be easy. Write down in your diary a few actions you can take every day for the next 5-6 weeks. Make sure there are no blank days. Even if it’s Sunday, you can still dedicate a couple of hours to doing something useful. Plan your rewards ahead. It will act as one of your motivators. 4. After a few weeks, revisit your plan and actions. Maybe you need to re-phrase your resolution; maybe you have to take extra actions in order to achieve it faster. Be } % % 6 ready to face these events with strength and dignity.

1. Think what you want to achieve by the end of 5. Tell your friends and family about your this year. Make your resolutions in a positive form. resolutions. Get all the support you want and need If you want to lose weight, then it’s better to write from them. Find out whether someone would be it down ‘I want to interested in joining you achieve such and such in your plans. Talk to weight by the end of people. There is no need the year’ or ‘I want to to be secretive about get in shape’. Make a something great you want list of goals you want to achieve. They won’t to achieve. All of these laugh if you don’t succeed. goals must be realistic, achievable, measurable 6. Track your progress and meaningful. What every 2 weeks. These will it mean achieving days there are many tools each goal? What will available online. Small you feel, see and notice? accomplishments will keep How will it make you you motivated and give feel compared to how you the strength to carry you feel now? How on. Be good to yourself will your life change even if you slip up. Just once you achieve these get back on track as fast goals? How will it affect as you can. Do the best others around you? you can every day. You’re {[\_`q">_= ‰Š‹ "_ „[ }_{[ _{<;=>\[ How will you know not competing against the you’ve reached your goal? How much time do you whole world. You are not competing at all. You are realistically need to achieve it – a couple of month or just willing to adopt new life habits, try new exciting a few years? activities and live in harmony with yourself. 2. Make sure your resolutions are personal and you’re doing them for yourself, not for your parents, friends or manager. The list of resolutions doesn’t have to be extensive. There is a danger of demotivating yourself at the very beginning. So set between one to three major goals.

– < 8 ˆ good ones. Stick to the new activity for 21 days and it will become a part of your routine. Stick to it for 6 months and it will become your habit.

Be healthy, happy and wealthy‌. & Remember: “How few there are who have courage enough to own up to their faults, or resolution enough to mend themâ€?.

3. Remember that resolutions are set in one day, but it might take a whole year to achieve these. Once you have put your resolutions down on paper, make sure you’re happy with what you have set for yourself. After all, it’s you who will have to take

Always by your side, Tati Irodova 21

Style

FROM PARIS WITH LOVE:

DIOR MODELS IN RUSSIA. YEAR 1959 AT THE END OF 1950S A REAL SENSATION HAPPENED IN MOSCOW: CHRISTIAN DIOR MODELS CAME TO VISIT THE CAPITAL. CHRISTIAN DIOR HIMSELF ALWAYS WANTED TO VISIT RUSSIA, BUT HE NEVER DID. IN 1959 MODELS ARRIVED WITHOUT DIOR, AS THE FASHION GURU DIED SUDDENLY ON OCTOBER 24, 1957. Negotiations between the House of Dior and the USSR Chamber of Commerce were conducted from December 1958 to February 1959 with hundreds of letters sent negotiating the terms on both sides. The Soviets tried hard to reduce the

– Don’t be surprised if you are stopped on the street with questions like where are you from, have you ever been to Soviet Union before, what is your impression of Moscow? This is the friendliness of the Moscow population. – Don’t be embarrassed if passers-by smile at you or express wonder, because of the differences in behaviour and dress. – Tips for taxi: 10%. In other cases, tips are not accepted. – During cocktails, drink alcohol moderately, but don’t refuse as refusal is seen as one of the biggest abuses. – Give badges to people who you like. – Before the interview please read the special instructions and

level of claims while the French were defending its "high level" of the events. Among other things, the French had instructions on how to behave in Moscow, which are still kept in the House of Dior archives. Many of the points today cause a smile, but in the 1950s they seemed to make the life of foreigner easier: - Take cigarettes, lipstick and make-up with you. - Please note that you cannot buy whiskey. – Please do not take photos. If you have a camera, do not take pictures of children, houses, bridges and military buildings. “ Œ cigarette you have been offered. This is a politeness rule.

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the list of questions. – Take a few detective novels for yourself and as a gift for embassy staff. – Women by no means should wear trousers. WHAT AN AGIO! During the visit, each of the 12 models who came from France had to walk on the podium 140 times. 11,000 people visited the House of Dior shows in Moscow. During the shows 12.5 litres of Dior perfume was sprayed in the air. French delegates brought 500 litres of Dior perfume with them, which was gifted to the !

Photos: letmefashion.blogspot. com

Style

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THE LAND OF CONTRASTS:

Travel

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=[ "[“q<;=\^ I come from a small town on the Siberian marshland, called Nefteyugansk (Neftebeing ‘oil’, Yuganka – a tributary of the Ob river). To many, YUKOS and Khodorkovsky may spring to mind when they hear the name. Indeed, Nefteyugansk is the oil capital of the region and like almost any other major town/settlement for miles around. Apart from being a spiritual Mecca for me, I can’t think of a reason to visit it, unless you are on a trip and passing through. My little town is quite unique. It is situated on an island, almost a

mini UK. It has a modern airport complex } Â’ airport to Nefteyugansk is in the larger city of Surgut, 50 kilometres north-east. Â’ ) ‘ƒ‡ 7 + from the language of the Khanty and 9 / “ > 7 Â’ 7 region are good and reliable these days. But decades ago, living in Nefteyugansk % ˆ ! Â’ Â’ X both have river ports, plenty of oil and Â’ its treasures – top-quality fur, berries, herbs and a variety of tasty mushrooms. Â’ ! +•–/ and more prosperous, yet Nefteyugansk   Russia, thanks to the Khodorkovsky riseand-fall epic. Â’ ƒ ƒ!

$ 7 ! 6 ’ +: " / ˆ became a local landmark so much so that it # Western Siberia is home to the aboriginal roving tribes of Khanty and Mansy, still ’ more exposed to contemporary civilization. It is symbolic that the geopolitical capital

5 ! KHANTY-MANSYISK Khanty-Mansyisk + parlance - Khanty) is the main city of the Khanty-Mansiysk Autonomous Okrug= Unlike Surgut and Nefteyugansk, it is more compact and cozy, and looks like a 8 5 Khanty regularly hosts the Biathlon World & € “

team of reindeer. ‡ 5 ! % largely depend on your destination. ’ 8 % ˆ guide, of course.

Travel

GIFTS OF THE TAIGA

A MOTO-GATEWAY TO NEFTEYUGANSK

FACTS * 7 = 5 ! —9’ �> € X ' ƒ &0 ' � #& Local speciality – naturally dried rudd. But think 7

USEFUL LINKS 6 ! +5 ‹ ‹ / discoversiberia.net Â’ ž ƒ9 7 ƒ Â&#x;  ¥Â–¢ ÂĄ ‹ ÂŒ 7 rk-imperia.ru

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Guide

London International Mime Festival Until 29 Jan The Mime Festival is Britain’s annual showcase for the best in contemporary visual theatre. The event encompassing mime, mask work, acrobatics, circus skills, animation and puppetry. Venues include the Soho Theatre, the Southbank Centre, the Barbican, the Roundhouse and the Royal Opera House. See the website for a full programme. It has presented many of the most distinguished X Jacques Lecoq, Bolek Polivka, Philippe Genty, Lindsay Kemp, Annie Fratellini, JÊrôme Deschamps, Marcel Marceau and his company, as well as supporting a new generation of important artists like La Ribot, Compagnie 111, Josef Nadj, Licedei, Simon McBurney’s Complicite, Phelim McDermot’s Improbable Theatre and many of today’s leading new circus ensembles. Tickets: £10 - £20 Address: Soho Theatre, 21 Dean Street, London W1D 3NE Contacts: 020 7637 5661 mimelondon.com

Magic Worlds Exhibition Until 4 March

Leonardo da Vinci: Painter at the Court of Milan Until 5 Feb

This exhibition delves into the realms of fantasy and enchantment, exploring the ways in which magic has been embraced around the world for thousands of years - from the Indian rope trick to David Blaine's modern take on illusion, the tales of the Brothers Grimm to the 'Harry Potter' books. On display are costumes, tricks and 0 merchandise; optical toys, magic lanterns and games based around magic; ceramics, books and artworks; interactives and handson activities, arranged according to themes including 'Historical Illusion', 'Fairies and Enchantment'. Among the varied highlights are Sooty and his wand; Elsie Wright and Frances — \ \& fairy photographs' and Tommy Cooper's cardpicking 'Educated Duck'.

Cabaret La SoirĂŠe Until 29 Jan The hit cabaret phenomenon, La SoirĂŠe, returns to the Roundhouse after a hugely successful run at the venue back in 2009 and a sensational premiere at the South Bank Big Top 2010. The line-up features some old and new faces along with some of the cabaret world's favourite stars. La SoirĂŠe will banish the winter blues and leave you wanting to see it all over again.

Tickets: Admission free Address: V&A Museum of Childhood, Cambridge Heath Rd, London E2 9PA Contacts: 020 8983 5200 vam.ac.uk/moc

Tickets: ÂŁ15-ÂŁ65 Address: Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Rd, London NW1 8EH Contacts: 0844 482 8008 roundhouse.org.uk 26

Head to London's National Gallery to see the largest ever exhibition of Leonardo da Vinci's surviving paintings. The display concentrates on da Vinci's career as a court painter in Milan, where he worked for the city's ruler Ludovico Maria Sforza, known as il Moro (the Moor), in the 1480s and 1490s. This is a rare opportunity to see almost every surviving picture painted by da Vinci in Milan during this period. The show features more than 60 paintings and drawings by da Vinci and his close collaborators. Tickets: ÂŁ16; senior, concs, disabled ÂŁ14 (carers free with disabled purchase); job seekers, students, Art Fund ÂŁ8; family (two adults and up to 4 children) ÂŁ32; under 12s free with paying adult; season ticket ÂŁ40/ÂŁ37/ÂŁ20 Address: National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN Contacts: 020 7747 2885 nationalgallery.org.uk

Guide

Chihuly at Halycon Gallery Exhibition Until 28 Feb Glowing glass forms, singly and combined in thrilling installations. Securing Dale Chihuly whose mastery of glass and colour is in a class of its own - for the opening show at this new Bond Street space was a coup for Halcyon. As well as vessels, chandeliers, wall sconces and organic assemblages of the sort that stunned visitors to 'Gardens of Glass', the spectacular Chihuly takeover at Kew Gardens in 2005, there are paintings and drawings that demonstrate the same unerring instinct for line and hue as the Seattle-based artist's glass works. The pieces in this selling exhibition are beyond the pockets of most of us but anyone is welcome to visit this free museum quality show.

Moscow City Ballet 18-22 Jan Though the Moscow City Ballet is only a so-so ballet company, it has some decent enough dancers (like the excellent principal Valeria Guseva). If you're local to Richmond, it could be better than a night in front of the telly. The company performs its own versions of two classics of the rep, 'Swan Lake' (Wed, Thur) and 'The Nutcracker' (FriSun). Tickets: £18-£34 Address: Richmond Theatre, The Green, Richmond TW9 1QJ Contacts: 0844 871 7651 ambassadortickets.com

Resolution! Festival Until 17 Feb The Place's annual festival of new choreography brings brand new and emerging talents to the stage. The result is a bit of a lucky dip, to be honest, ranging from painfully studenty to surprisingly assured.

Tickets: Admission free Address: Halcyon Gallery, 144-146 New Bond St, London W1S 2PF Contacts: 020 7647 8328 halcyongallery.com

Tickets: £14; £11 concs Address: The Place, 17 Duke's Rd, London WC1H 9PY Contacts: 020 7121 1100 theplace.org.uk 27

Private Tours of Buckingham Palace Until 29 Jan Escape the crowds and go on a private tour of Buckingham Palace's dazzling State Rooms. The special tours, led by expert guides, give you the chance to get close to the palace's important collection of historic paintings, furniture, sculpture and porcelain. The tour lasts approximately two hours and takes place in the afternoon and evening on selected dates from 27 December 2011 to 29 January 2012. Tickets must be prebooked. There is limited availability, with a maximum of 30 people on each tour. Tickets: £14- £24.00 Address: Buckingham Palace, London SW1A 1AA Contacts: 020 7766 7300 royalcollection.org.uk

Street Chic

Evelina, 21, Student Zo.On Iceland coat, Forever 21, New Look shoes HEAVY DRINKERS

Anoeb, 30 Baracuta jacket, Ben Sherman shoes, H&M jeans MYSTERIOUS

Ingrid, 31, Beauty Therapist Merc, Cos, Topshop MAFIA

WHOSE COAT IS THAT JACKET?! Dominique, 27 Top man, Reiss COOL

Anabel, Deputy Editor at Elle Decoration Vintage fur, Zadig&Voltair, Gap, Guess BLING!

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Sabina, Student Unit, Jaeger, Dr. Martins BEAUTIFUL

Street Chic

Miguel, 31, Customer service Ralph Lauren Polo shirt, Uniqlo jacket, Top shop trousers, Lee Cooper boots, H&M bag FUN

Irina, 33, Employed Topshop jacket, H&M dress Pineapple shoes, Massimo Dutti bag ARTISTIC

Raimonda, 25, Customer service River Island & New look FRIENDLY

Russian People Are‌ Photographer: Gafur Sadikov

Camilla, 18, student Primark jacket, Louis Vuitton bag, Pretty Ballerinas shoes, Zara jeans NICE

Carolina, 27, journalist Dorothy Perkins coat & boots, Topshop jeans SEXY

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Iren, 23, student Hat and skirt from charity shop, Topshop top, Primark coat & shoes, Animal bag CREATIVE

Sport

THE DEBUT OF THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL RUGBY UNION TEAM AT THE RUGBY WORLD CUP

RUGBY: 5 MAIN EVENTS OF 2011 KINGSLEY JONES IS THE NEW HEAD COACH OF THE RUSSIAN NATIONAL RUGBY UNION TEAM

RUSSIA WILL BID TO HOLD THE RUGBY WORLD CUP IN 2023

VASILY ARTEMYEV AND ANDREY OSTRIKOV ARE IN THE BRITISH PREMIER LEAGUE

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READ IN THE NEXT ISSUE: INVESTIGATIVE PROFILE OF BILLIONAIRE MIKHAIL PROKHOROV

MAXIM POKROVSKY: RUSSIAN ROCK LEGEND

ROSE WYLIE: TOTAL PAINTING...

MIDNIGHT TANGO: NEW WEST END SHOW

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