RussianMind #4 (20) 02- 15 March

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№ 4 (20) 2-15 March 2012, www.RussianMind.com

Contents RM Team Acting Editor Olga Kudriavtseva

6-7

5

8-9

Layout Yuri Nor

Let’s Rock the Spring!

10-11

Why Russia Supports the Brutal Syrian Regime

12-13

Russian Business Week 2012: Round Up

14-17

Cover Photo Maxim Sudorgin Cover Page Lizaveta Wyatt Head of Editorial Board Mark Hollingsworth

Russians and Houses. All Property is Theft

Citizen Poet and Citizen Hedonist

Managing Director Azamat Sultanov Special Project Department Daria Alyukova

18-20

22-23

Musician Maxim Pokrovsky: Life on the Move 24-25

Advertising Yordanka Yordanova, Maria Yadrikhinskaya IT Director Oleksii Vyshnikov Sub Editor Julia Gobert Acting Editor’s Assistant Rukhshona Shakhidi Interpreter Ekaterina Ovechkina Distribution Olga Tsvetkova In print: Richard Bloss, David Gillespie, Olga Lesyk.

Painter Aleksey Chizov: Manifesto of Self-Growth 26-27

Russian Film from Soviet Sci-Fi to Modern Fantasy 28-29

Russian Ballet Icons Gala: Anna Pavlova

30-31

Contacts: Editorial Staff: olga@russianmind.com General enquiries: info@russianmind.com Distribution: distribution@russianmind.com Advertising: adv@russianmind.com Address 40 Langham Street, London W1W 7AS United Kingdom Tel: +44(0) 207 637 1374

RM Guide

At World’s End: The Beauty and Perils of the Russian Far East 3

Fashion Weeks Street Style

Editor

LET’S ROCK THE SPRING! For some reason, people are sensitised to the changes in springtime more than any other. Once the season starts, it seems that human nature automatically switches to the regime of renewal and renovation. Perhaps because the days become warmer and longer and that makes us live in this strange elation, or like Eastern holidays’ relaxation, gives a strong charge of energy? Who knows what happens, but metamorphoses are seen on every single face. In spring it is the time to commit to the revolution the soul is so asking for, both inside yourself and for outward things. Why not change your boring job for more exciting opportunities you had left unattended before? Why not try the activities you never had time for? Why not call those, who you wanted to say something very personal to, but were afraid to do so? Make your own “why not” list and enjoy making every point on it. If we talk about public matters this year, Russians associate change with the Presidential elections, to be held in March. Or it is better to say used to associate… at one time… long time ago… Anyway, in spring we have intended to believe in miracles. In this issue of RussianMind we spoke with Yevgeny Chichvarkin about sharp political satire, directed at Russia’s acting power (p.12); discussed with Russian rock singer Maxim Pokrovsky the art of today’s popularity (p.14); asked St Petersburg painter Aleksey Chizhov, who is currently exhibiting in the UK, how to evoke society’s response (p.18); observe the gala evening dedicated to Russian ballet star Anna Pavlova (p.24) and more.

I’ll tell you what, it’s only the beginning of the season, so will get better and better as it goes on.

WE DARE, ARE DRIVEN A LITTLE BIT CRAZY AT TIMES, BUT BURN WITH ENTHUSIASM! Best Olga Kudriavtseva Acting Editor

P.S. “Spring is the only revolution in this world, which is well-deserved to be accepted seriously, the only one, which at least always has a success”. Fyodor Tyutchev, Russian poet

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Politics

WHY RUSSIA SUPPORTS THE BRUTAL SYRIAN REGIME By Mark Hollingsworth RUSSIA HAS REFUSED TO SUPPORT INTERNATIONAL SANCTIONS AGAINST SYRIA DESPITE PRESIDENT ASSAD’S BRUTAL REPRESSION AND KILLING OF HIS OWN CITIZENS. THE KREMLIN HAS ALSO COMPLAINED OF BIAS BY THE WESTERN MEDIA AGAINST THE ASSAD REGIME. SO WHY DOES RUSSIA DECLINE TO INTERVENE IN SYRIA AND IN EFFECT PROP UP SUCH A GOVERNMENT?

by two Israeli private security consultants, = > @ ! * to Syria are worth $4 " ! jets and advanced * business investments ! * ! and tourism amount to nearly $20 billion�, they told the New York Times @& ! about 200 kilometres J * " constructed by the ! * LQ

" !

the major supplier of weapons to Syria. In ##$ supply Syria with 24 % which are expected to be delivered later this year. Since 2006, the & ' * other arms suppliers;

!! Stockholm International + ! ! / 3 /+ /5 /

that the reason the Putin * back the West’s proposals is hard cash: Syria is In May 2010, President " Dmitry Medvedev visited Damascus, the weapons. Historically, historic capital of Syria. the two countries have It was a momentous always been close. Until event, because he was recently, Syria had a state-owned economy and to do so since the 1917 '

" ! ! a diplomatic mission or a social or educational visit. It has only been in the past few years that Syria For shortly afterwards has privatised some it was announced that of its state assets and embraced the market economy. truck-mounted Pantsir ! The view that missiles and anti-aircraft " !< artillery systems. ! * because of lucrative This was not an arms deals is backed unusual contract

The UK has been in the forefront of ! ! ' ! treatment of democratic protesters and yet has not allowed its trade with that country to dictate its policy. &!! V X ** Z ! statistics, the UK is a [ * < Syria (after Italy, France,

& " / \5 3 ' major imports are from X ] 5 &!! X/& major importers to Syria include Saudi Arabia 6

3^^ _5 X 3^# ^_5 % < 3$ `_5 q&] 3{ {_5 / 3{ {_5 However, there could be other reasons for ' President Assad – a suspicion and distrust of | ! in the Middle East. &!! >* Trenin, an analyst at the X ! X ' ! * based on its conservatism and suspicion of Western expansionism than commercial factors: “Russia’s stance on Syria is often explained in terms of Syria’s importance to Moscow. It is true that Syria is positioned in the strategic heart of the Middle East, and that Moscow’s links to the Assad family go back four decades. “None of this, however, should be exaggerated. Syria is not an ally; Tartus is a naval resupply facility rather than a naval base; and the total value of Russia’s arms trade with Syria during the previous decade amounted to around $1.5 billion, which makes

Politics

ambitions are also playing a role. What the Russians are most worried about, however, is that Israel may strike at Iran, dragging in the United States and thus precipitating a major war with Iran sometime this year.

" # % &# # #' * "* ## /# < = " ' # %# = "&# &# <>## / % <

Damascus Moscow’s seventh-largest client�. To understand Moscow’s attitude to Syria, and the sources of its disagreement with the West and a number of Arab states, one has to take a broader view, say foreign policy analysts. Last year, Russia abstained in the Security Council on the Libya ~ L allowing the resolution to pass. Soon what was billed as protection of innocent civilians from

* ! L turned into NATO’s offshore war against the Libyan government, ! in the overthrow of the * killing of the dictator along with many of his supporters and probably a number of civilians. That NATO’s military actions went way beyond the terms of the U.N. resolution did not seem to bother Western governments.

to interfere in other countries’ civil wars can only make things worse. The Putin-Medvedev axis appreciate that the United States and other Western powers would only intervene militarily ! L losses themselves, as in Libya. Syria, however, * ! ! Arming the Free Syria Army and providing it with intelligence will not be enough to prevail over Assad’s forces. A prospect of a wider war with Arab and Turkish participation * L ! a war could only make ! of a more serious drama. Russians suspect that the real reason for the West’s pressure on Damascus is to rob Tehran of its only ally in the region. Behind the activity of the Gulf States, particularly Qatar, in the Syrian issue Moscow sees the ~ ! of Saudi Arabia, Iran’s bitter rival in the region. Turkey’s “neo-Ottoman�

According to Trenin: “The Russian government is openly conservative; it abhors revolutions. This, however, is more than a self-serving ideological stance. When the Kremlin looks at the Arab Awakening, they see democratisation leading directly to Islamicisation. “If the West’s historical analogy is Europe’s 1848 or 1989, theirs is Russia’s 1917. They cite recent election results in Tunisia and especially Egypt. They point out is chaotic, with a lot of the former regime’s into unsavoury hands. In their view, Syria’s uprising could have even worse consequences in terms of sectarian violence and the potential to affect the country’s neighbours, particularly The Kremlin are fearful and hostile to any revolutions, but attempts 7

Trenin argues that Russian policy makers may have a point when they discuss other people’s policies. They need, however, to step back and look at their own. He told the New York Times last month: “Delivering arms into a country going through civil war is damaging, both politically and morally. Confronting both America and Europe, even if Western policies are misguided, is clearly at odds with Russia’s wider interests. Telling Qatar to shut up is not merely undiplomatic, but unwise. And openly quarrelling with Turkey and Saudi Arabia has to be avoided�. Having lost $4 billion in Libyan arms and other contracts and facing the prospect of losing an equal amount in potential Syrian trade, Moscow argues that it has no other choice but to take a hard line. But when ordinary Syrian ! L * ! ! protesters are being shot down by government forces, it will be a tragedy if, at the end of the day, this policy prevails. Is the blood of the Syrian people worth spilling for the sake of the lucrative arms trade?

Business

RUSSIAN BUSINESS WEEK 2012: RUSSIAN BUSINESS WEEK, A CONFERENCE THAT IS HELD EVERY FEBRUARY IN LONDON, SUMMONS POLITICIANS, BUSINESSMEN AND ACADEMICS TO TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC CLIMATE IN RUSSIA. GIVEN THE TURBULENT SITUATION IN RUSSIA AFTER THE DECEMBER PARLIAMENTARY ELECTIONS AND IN ANTICIPATION OF THE PRESIDENTIAL ELECTIONS IN MARCH, THIS YEAR’S 5TH CONFERENCE – COULDN’T BE TIMELIER.

Stephen Dalziel, Executive Director of Russo-British Chamber of Commerce, debated the prospects and challenges of business cooperation between the two countries. One of the major issues is a conservative perception of the Russian market – the so-called “hangover from the 1990s” in the British media. Looking back to the mid-1990s is often an obstacle to seeing opportunities. However, Mr Danziel mentioned that studying that time is essential to understanding the current state of things.

Sergey Sinkevich, Vice-President of MICEX-RTS, claimed that the stock exchange has strong ambition to get into the global top-5. Attracting foreign investors is more a matter of infrastructure than international PR. Being the largest in Eastern and Central Europe, the Russian stock exchange has yet to complete the strategic programme on bringing business practices in line with international standards, as well as becoming an attractive IPO/SPO venue. Mr Sinkevich also mentioned domestic institutional demand as a powerful source of capital: at the moment 84.4% of pension funds assets are concentrated in low-yield bonds due to regulatory limitations and less than 0.7% of local pension funds are invested in equities. MICEX is actively involved in development of new legislation which would stimulate institutional investment into the equity market. Along with legislation, it is also essential to work on improving the exchange’s infrastructure to expand the investor base and make successful IPO/SPOs of Russian companies in the local market. 8

ALEXANDER SIDUKOV, PRESIDENT LSE RUSSIAN BUSINESS SOCIETY

Erik Berglof, Chief Economist of EBRD, expanded on key obstacles to doing business with Russia (and ways to overcome them) in his speech on the Eurozone crisis. Along with tax rates and access to ! obstacles according to EBRD research ! workforce skills: what universities teach is not always what the market demands. Skills constraints ~ ! ! recovery. Despite certain challenges, success is a lowhanging fruit: many CIS countries can stimulate rapid expansion if they manage to implement basic reforms.

ROUND UP

Neil Mackinnon, Global Macro Strategist of VTB Capital noted that “Russia has done more good to its image by hosting the World Cup 2018�. He also mentioned that Russia cannot be referred to as an emerging economy anymore – it is beyond that phase. In 2001 Jim O’Neill (Chairman of Goldman Sachs Asset Management) coined the acronym BRIC; now a group ! 8 also includes Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea, and Mexico, along with Brazil, Russia, India and China. The Growth 8 will be driving world GDP.

Oleg Preksin, Vice-President of Association of Russian Banks, was one of the major speakers of Russian Business Week, covering numerous issues and concentrating on evolution of the monetary system, mentioning an idea of “new OPEC� – an organisation of foreign currency holders that could ensure more responsible macroeconomic policy and help to avoid market oversensitivity. 9

Business

Shamil Yenikeyeff, Oxford Institute for Energy Studies revealed some research results regarding oil and gas prospects in 2012-2015 and emphasised the importance of tax breaks for oil and gas production in East Siberia and the Arctic. Danny Corrigan (Managing director of Rouble business at ICAP) analysed the process of Moscow becoming an ! ! The conference was wrapped up with the presentation of Yuri Kotler, Head of Personnel Reserve Project of “United Russia�, on the methods and practice of shaping the national talent pool.

Opinion

RUSSIANS AND HOUSES. ALL PROPERTY IS THEFT. by Richard Bloss who looks at Russians’ obsession with property There's a girl I know who lives in a small village that I can't pronounce, just alongside the 4 lane highway that on a good day speeds you out of Kyiv towards Borispol airport. It's not her that interests me. It's actually her Mum and Dad. They live in a small detached house with two bedrooms, in one of the bedrooms they keep chickens. They grow potatoes in their garden, which they sell at the local market. Buy and sell. Sell and buy. The father repairs cars that happen to break down on the motorway near where they live. There are quite a few of those. I am not entirely sure I would want the Father to service my Volvo. His own Lada turns to the right whenever you turn the wheel to the left... They have been doing this for quite some time, and nothing has changed all the time I have known them. Now, if this was England, they would be in socio economic group D. No money and no aspiration. What little they have would be spent in booze or cigarettes. You can buy Gartner studies on all this stuff. And that is the interesting point: Because Mum and Dad in fact own their house. They have no debt. And whats more, they make * " " ~ their daughter. When their daughter gets married, if things don't work out (as they frequently do), then the daughter will have a place to live and look after the small son that by that time she will have. If you take just a small moment to look at the internet, every Ukrainian girl in her twenties has a small son somewhere; I have no idea where the father has gone - well actually I do, he is in the local bar, but well, they don't talk any more, it was ! < So now we get to the interesting bit. In the garden, next to where Mum and Dad grow vegetables is where they will build their swimming pool.

10

That is my point. Mum and Dad are not socio economic anything. They are upwardly mobile middle class without knowing it. So to those people who say that "there is no middle class in Russia", are missing the point. Everybody is middle class in Russia; its just that they haven't realised it yet; it's not a matter of aspiration. Everyone has the same aspiration; it's simply that some people have more money than others. Which explains why, in London, Russians have now overtaken Arabs and bankers, as the group that buys the highest value houses. Instead of chickens in bedrooms, people now have cinemas. And instead of next to the vegetables, the pool is in the basement. All this is very good, as far as it goes - until we look over the hedge and see that our neighbours have got a slightly bigger car in the drive or bigger pool in the basement - than we have. And this is where is starts to go horribly wrong for those of you in London, because - where do you go now? Short of buying up Windsor Castle, at some point there has to be a realisation that it really does not make any difference to your "happiness factor" whether you " * [ Or maybe it does. Maybe its a sign of pride, of achievement and I can understand that, probably I am jealous. My own neighbours are constant

* ! Rover’s tank with diesel is bigger than the UKs national debt. But then again, sometimes to appreciate what we have, we need to go back to basics. Take a step back and focus on human relationships. I am going to phone up the Daughter. I think she needs a babysitter for the weekend. I'll tell her that you are free!

Opinion

11

Culture

CITIZEN POET AND CITIZEN HEDONIST

Photo by Konstantin Pinaev, moscowlondon.livejournal.com

RM: What is the demographic of those who have purchased the tickets for Citizen Poet in London? And how many people are coming from abroad?

EVERY ERA IS REFLECTED IN ART AND CITIZEN POET IS A DISTINCTIVE EXAMPLE OF A MULTIMEDIA ART PROJECT OF CONTEMPORARY RUSSIA. THE SATIRICAL PROJECT WILL CLOSE ON 5TH MARCH 2012. DMITRY BYKOV WILL KEEP WRITING POEMS, MIKHAIL EFREMOV WILL BE COMING ON STAGE, ANDREY VASILIEV WILL REMAIN A CREATIVE PRODUCER – BUT THE PROJECT THAT BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER WILL ONLY BE AVAILABLE ON VIDEO.

Evgeny Chichvarkin, the sponsor and organiser of the London tour of Citizen Poet and his colleague, Tatiana Fokina, managing director of Hedonism | ‘ ! the event, commented on the infrastructure and broader context for the concerts. The event is obviously loss-making, as the investment was made as an act of individual political position, although with a consolation prize – an opportunity to promote the new enterprise, Hedonism Wines boutique (to be opened in September).

Two concerts in London are taking place on 2nd and 3rd March. % ! Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, with 600 seats and tickets priced at ÂŁ165-ÂŁ275, including Louis Roederer champagne and canapĂŠ reception. The concert on 3rd is more democratic, prices from ÂŁ27-ÂŁ110, takes place at Central Hall Westminster Methodist Church.

“OUR TARGET AUDIENCE IS PEOPLE WITH WELL-DEVELOPED SENSES. AND THIS INCLUDES THE SIXTH SENSE, OF COURSE. THIS IS RELEVANT FOR BOTH CITIZEN POET PROJECT AND EC: I strongly recommend HEDONISM WINES�. including “The Last Days of 12

EC: At least 100 people are ! * * ! ! ! for this show. Moreover, dozens are coming from Belguim, Germany, France‌ The Moscow shows are long sold out, so this is the last chance to enjoy Citizen Poet live. TF: Many guests were inspired by our idea of the “Russian Cultural Weekend in Londonâ€? on 2nd -4th March. The concentration of major Russia-related events is unprecedented: Citizen Poet shows on 2nd and 3rd; Evgeny Kissin’s concert on 2nd; Russian Ballet Icons at the London Coliseum on 4th and, of course, the Presidential elections on 4th.

Culture

Mubarak� at Foto8 into your programme, it’s like a time machine. RM: How are the tickets selling? TF: We’ve been constantly on the phone since the show dates were announced. And Evgeny is delivering the tickets for 2nd March himself! EC: By the way, I offered 2 really good tickets for free to Kristina + ! < * ! of the Nashi youth movement. She refused, and I sold these to society columnist Bozhena Rynska. To my mind, it’s a great bargain!

TF: I’ve got a feeling that Evgeny can change his mind – his citizenship and creativity will take over this decision. EC: I’m planning to be hard at work on my wine business – no distractions from this until all of the Fortune-500 become our loyal customers. RM: Are you planning to target Londoners of Russian and CIS origin with you wine shop? EC: Not at all, we are targeting global hedonists – origin does not matter. RM: Do you miss Russia?

RM: Are you well-integrated into the Russian community in London? EC: Well, now I am! Promoting Citizen Poet in 2 weeks made me more integrated than I ever was in the 3 years I’ve been in London. The community is immense and growing – I think it’s time for street signs in Kensington to be duplicated in Russian! RM: Are you planning any political actions after Citizen Poet? EC: No freaking way!

EC: Well, in a way. I’d rather say I miss the idealistic image of Russia that emigrants have in their minds. Like in illustrations to Russian fairytales by Ivan Bilibin that he created living in Paris after the Revolution of 1917. RM: What’s your opinion of the “creative class� in contemporary Russia, do you think this is a considerable driving force in society? EC: It certainly is, although I’m pretty sure that many of them would choose to emigrate.

13

RM: Why did you choose a wine business? EC: This is where all my passions converge: retail chains, luxury retail, drinking wine. I just love the way luxury retail shops are made, being inside one makes me feel better. I used to come to the Vertu boutique I owned in Moscow and talk to shop assistants, listen to the funny stories about whimsical rich customers. Satisfying them is hard, but then more people come on their recommendation. These ! *

! * in advance, just in case, but they become very loyal if they are pleased with purchases and service. Hedonism Wines is going to be the best wine retail ever, I’m sure! ONE OF THE MOST FLAMBOYANT OF THE NEW GENERATION OF RUSSIAN BUSINESSMEN, IN 1997 EVGENY CHICHVARKIN FOUNDED MOBILE PHONES RETAIL CHAIN EUROSET WITH CHILDHOOD FRIEND TIMUR ARTEMYEV. IN 2008 EVGENY EMIGRATED TO THE UK AND IS AT THE MOMENT INVESTING IN WINE AND PREPARING TO OPEN HEDONISM WINE SHOP IN SEPTEMBER 2012.

During the heyday of Russian rock, the band “Nogu Svelo” (Eng: “Cramp in the Leg”) stood out among its peers. These guys were singing songs, more commonly associated with humour and parody. Nevertheless, the use of invented language in their early albums or with Englishlike phrases, such as “She drew me away and locked the door, My girl doesn’t love me anymore, I didn’t say anything but in my head, I had a plan to make them dead”, still remain a hallmark of their unique style. RussianMind talked to Maxim Pokrovsky, the founder and selfperpetuating front man of the band, who shared his thoughts about his longevity in showbiz, his contemporary popularity and his plans for the future:

Person

RM: You established the rock band “Nogu Svelo” 23 years ago. What is the secret of your longevity in showbiz? MP: I don’t have a hit formula. I cannot write in a set time on an assigned topic. We don’t work on any special plan. The work, especially the creative one, is rather spontaneous. At times we are very productive at others we’re very unproductive. Respectively, it guarantees an absolute naturalness of our product. Secondly, I never knew how to deal with the business side of

MUSICIAN MAXIM POKROVSKY:

LIFE ON THE MOVE by Olga Kudriavtseva

14

the question however I was always managing that part. It means that the band never had a normal producer, who would do this function in full. On one hand it has always disrupted, because the work wasn’t conducted as it should be. Conversely, it has been and still remains the key to our ultimate independence. In other words, I don’t belong to anyone. I have no boss, no working day. I can do whatever I want, but at the same time I need to realise that it is my responsibility to sort out all the consequences of my actions. It is not ideal, but simply the way we live.

Person

RM: In Russia there are no analogues of what your band does. What foreign artist would you compare yourselves with? MP: If I start comparing, I will name a top artist and that’s immodest. My energy, I can compare with Madonna’s, my frolic with Moby’s and my craving to something snappy, which is not always clear and often stays inside, I would compare with Bowie. What a trice I gave you? (Laughs)

power helps me. I have a lot of inspiration, which is given to me, * by the audience. It is a prejudice to think that the audience takes that power away. RM: How is it these days in Russian show business? What are the guarantees of popularity? MP: The guarantee of attractiveness in pop music is probably hips, boobs, good arrangement and a certain set of stupid phrases! In rock music everything is easier, you just need to have a special accent, the one when you swallow vowels and emphasise consonants. And songs

RM: 20 Years on the stage. Where do you get your ideas and inspiration? MP: I don’t know where I get my ideas from. They come to me from somewhere. Probably, somebody or maybe some kind of 15

should be about any kind of shit, like war or cigarettes. Not positive.

Person

RM: So it appears that there is no qualitative music in Russia? MP: Almost none. RM: How do you understand the meaning “qualitative music”? MP: Where are we now? RM: At a recording studio in London. MP: That is the answer to your question. RM: You recorded a song for the Sochi Olympics 2014. Was this project interesting for you or was it a commercial order? MP: The song is called “Team Russia” and it is an anthem of our fans. I can’t say it was an order. Two old friends of mine Sergei Kolushev and Anton Zakharov (editor’s note: both are successful entrepreneurs in the UK) participated in generating this idea. It turns out that my friends were pulling for me and I wrote the song. (Smiling) RM: Did you like MP: I like my product. Although, again it is immodest to say so. Another question is that now we have only one orchestration, which is, in my opinion, a good one, but still it was made in haste. I would like to have more orchestration 16

variants and make a club version to be played in Russian night clubs. It will be very ! * that, because the song is imbued with our PostSoviet tone. But still I will be torturing someone to do it.

Person

RM: Apart from being a famous musician, you have starred in movies and TV series. What kind of art is your focus now? MP: I would like to try my hand at music. My life is a constant bustle, constant work for the future, permanently on the go, I’m on my knee. At some point in my life I would like to arrange everything around me very professionally. I mean people whom I work with, atmosphere, situation, area, market I work for. Turn everything into the direction I need, stop doing occasions and deal only with the music.

RM: What are you going to dedicate yourself to now? MP: I really want the band “Nogy Svelo� to start working in two planes. First is standard “Nogy Svelo� with tracks and experience I brought in. Second is a DJ project. I seriously want to turn the music of the band somewhere. Don’t ask me what is the exact direction, as I am moving by feel. But still, I want to keep the style of the band, adding a DJ component. We are not distancing from our project, we are changing it creatively from the inside. That’s what I plan to stick together, preferable before the Summer Olympics in London. Photographer: Maxim Sudorgin

RM: Is that your plan for the near future or an aspirational dream? MP: It is both, dream and a plan, but I do not think for the near future. I don’t think something is going to change globally in the next two-three months. It will take me a few years to try my luck, and my chances for this luck are not too high. But they are higher than zero and that’s what I am happy about. 17

Art

GAGARIN, 2011

PAINTER ALEKSEY CHIZOV: MANIFESTO OF SELF-GROWTH by Olga Kudriavtseva ALEKSEY CHIZHOV, ONE OF RUSSIA’S FINEST EMERGING ARTISTS, PRESENTS HIS NEW COLLECTION OF PAINTINGS “LES PARADIS NATURELS� IN ERARTA GALLERIES LONDON. IN HIS PAINTINGS, CHIZHOV USES THE SYMBOL OF POPPIES AS A METAPHORICAL ESCAMOTAGE TO ENCAPSULATE THE STRUGGLE EVIDENT IN OUR SOCIETY – WHETHER TO RUN AWAY AND HIDE FROM ONE’S PROBLEMS, OR TO FACE THEM. “LES PARADIS NATURELS� (NATURAL PARADISES) WAS CHOSEN AS THE TITLE FOR ALEKSEY CHIZHOV’S EXHIBITION, AS HIS WORK IS A TRUE MANIFESTO INVITING US TO PURSUE AN EMOTIONAL AND COGNITIVE JOURNEY OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT. WITH THE EXHIBITION APPROACHING, RUSSIANMIND TALKED TO ALEXEY CHIZHOV ABOUT HIS INSIGHT OF THE WORLD:

RM: What character traits are necessary to establish yourself as an artist? Is it about you working hard? Or about a birth given talent? AC: I think the most important thing is desire. It is the strength and extent of an individual’s desire ! you want to become. For a classical artist like me the drawing/ illustration is needed. It is a fundamental skill, which you have to make perfect, as it develops the ! ! ! ~ [ your artistic eye. RM: When did you gain general acceptance? AC: It seems to me that it is too early to talk about general recognition. RM: In your illustrations you use the symbol of opium as a metaphor of society “painful spots�. Could you tell us more about that? 18

AC: Obviously, the image of the notched poppy emphasises one of society’s sores. In the meantime, it represents my ! * * % ~ grew in my grandmother’s garden in the North Caucasus. It was a Christmas poppy. Many people were cultivating it for religious purposes, for instance, to sanctify it in church on the Saviour Day. I was drawing it often in my childhood. Suddenly, someone knocked on our door, begged to sell the bushes and tucked money into our pockets. They were drug addicts. Since then, my grandmother has not sowed it. On the one hand, it was a funny and a partly terrifying situation. On the other, it was a sad incident and it is even possible to talk here about the substitution of sacral functions. RM: With the help of your illustrations, you call society to the emotional development and growth. Do you think our modern society is emotionally poor?

Art

POPPY 2011

AC: I believe that any art can bring a sensual and emotional perception to society in one way or another. I hope my art also contributes somehow to this. I have a suspicion that this sensual

unspeakable residue in paintings or sculptures is the quintessence of art or percept, according to Deleuze. Talking about modern society, I do not think it is devoid of emotions. I suggest that it

“ORPHEUS AND EURYDICE�, 2011

19

is emotionally rougher. That is why, it is necessary to pay more attention to the paintings as art is Q [ \ [ photography, and therefore, can bring out more complex feelings.

Art

DIOGENES, 2007

RM: There are symbols of Greek mythology in your works. Does antiquity inspire you? AC: Yes, a lot. During my student years Plato’s dialogue called The Feast, which describes the incarnation of Eros as the organising principle of the universe from his lowest manifestations to the highest, really impressed me. The Ancient Greek myths that I read in my childhood, Ovid’s Metamorphoses I read later and my favourite poet Brodsky - all turned to antiquity, and here Freud’s reception should be also stressed. It is only literature. However, it is also worth mentioning the classic art, which I had absorbed in my

RUSSIAN DREAM, 2010

childhood while wandering in the halls of the Hermitage. It is an experience, which you cannot forget and discard. As for the Renaissance epoch, all European art made their start from it and no radical modernist trends can strike through it. In fact, it is an ideal of Freud. At the same time, an interesting example of a contrary dialogue is the recent Gormley exhibition at the Hermitage. RM: And where do you derive ideas for your paintings? AC: Ideas come by themselves. I do not draw them and do not keep track of them, they just capture me. I can say that I have lots of sources for my ideas. 20

RM: What are you planning to devote yourself to in the near future? AC: I usually work on several paintings at the same time. All of them replace each other perfectly .There is a small project with the installation, but it is too early to talk about it. In general, I do not think about the projects in general. For me, a picture is a separate project, which is the most valuable thing. So, I will continue to work in this direction. “Les Paradis Naturels” exhibition takes place from 24 February to 5 April at Erarta Galleries. Address: 8 Berkeley Street, London W1J 8DN erartagalleries.com

Cinema

A

major genre of Soviet cinema was that of ! ! ! both popular with the " ! !

respectable to the critics. Z < * “ & ' cinema in the 1920s = < + L ' Aelita 3^ ”5 * " ! ~ masses there in a popular revolution (together costumes). NIGHT WATCH (2004)

! ! ! " \ ' ! " " • J ! ! ! " struggle between the &* ! an alien force intent on V “ ' “X ** '

“ < < ' not so much out of fear ~

! * ! ! " * Professor Dowell 3^ ™” nuclear rockets from the š < 5 X ** ] ! < One of the more ! ! < interesting features of " * < J ! ! ! ! ! was the inversion of the with sinister commercial | 3 • | 5 * ! / › !< * ! plans for their own gain. The Amphibian Man 3^ `^ Space exploration as – L < — * ! [ X " 5 The Silence of Dr Ivens 3^ $˜ ! — < ' * ' < 5 * ^ $#

The Testament of

RUSSIAN FILM FROM SOVIET SCI-FI TO MODERN FANTASY

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by David Gillespie with primitive special ! * teen market. MoscowCassiopeia 3^ $˜5 Teenagers in the Universe 3^ $”5 ~ into outer space to bring * › ! ! L as well as revive the * give their salutes to \

š '

* % environmental theme ! Per

Aspera Ad Astra 3^ ™#5 ! " astronauts here helping ! " ! ! ! ! " ! without mention of & % < < œ * ! ! *" ! Solaris (1972) ! concept of contact with

With the collapse of the Soviet Union, and with it * industry, in the early ^ # ! ! ! became a forgotten genre as other more urgent subjects – historical injustice, gangsterism, social deprivation – came to the fore. The 1990s was a troubled ! * but since the turn of the millennium a new ! ! *

* “ ' cultural genre: fantasy.

There is at the heart * 3

Twilight Watch, is yet to be made and as time passes it is unlikely to be) a peculiarly Russian notion of the existence of a band of individuals whose purpose is to protect mankind from the forces of darkness. In Soviet Russia this would have been the KGB, and in the Watches it is the ‘others’ who maintain the fragile balance between light and dark.

Before we leave * * * late Soviet – and early perestroika – period: Konstantin Lopushanky’s Letters from a Dead Man (1986). It offers a bleak, despairing picture of mankind struggling to survive in the aftermath of a nuclear catastrophe in the near future, as one man writes letters to a son he will never see. % * ! " " hindsight, on two levels: of the Soviet embrace of science, whose abuse has not improved life on earth but destroyed it; and, secondly, as * ! ! * * ! * !

With big budgets and special effects to * ! * ! Timur Bekmambetov’s Night Watch (2004) and its sequel Day Watch 3 ##`5 " ! * post-Soviet blockbusters of Russian cinema, complete with advertising campaigns and product placement of which Hollywood moguls would be proud. With their updating of the vampire * * ! * * that Western genres could be adapted, transformed and even surpassed by their own home-grown * * < 3 quite, as Bekmambetov is Kazakh by birth).

Other special-effects driven blockbusters have followed, not least Fedor Bondarchuk’s The Inhabited Island (Part 1: 2008, Part 2: 2009). Like Tarkovsky’s Stalker, it is based on a novel by the Strugatsky Brothers, which can similarly be seen as an allegory of the struggle between good and evil in a totalitarian state and also includes a group of individuals with special powers. The Inhabited Island is set in the year 2157; Nikolai Lebedev’s Wolfhound (2006) is set in pagan times, probably before Kievan Rus (‘in the times when gods lived among mortals and mortals

AELITA (1924)

THE AMPHIBIAN MAN (1961)

other worlds as a cipher for the exploration of our own humanity, our own connections to those around us and notions of ‘home’ and ‘belonging’. In Stalker (1979) Tarkovsky muses on the irrelevance of faith in a materialistic society as a result of an alien visitation to earth, and posits a desperate, almost nihilistic picture of man’s future in a desolate, irredeemably polluted industrial landscape.

THE TESTAMENT OF PROFESSOR DOWELL (1984) 23

tried to be the equal to gods’). Cinema It was billed as “ ! *' " * ‘our answer to Lord of the Rings’. But as it tells of a boy forced to watch the execution of his parents by barbarians, who then vows revenge on < * more in common with the Conan the Barbarian franchise, and certainly *' violent and gruesome excesses. One should not forget that the post-Soviet * < “ ' * is also based on the popularity of Russian ‘fentezi’ literature, as can be seen to a visit to any Russian bookshop. So it is no surprise that the * " <* *" Bondarchuk and Lebedev are all based on literary best-sellers. Western, especially Hollywood, models are obvious fore ~ ! * " are based on, and aim to express, a particularly Russian view of the world and Russia’s place in it.

THE INHABITED ISLAND (2008)

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T

he Russian Ballet Icons Gala 2012, a grand evening dedicated to Anna Pavlova is to be held at the London Coliseum on 4th March. Part of the Russian Ballet Icons series, this event opens the Pavlova 2012 Festival, marking the centenary of the ballerina, who make her home in London at Ivy House, which has now become a place of pilgrimage for ballet lovers. Born on 31st January 1881 in St. Petersburg Anna Pavlova was accepted into the Imperial Ballet School in 1891 at the tender age of ten and on graduating performed at the Mariinsky Theatre. Her performances were met with great acclaim and another tour followed in 1908. In 1909 the impresario Sergei Diaghilev staged a historic season of Russian ballet in Paris, where Anna Pavlova appeared " ~ ! * London. In 1914 she was travelling through Germany on her way to England when Germany declared war on Russia and her connection to her Motherland was for all intents broken. For the rest of her life she kept a home in London, which is today known as Anna Pavlova House.

RUSSIAN BALLET ICONS GALA:

ANNA PAVLOVA

The evening in her honour gives a unique opportunity to see several pieces from Pavlova’s repertoire such as Paquita, The Pharoah’s Daughter, Le Roi Candaule, Giselle, La BayadÊre, Sleeping Beauty, Marcobomba and includes the rarely performed pieces Egyptian Nights and Dragon Flight, which have been restored especially for this gala, together with contemporary dedications to this great icon of ballet. Dancers from the world’s leading companies including the Bolshoi and Mariinsky theatres, the Royal Ballet, the English National Ballet, the Grand Paris Ballet, the Berlin and the Bavarian Staatsoper, American Ballet Theatre and Milan's La Scala will participate in the festival dedicated to this icon of the ballet stage. Date: 4 March Address: London Coliseum, St. Martin's Lane, London WC2N 4ES Additional info: ensembleproductions.co.uk, eno.org 24

Style

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Guide

" # 17 March

British Music Experience 9 March 2012 – 9 March 2014

Britain's biggest beer festival once again brings together a wide range of real ales, ciders, perries and international beers for you to sample. There's plenty to occupy you at the festival, you can play on some traditional pub games, enjoy live music, sample food, including good pub snacks, and also attend tutored beer tastings.

This new, permanent attraction on the top ~ % Z ! a music memorabilia exhibition featuring David Bowie's Ziggy Stardust costume and Noel Gallagher's Union Jack guitar. The main focus, however, is the interactive exhibits such as downloading archive music and trying your hand at guitar tutorials in the Gibson Interactive Studio, presented by artists such as The Magic Numbers and KT Tunstall. Workshops, lectures and concerts are also part of the experience.

Tickets: ÂŁ3 Address: Earls Court Exhibition Centre, Warwick Rd, London SW5 9TA Contacts: 01727 867 201 camranorthlondon.org.uk

Tickets: ÂŁ12, ÂŁ8 concs, ÂŁ6 children Address: % Z Peninsula Square, SE10 0DX Contacts: 020 8463 2000 britishmusicexperience.com

Great British Beer Festival 7-9 March

15 March

Set to be one of London's liveliest celebrations of the ž * * ! * year, over 100,000 than just a name for people attended last those who love modern year's event. The * ! ž * parade, featuring a an exquisite quality when ! ~ it comes to music and marching bands and performance; it makes groups representing for the trademark soulful the Irish Counties, will proceed through ! / ~ ! central London from ž * ' Green Park to Trafalgar personality, her great Square starting at 12 talent as an artist, poet noon. Trafalgar Square and composer. This will be a special event. This will host the festival will not be merely a programme of live Irish promotional tour concert. music and dance on the main performance ž * ! her all time most popular stage, showcasing the and beloved songs - a best of Irish music and somewhat retrospective dance from traditional to ž * Â&#x; ! contemporary. biography before the new album is out. Tickets: Free Time: 12.00 – 18:00 Tickets: ÂŁ32.50 – ÂŁ47.50 Address: London, Address: HMV Forum, Trafalgar Square, City 9-17 Highgate Road, of Westminster, London WC2 London NW5 1JY Contacts: 020 7983 4100 Contacts: londonstpatricksday.org.uk ticketmaster.com 26

Guide

Chelsea Antiques Fair 21-25 March

Sting. “Back to Bassâ€? Tour 20 March A far more intimate venue than he's played in a long time, Sting's “Back To Bassâ€? tour seems to ~ return to Police songs without the burden of dealing with the other two on the tour bus. Back on a standard bass guitar, rather than a lute or some such medieval plays. Sting is famed for 'going long' so settle in for a long night of hits. Tickets: ÂŁ51.50-ÂŁ76.50 Address: Hammersmith Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline St, London W6 9QH Contacts: 0844 844 4748 hammersmithapollo.net

Designs of the Year 2012 Until 15 July Lucian Freud Portraits Until 27 May

Leading specialist antique dealers from across Britain offer antiques valued at more than ÂŁ5million at this popular 'boutique fair', now London's longest running antiques event. More than thirty dealers take part, offering a wide range of high quality exhibits with prices from less than ÂŁ100 to more than ÂŁ20,000, and everything is checked for quality and authenticity. Specialist displays feature town and country furniture, ceramics, oil and watercolour paintings, ! silver, glass, antiquities, Persian rugs, Art Deco * jewellery.

A portrait by Lucian Freud matures and grows as much as it is painted. Not only did the reclusive artist spend many hours transferring each sitter's personality and likeness to canvas, he built up the surfaces of his pictures until they take on a life of their own, erupting into nodules and pustules like fungi or real faces. This show brings together Freud's friends, lovers and other 'people in my life', while also exploring his stylistic development from postwar surrealist to Britain's greatest Tickets: ÂŁ14 Address: National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London WC2H 0HE Contacts: 020 7306 0055 npg.org.uk

Tickets: ÂŁ5 Address: Old Town Hall, Kings Road, London SW3 5EE Contacts: 01825 744074 penman-fairs.co.uk 27

Annual exhibition and awards celebration of the most innovative designs from the past year. A shortlist of 100 designs in seven categories architecture, graphics, fashion, product, furniture, interactive and transport - is on show. Nominations include Sarah Burton's Alexander McQueen wedding dress for Kate Middleton (a piece of lace, rather than the whole dress, is on show here), the Olympic Torch for London 2012 and the Olympic Velodrome, a wind-propelled landmine detonator and the popup cinema Folly for a Flyover. Tickets: ÂŁ11, ÂŁ10 concs, ÂŁ7 students. Address: Design Museum, 28 Butlers Wharf, Shad Thames, London SE1 2YD Contacts: 0870 833 9955 designmuseum.org

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\ ^ [ _ air, coastal line strewn with ^ [ Q ^ ` unmistakable signs of the Russian Far # _ Q { \ [ ^ ^ Q [ ^ { % ^ _ # | & \ } [ ~ ^ & Q Q [ # Olga Lesyk ~ \ ` Q \ % ` " &># *# # " &># # ‘If you want to see Russia’s Far East’, says Ekaterina Kozyreva, my exUni mate now living in St Petersburg, ‘I suggest you add my hometown – | | - to the list of betterknown Far East cities of Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. The town is only 85 km away from Vladik and is the southernmost point, on the Sea of Japan. Go in summer, especially if you are keen on wild camping. This land offers all the hard-core traveller would appreciate: maiden forests, wild beaches, bald peaks soaring in mid-air, unearthly sunsets – It was designed for the purposes of meditation, as long as you don’t mind the ever-squawking seagulls. & € is a popular landmark. The water is always cold, being the open sea. But the sand is so clean it makes a screeching sound similar to that of skiing on the fresh snow. There are many children’s camps around. As a kid, I once stayed at Otrada sporting camp and we would be taken on tours of the local bays. One was called the Bay of Love – after the funny heartshaped pebbles often found there’.

by Olga Lesyk

THE BEAUTY AND PERILS OF THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST

AT WORLD’S END:

Travel

Another University friend of mine, Nataly Lesina, gives a more critical opinion (working in the tourism and hospitality industry herself, only at the other end of Russia – in St Petersburg). ‘I wouldn’t recommend | | , unless you visit in mid-August or early September. There is nothing there to look at but the Sea. No proper entertainment. There is a nice bar -  ‚ ‚ ` } (The Cat and the Clover) but its location and service leave a lot to be desired. Safety

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Travel

wise, the whole town is a mini-Harlem, if I may use this comparison. As for clubs, I would go for Tsunami Club and Bowling. But best night life is surely in Vladivostok (3 hours by bus; average entry fee of 300 Rub or ÂŁ7). In short, Nakhodka is not tourist-friendly. Hotels are 2-3* max, and with no ! " " < ! Transport links are irregular, and there is no direct airport-downtown shuttle bus. Welcome to the harsh realities of Russia’s deepest Province’. EVEN FURTHER AT SEA The Kamchatka Peninsula... The land of geysers, acting volcanoes, top-quality salmon and fur. Its overwhelming character and appearance inspired a Russian historical novelist Valentin Pikul to write his epic work ‘Bogatstvo’, (Riches, 1978) - a story of this Land and its People before and during the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). To my joy, a recent friend I met in London comes from PetropavlovskKamchatskij, Kamchatka’s only real town. ‘I would recommend Petropavlovsk for the lovers of wild nature, the snow and the sea’, says Ekaterina Vlasova, a software test engineer at INQ Mobile. ‘This is the place where bears walk around freely

! * ! ! " ! % " !< ~ * 5 stories high (earthquakes do happen) and people get 60 days of holiday a year. Kamchatka climate and the proximity of the Russian nuclear submarine ~ the Continent. Kamchatka is mostly populated by the military and their families who are there temporarily. In winter the best place to be is the spa village Paratunka, by the same-name river lined with hot springs. The ski-lovers should go to a ski resort near the village of Elizovo. Vladimir Putin himself once skied there. From May to June the best attraction is watching wild bears catching salmon on its spawning run, from as near as 50 metres (!). Autumn is the season of the sea elephants that for " < ! old pier in central Petropavlovsk. The local sea world is cute and friendly. My dad recalls seeing a walrus come out of the water to bask in the early spring sun. Nothing extraordinary there, except it mistook the ! ~ "* ! ! * being reported all over the Peninsula. In the summer, do see the Valley of Geysers. Tours can be booked at one of the few travel agents in Petropavlovsk’. Of course, it’s only a fraction of what can be told about Russia’s Far East. The food and drink, the civil and military history of the region, the local ‘ ! small library. Who knows – maybe you are the one to contribute a new volume or two to it!

THE WHITE SANDS OF TRIOZERJE BAY

VIP SEATS IN THE SUN FOR KAMCHATKA'S SEA CREATURES

VALLEY OF GEYSERS IN KAMCHATKA

FACTS AND LINKS Nakhodka/Vladivostok – Time zone GMT +10 Kamchatka – GMT +12 More on Vladivostok: visit-vladivostok.com More on Kamchatka: visitkamchatka.ru (ENG available)

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Street Chic

LONDON FASHION WEEK STREET STYLE

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Street Chic

NEW YORK FASHION WEEK STREET STYLE Photos by Imaxtree. Supported by elleuk.com

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