A guitar and a grenade

“the Diaries of front-line brigades” is the theme of the exhibition of the theatre Museum named after Bakhrushin in the estate Ostrovsky, dedicated to artists in the war.

“were in the shed under the roar of the explosions of mines… Soon ceased to pay attention to them, but their noise mines prevented the soldiers to listen to the concert.” “Came by around 3,000 people. The theater is arranged with love – even dug legroom. That made a huge orchestra”. “I wanted to contact headquarters, but it turned out that it was all out. Had to sit in one of the last cars leaving the village.”

…We are “turning” on the screen chronicle of the theater “Iskra”, which was led by its leader, Director Gregory Palin. The chronicle was launched in September of 41st and finished in June of ‘ 45 is the longest of all diary, and the very troupe “Sparkle” referred to by the consolidated group of advanced Soviet art, it included artists of the Lenkom, Large and operetta Theatre. And here is the page with the program of the concert of nine numbers: “Lackey of Hitler” – a pamphlet of Ilya Ehrenburg, “the Cossack song” from the Opera “the Quiet don”, “Aristocrat” – a story by Mikhail Zoshchenko. A yellowed piece of paper with the figures: 1941 – 122 Concerto , 1942 – 551, in 1945 – 55. And photo: artist “Sparks” from the body of the lorry with an unfolded Board sings under the accordion – maybe the “Cossack song”.

But it was not only the old barns and dug legroom, reminds us exhibition, but also real know-how of the military field of scenography. Artist Alexander Vasiliev (father of the historian of fashion) was invented in the 42-m system screens for productions in those bodies – and here’s the layouts, decorations, opened of the body: the work of Konstantin Berman to the play-joke Chekhov’s “the Anniversary” (table with lamp chair I chair, on which sat the old woman Merchutkina), the General’s office from the “Front” Korneichuk, wall-ruins of “Stalingrad”.

a Designer of scenery, usually to build a dramaturgy of exhibitions in the four small halls are almost no genuine enough to convey the spirit and mood of the time. This, for example, letters of soldiers, written after the concerts (and bred here on the screen, and the underlying glass). “I especially liked the dance performed by Calloway and Kazan. Watched the dancers easily fluttered on stage – and thought it was dancing our happiness.” And then little notes-request with a pencil: “Please perform “little Blue modest kerchief”, “Sing ditties”. And old photo: Lydia Ruslanova sings for soldiers from the truck, Simonov and Serova in front of the cast of the play “Russian people”, Judith Glaser in the role of the Queen in “Mary Stuart.”

And between large-scale sketches of scenery and costumes the work of Tatlin, Macedonsko, Fedorovsky Williams in the exhibition – drawings of those for whom he worked Tatlin and Ruslanova. “The performance of frontline teams CCC in the basement of the Elevator” – dozens of soldiers in the picture do not come off ��t in the scene, where the vortex is spinning dancer. “Ensemble “red army bandstand on the propaganda station of station” – and in the hall of the propaganda station no free chair.

This experience of a creative life were costly.