NA PUTU / ON THE ROAD
People Who See The Sea In Us I don’t return to places that are dear to me because of the buildings, rather because of the people and the moments that I had with them. The Pushkin Museum, the monument to Fyodor Mikhailovich Dostoevsky, the Cathedral of Christ the Saviour... Every edifice you pass bears the name of a personality who waits to meet you. And when you live and start working in Moscow, then you recognise the genes of the greats in your peers, like Anton, Iliya, Ekaterina, Daria, An- drei... I was able to to see the legacy that they carry in their daily routines, but also in the broad artistic scope that they are capable of achieving. They often noted that, in the same way, they see in us the lega- cy of an heroic but tormented people, as well as the spirit of the Mediterranean. I explained to them in vain that Serbia does not reach the sea, but they ne- gated such a possibility by explaining that they don't refer to geography, but rather to the feeling that we arouse within them. That Which Touches My Soul I was touched many times by the acting of my col- leagues on the stages of Moscow's theatres, by mu- seum exhibits, particularly in the Tretyakov Gallery, by concerts, but also by liturgies in Moscow tem- ples, where fiery priestly sermons and the extraor- dinary cantillating of church choirs raise the atmos- phere to the highest spheres of spirituality. Testifying to Moscow's artistic vitality is the fact that the long-
est queues of visitors are seen in front of some mu- seum, but also the fact that tickets for Bolshoi The- atre performances are sold out months in advance. That's something you must take into account if you plan to attend the theatre. The world's great metrop- olises often lack soul. That cannot happen here. This isn't only a city that has a soul, but it also reminds you that you also have one. Chekhov's Wonderful Story One theatrical story left a special impression on me. Anton Pavlovich Chekhov, one of the greatest story- tellers and playwrights of Russian and world litera- ture, was compelled by serious illness to move from Moscow to Yalta in 1898. It was during that same year that his famous plays The Seagull and Uncle Vanya were staged for the first time, at the Moscow Art Thea- tre. Although he had a strong desire to attend the pre- miere performances, doctors forbade Chekhov from travelling, which could have had fatal consequences. To clarify, journeying overland from Moscow to Yal- ta on the Crimean Peninsula still takes over 20 hours today. Realising that their beloved writer would not be able to attend the premieres, the acting ensem- ble, led by Konstantin Stanislavski, decided to head to the Crimea immediately after the Moscow perfor- mances and to perform the plays for Chekhov, which proved an incredible success. It is said that the actors' meeting with the writer was unbelievably emotional. Chekhov succumbed to tuberculosis just a few years
Karte za predstave u Boljšoj teatru rasprodate su mesecima unapred Tickets for Bolshoi Theatre performances are sold out months in advance
88 | Moskva » Moscow
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator