CULTURAL PLAYGROUND

It's not often one (and certainly not me) has both the time and the outlets to such a wide range of cultural venues.

This just happened to be one of those weeks where the ides conspired and threw us directly onto the tracks of the arts train.

As previously mentioned in an earlier blog, after Alexi left on Tuesday, I accompanied Andrea to the VDNKh. It is no longer actually called that, but back when it was initiated in the 1930s for the All-Soviet Agricultural Exposition, that was its anglicized acronym. As you can see from the photos below, the grounds and architecture of the exhibit halls spoke of a brave, optimistic and grand future for the Soviet Union.

BARBARIAN AT THE GATE! I MEAN, ANDREA BEFORE THE GRAND ENTRANCE TO WHAT IS NOW CALLED THE ALL-RUSSIAN EXHIBITION CENTER (BBC). NOT SURE WHAT KIND OF CAMERA FILTER I WAS USING?

THE ASSEMBLY OF SOVIET PEOPLE. LOOK FAMILIAR?  IT SHOULD  IF YOU'VE SEEN ANY PREVIOUS PHOTOS OF MOSCOW. IT LOOKS LIKE THE SEVEN STALIN SKYSCRAPERS THAT PAPA JOE LIKED.

FOUNTAIN OF SOVIET REPUBLICS ON THE EXHIBITION GROUNDS.

FOR CATHY B. THIS IS THE UKRAINIAN PAVILION.

UZBEKISTAN PAVILION. WE WENT INTO THIS PAVILION (AND A FEW OTHERS). IT WAS DEPRESSING.  LOTS OF LITTLE STALLS SELLING CHEAP TCHOTCHKES.

And like the Soviet Union, the grounds, while still breathtaking in their size and bravado, have seen better days.

The highlight for Andrea was seeing the Vera Mukhina statue (Worker and Collective Farm Woman) atop a recently built museum for the farmers.

THIS SCULPTURE IS ABSOLUTELY MASSIVE AND BREATHTAKING IN SIZE.

THE BUILDING UPON WHICH THE STATUE SITS IS A DEAD RINGER FOR A 1920-30S ART DECO STYLE STRUCTURE, BUT IT WAS ACTUALLY BUILT IN THE LAST DECADE.

CLOSE UP OF WORKER AND FEMALE COLLECTIVE FARM WORKER. THIS  HAS BECOME AN ICONIC IMAGE OF THE SOVIET UNION.

We plan to return to the museum at some point, but days as beautiful as Tuesday are numbered here in Moscow. Autumn is definitely in the air, and I suspect the season will be short-lived; maybe 1-2 weeks before the leaves go from their still green to being blown completely from their branches.

Wednesday, a Russian acquaintance Andrea made through professional chanels at home offered us tickets to the opening of Richard Strauss's Cappriccio opera at the New Opera House. This opera house has recently been reconstructed in the Hermitage Garden and while small is quite elegant. We had a very nice dinner at a restaurant in the garden before the performance.

EACH LEVEL INSIDE DISPLAYS COSTUMES, PLAYBILLS, POSTERS...OF THE NEW OPERA HOUSE'S HISTORY.

ANDREA CLIMBING THE STAIRS - AGAIN. WE WERE SUPPOSED TO MEET "TATIANA," A FRIEND OF AN ACQUAINTANCE WHO PLAYS VIOLIN IN THE OPERA'S ORCHESTRA SO THAT COULD SHE GIVE US OUR TICKETS. WE DIDN'T KNOW HER LAST NAME OR EVEN WHAT INSTRUMENT SHE PLAYED. HOWEVER, THE THEATRE MANAGEMENT HAD PITY ON US AND GAVE US TICKETS TO GET US OUT OF THE WAY AND SHUT US UP. BUT THAT DIDN'T STOP ANDREA FROM LOOKING ALL OVER THE PLACE FOR TATIANA, WHO WE DID MEET AFTER THE SHOW BECAUSE ANDREA JUST ABOUT CRAWLED INTO THE ORCHESTRA PIT CALLING OUT"TATIANA?" TO ANYONE WITH TWO BREASTS AND SPECTACLES.

THE SET WAS GREAT - RETRO AND MODERN AT THE SAME TIME. THE VIDEO SCREEN SERVED AS A VIRTUAL FISH BOWL AND AT TIMES SHOWED VIDEO TO SUPPORT THE ONSTAGE ACTION.

The production was interesting, but neither Andrea nor I liked it very much. It was sung in German with Russian translations supered. My German is too rusty and my Russian too rudimentary to fully understand the "dialogue," but the message - while clear - and the music were still not very enjoyable. But hey, free tickets to a Moscow premier is a big deal!

On Thursday, I accompanied Andrea on a research mission to the Russian Decorative and Folk Arts Museum. I used my time there to learn some new words and reinforce words I already knew. It's very helpful when there are physical examples of the words you are trying to figure out. While I enjoyed my time there, this is definitely Andrea's kind of museum. Below are photo examples of the kinds of things she is researching and documenting.

FROM THE RUSSIAN MUSEUM OF DECORATIVE, APPLIED AND FOLK ARTS.

Friday, we watched an interesting Russian movie called "Stylyagi." While I am not sure if this underground group of Moscow kids really existed, if they did, that certainly changes what most of us in America would have thought about Russia of the late 1950s: it may not have been as dark and grim as we pictured it.

Sunday, Andrea's Russian acquaintance, Lesya Bagrova, invited us to a recital of her students at the Russian Gnesin Music Academy. This is the year of Russian-German cultural exchange. Two Bach pieces were played, and two Paul Hindemith pieces were presented. It was a nice early afternoon to watch the clouds roll by as leaves swirled throughout the air.

After the recital and several change of plans, we found ourselves in Nagatinskaya, outside the comfortable central Moscow district with which are now quite well acquainted. Even Andrea commented that it looked "old Russia" in this south-side, working class neighborhood. We finally found a sushi restaurant, Yakitori, in which to eat a late lunch/early dinner before Andrea spent time in the purpose of our mission; a needlework and handicraft shop.

I WISH I HAD TAKEN MY CAMERA INTO THE RECITAL HALL. IT WAS SMALL AND CHARMING WITH WINDOWS ON TWO SIDES. THIS IS THE EXTERIOR OF THE ACADEMY FOUNDED BY THE GNESIN FAMILY.

OGOLOCHKA SEWING AND HANDICRAFT SHOP. LOOKS KIND OF DUMPY, HUH?