Diaghilev personal life. Sergei Diaghilev: biography, personal life, photo. Brief biography of Sergei Diaghilev: childhood and youth

Sergei Diaghilev is a famous theatrical figure.

Childhood

The great power of art lies precisely in the fact that it is an end in itself, self-useful and, most importantly, free<...>a work of art is important not in itself, but only as an expression of the personality of the creator.

Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich

Sergei Diaghilev was born in the small village of Selishchi, in the Novgorod province. His father was a hereditary nobleman and officer. Evenings often took place in their house, during which the father and stepmother sang songs, and Sergei accompanied them. Their house has become the real center of Perm cultural life. It was during this period that the future entrepreneur developed a love for art that would accompany him all his life.

Participation in artistic life

At the age of 18, in 1890, he moved to St. Petersburg and began to study at the conservatory, where Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov became its director, and also began to study law at the university. But neither one nor the other could really captivate the young man. Already at this time he was able to show his outstanding organizational skills. He arranged several art exhibitions of contemporary masters in order to demonstrate to the public the art of the late 19th century. As a result, Sergei Diaghilev became the object of jokes from some feuilletonists, as well as negative reviews from conservative critics.

Despite criticisms, the authority of the young man began to grow rapidly. Already in 1898, the first issue of the magazine "World of Art" was published. This became possible thanks to the help of philanthropists Savva Mamontov and Maria Tenishcheva. The slogan of the editors Sergei Diaghilev and Alexander Benois was "Art, pure and free", the same motto guided the association of the same name, whose members were prominent artists of that time. The literary section of the journal published the works of the largest figures in literature and journalism of the end of the century before last. This magazine became a real home of the symbolists and turned into an important educational project.

Popularization activity

The popularization of Russian art became an important goal of Diaghilev's activities. He tried to include it in the pan-European process. Sergei Diaghilev made an important attempt to break down the wall of ignorance, since the Europeans of that time knew little about Russian art, having very vague ideas about the cultural life in Russia.

Russian artistic and theatrical figure, entrepreneur, organizer of the Russian Seasons and the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe in Paris.

S.P. Diaghilev was born on March 19, 1872 in Perm in the Novgorod province into a well-born noble family. His father was a major general in the tsarist army, he was fond of singing. As a child, at the insistence of his adoptive mother (his own mother died in childbirth), Diaghilev learned to play the piano.

In 1890 the Diaghilevs moved to St. Petersburg. Sergei entered St. Petersburg University at the Faculty of Law. During his studies, he became friends with A. Benois and L. Bakst, with whom he organized a small art history circle. Simultaneously with his studies at the university, he was a volunteer in the singing class of the St. Petersburg Conservatory and took composition lessons.

In 1896 Diaghilev graduated from the university with a law degree.

After the crushing failure of his first production, Diaghilev abandoned his career as a composer, but decided to devote himself to art in a different capacity. In 1899, Diaghilev, together with A. Benois, established the elite magazine The World of Art and became its editor, and at the same time entered the service of an official at large in the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters (until 1901). A major exhibition of Russian art, which he organized in 1905 in St. Petersburg, further strengthened his reputation as a connoisseur and connoisseur of the avant-garde.

In 1906 Diaghilev left for France. There he organized annual performances of Russian artists abroad, which contributed to the popularization of Russian art, which later went down in history under the name "Russian Seasons". First, these were exhibitions of Russian art, then "Historical Russian Concerts" in the premises of the Parisian theater "Grand Opera" and performances with music by Russian composers. A real sensation was Mussorgsky's opera Khovanshchina and Boris Godunov with F. Chaliapin in the role of Tsar Boris. Russian Seasons existed in Paris and London until 1914.

In 1909 Grand Duke Vladimir commissioned Diaghilev to found the Russian Ballet in Paris. Diaghilev assembled a creative team of the greatest artists of the early 20th century, and in 1911-13. on the basis of the Russian Seasons, he created the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe, in which the choreographers M. Fokin and L. Myasin worked; composers K. Debussy, M. Ravel and I. Stravinsky; artists L. Bakst, A. Benois, P. Picasso, A. Matisse; dancers of the Russian Ballet from the Mariinsky and Bolshoi Theaters A. Pavlova, V. Nizhinsky, M. Kshesinskaya, T. Karsavina.

I. Stravinsky recalled Diaghilev: “He determined the theme, chose composers, artists, choreographers, performers of the main roles. He directed the rehearsals. Each production, with its originality, reflected his personal complicity.

Best of the day

The Russian Ballet toured Europe, the United States and South America with increasing success.

In the last years of his life, despite the constant success of productions, Diaghilev began to be weary of ballet, but he felt responsible to the people with whom he worked, and could not give up this business.

In 1929, Diaghilev had a stroke on vacation in Venice, which was replaced by a coma, and on August 19 of the same year, the great impresario died.

The Italian composer Casella testified in his memoirs: “He died alone, in a hotel room, poor, as he always was. He lived here on credit, unable to pay for the hotel.” After his death, there were no monetary savings left and he was buried at the expense of wealthy French patrons of art. At his grave, which is located next to the grave of I. Stravinsky on the island-cemetery of Saint-Michel, admirers still gather, who leave red roses and worn-out ballet shoes there, paying tribute to the memory of this man, whose ideas played such an important role in the creation modern dance.

He led a luxurious life, knowing that he was the object of observation for many people. But after his death he did not leave a penny. The funeral of the legendary entrepreneur was paid for by his longtime patrons Mission Cert and Coco Chanel. They were far from the last people in the long list of those who for a long time helped him to realize the most daring projects and conquer impregnable Paris. France fell at the feet of a provincial boy thanks to his organizational skills and the money of generous sponsors.

Sergei Diaghilev in his gymnasium years. Photo: RIA Novosti

Failed Lawyer

When an 18 year old Sergei Diaghilev came from Perm to St. Petersburg, it was hard to imagine that this young provincial could break into people and become a real legend of his time. At the insistence of his father, the young man was going to study law, but the northern capital with its incredible opportunities changed his plans. Sergey was in a hurry to get enlightened: he visited theaters and exhibitions, studied vocals. It was in the city on the Neva that he decided to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming a composer. One day, Diaghilev invited a select audience to listen to excerpts from the opera Boris Godunov, which he composed, in which he himself played the role of an impostor. Alas, the audience did not appreciate the efforts of the future entrepreneur. Later, Sergei himself admits that this failure came in handy, since his voice was "very strong and very nasty."

The next stage in the life of a young man was the passion for fine arts. In search of knowledge and masterpieces, he traveled to various European cities, visited art galleries and artists' workshops. In 1897, Diaghilev successfully held his first exhibition of German and English watercolors. Then along with Alexandre Benois created a creative community of artists "World of Art" and a magazine of the same name.

At the age of 28, Sergei received the position of an official for special assignments under the director of the Imperial Theaters. However, a few years later he left the post due to a conflict with his superiors. And yet it was this place that helped the young man to make new useful acquaintances. One of which was a close friendship with favorite Tsarevich Nicholas Matilda Kshesinskaya. Diaghilev often accompanied the famous ballerina home after the performance. It was Kshesinskaya who brought him to her patron Prince Vladimir and Grand Duke Andrew(cousin of Nicholas). Even then, the novice entrepreneur understood that money and talent work much more efficiently than just talent.

"Taking" Paris

In 1906, thanks to the efforts of Diaghilev, Paris saw the exhibition "Two Centuries of Russian Painting and Sculpture". A year later, the sophisticated French were conquered by the "Historical Russian Concerts", in which they took part Rimsky-Korsakov, Rachmaninoff, Glazunov, Chaliapin. The latter was particularly successful with Europeans. In 1908, he shone on the stage of the Paris Grand Opera in the production of Boris Godunov. The time of the "Russian Seasons" came only in 1909.

By the way, Diaghilev did not immediately become a fan of choreography: they say that he discovered his love for this art form after watching The Sleeping Beauty. Petipa in 1893. This incredible production then literally shocked the whole of St. Petersburg. For some time, instead of the usual greeting at a meeting, local residents asked one single question: “Have you already seen Sleeping Beauty?”

Preparing for the "seasons" was not easy. A small quarrel between the entrepreneur and Kshesinskaya, who was outraged that she had received one role in such a large-scale project, and the sudden death of a friend, Grand Duke Vladimir, left him without the once promised support of the royal court. I had to urgently go to Paris to look for new sponsors. Fortunately, the funding issue was resolved. One of those who invested their money in this, in fact, risky event was the owner of a music salon and a very wealthy lady Mission Sert. Subsequently, Sert and Diaghilev will become not only partners for each other, but also true friends.

“Russian Seasons” was supposed to go on the Chatelet stage, but when Sergey saw the theater hall, he instantly understood that this dilapidated building needed immediate renovation. In a few weeks, it was completely transformed, adding more luxury to the interior. On the day of the premiere, the audience sat on luxurious seats upholstered in dark red velvet, everything around seemed to tell them that they were the chosen ones.

That evening, the unsurpassed Anna Pavlova and a number of other strong ballerinas. But all the audience's love went to Vaslav Nijinsky. It is worth noting that before that, the male dancer was always in the shadow of his partner. Nijinsky managed to overshadow the female part of the troupe. The audience dubbed the young man "the god of dance." Of course, not all of the artist's colleagues liked such a triumph, and Pavlova was the first to leave the race due to professional jealousy. Although she herself claimed that she broke off relations with Diaghilev, because she wanted to create her own troupe.

Despite the success, the entrepreneur's investments were incomparable with income. However, it seemed that the huge debts did not bother Diaghilev in the least. With his characteristic enthusiasm, he again began to look for patrons and plan the second visit of the Russian Seasons.

Colleague, lover, traitor

The performances of the Russian Seasons, one after another, aroused the approval of the public: The Firebird, Scheherazade, Petrushka. But Diaghilev wanted even more experiments and recognition, fortunately, Sert supplied him not only with money, but also with useful contacts. One of them was a meeting with Claude Debussy. The tandem of the composer and the entrepreneur gave the audience a real sensation - the erotic male dance "Afternoon of a Faun", which was created and performed by Nijinsky. It was the first scandal in the seasons, which in some way cheered up the audience and turned out to be much better than the usual success.

The ideas of Diaghilev and his team were often ahead of their time, and therefore it sometimes took the public months and even years to understand and appreciate what the artists of the “seasons” showed on stage. So it was with the "Rite of Spring" Stravinsky, which premiered on May 29, 1913. The choreography was again handled by Nijinsky. The production was given to him with difficulty, but the audience did not appreciate the effort spent. Already five minutes after the start of the performance, the audience began to resent, whistle and even stomp their feet. The performance had to be stopped and restarted. This failure hurt the already fragile psyche of Nijinsky, who later ended his days in a mental hospital.

From the very appearance of Vaclav in the troupe, he became not only a colleague and lover of Diaghilev, but also his personal discovery. The entrepreneur believed, and not without reason, that it was thanks to him that the star of the “God of Dance” rose. Sergey kept his favorite, gave him expensive gifts, which is only worth a sapphire ring from Cartier, with which the "engagement" of lovers was sealed, tried in every possible way to educate his protégé and instill in him a sense of beauty. However, along with the “carrot”, Vaclav knew perfectly well what a “stick” was. Sergey did not let him forget for a second that the dancer owes his success to his money and connections. Alas, instead of gratitude, Nijinsky repaid Sergei with betrayal. During a tour of South America, which Diaghilev missed due to superstition (a fortuneteller predicted his death on the water), Vaclav unexpectedly married a dancer Romola Pulski. Upon learning of this, the abandoned lover began to smash everything, and having calmed down, he found a reason to dismiss the traitor from the troupe.

New love

Left without a choreographer and a leading soloist, Diaghilev set out to look for a replacement for Nijinsky. He found a suitable option at the Bolshoi Ballet School. Handsome Leonid Myasin He was the best suited for the role of the new prime minister and ... lover. Sergey acted according to an already well-established scheme of seduction: expensive gifts, trips abroad, solving all the material problems of the protégé, and most importantly, the promise of an incredible career take-off. 18-year-old Leonid, although he thought about the proposal of a well-known entrepreneur and even wanted to refuse, but could not. Subsequently, the dancer, like his predecessor, became the choreographer of the Russian Seasons. And then, as if repeating the fate of Vaclav, he married an American ballerina Vere Clark, breaking the heart of his "creator".

However, the talented Myasin also found a replacement in the face Serge Lifar. With the filing of Diaghilev and with his full financial support, the young man lived for some time in Italy, where he took lessons from the teacher Nijinsky and Pavlova - the legendary Checketi. At the very beginning of their meeting, Sergei promised to make a second Nijinsky out of his favorite, and he succeeded. But he did not enjoy the success of his brilliant lover for long. Back in 1921, the 57-year-old Diaghilev was diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, which progressed as he flatly refused to follow the diet and regimen prescribed by the doctor. In 1929, it became clear that the end was near, although Sergei himself tried not to become depressed and continued to make plans for the future. His condition deteriorated sharply while he was in Venice. The fortuneteller turned out to be right, the legendary entrepreneur died "on the water." On August 19, Diaghilev's friends saw him off on his last journey. All expenses related to the funeral, as before, were taken over by long-time patrons - Mission Sert and Coco Chanel. Even during the life of the entrepreneur, these two women competed with each other for Sergey's attention, while remaining friends. But this time they had nothing else to share. Beloved Serge left them both.

I thought about making a post about "Russian Seasons" Diaghilev, but decided that it would be more correct to first acquaint readers with the name of the outstanding Russian theatrical and artistic figure S.P. Diaghilev. I suspect that many gossips are, of course, familiar with him, and yet I hope that some unknown facts will be interesting to read))

portrait of Diaghilev, painted by the hand of the great opera singer Fyodor Chaliapin in 1910

So, the first part is about Diaghilev.

(1872-1929) - Russian theatrical and artistic figure, the first ballet impresario of the twentieth century, who glorified Russian art at home and abroad. Together with Alexander Nikolaevich Benois created the artistic association "World of Art", co-editor of the magazine of the same name. Organizer of exhibitions of Russian art, historical Russian concerts, "Russian Seasons" abroad. Created the troupe "Russian ballets of Diaghilev" (1911-1929)

Portrait of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev with his nanny (artist: Leon Bakst), 1905

Sergei Diaghilev was born on March 19 (31), 1872 in Selishchi, Novgorod province, in the family of a career military man, hereditary nobleman, cavalry guard Pavel Pavlovich Diaghilev. His mother died a few months after the birth of Sergei, and he was raised by his stepmother Elena, the daughter of a Russian railway engineer, one of the founders of the Russian engineering and technical school V. A. Panaev, an educated and intelligent woman. As a child, Sergei lived in St. Petersburg, then in Perm, where his father served. Father's brother, Ivan Pavlovich Diaghilev, was a philanthropist and founder of a musical circle. It is not surprising that, being brought up in such a family, Sergey himself sang well, played the piano, and drew, although he was just an amateur in various fields of art.

the Diaghilev family: Pavel Pavlovich, Elena Valerianovna, their sons Valery, Yuri and Sergei (1880s)

For three decades, the house in Perm belonged to a large and friendly Diaghilev family. In addition to Sergei, 2 more sons were brought up in the family - Sergei's brothers - Yuri and Valery. In the house, called by contemporaries "Perm Athens", the city intelligentsia gathered on Thursdays. Here they played music, sang, played home performances. After graduating from the Perm gymnasium in 1890 (the gymnasium has been named after him since 1992), Diaghilev returned to St. Petersburg and entered the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, while studying music with N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. These classes become a turning point - thanks to Rimsky-Korsakov, Diaghilev meets the young composer Igor Stravinsky, and this acquaintance becomes the most important in the life of all three. Diaghilev's friendship with Stravinsky continued for many years. “Working with this man was always scary, and at the same time calm, his strength was so irresistible”,- Stravinsky recalled in his book Chronicle of My Life.

Sergei in student uniform (1980s)

In 1896, Diaghilev graduated from the university, but instead of practicing law, he began a career as an artist. He was an official for special assignments under the director of the Imperial Theaters and in 1899 - 1900. - Editor of the Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres.

Sergei Diaghilev and Igor Stravinsky

A few years after receiving a diploma in law, together with A. N. Benois, he created the World of Art association. While still traveling in Western Europe, Diaghilev became interested in new trends in art and decided to create a magazine dedicated to them in his homeland. On his initiative, in the fall of 1898, a magazine of the same name began to be published. Diaghilev himself was the editor of the magazine and wrote art history articles. Editing the magazine "World of Art" for six years, Diaghilev united in it all the most significant writers and artists of the new direction: his collaborators were D. Merezhkovsky, K. Balmont, V. Bryusov, I. Levitan, V. Serov, M. Vrubel , A. Benois and many others. The magazine introduced the Russian public to the latest foreign writers and artists, gave reports on new exhibitions, new trends in theater and music, and architecture. In parallel with the magazine, Diaghilev published separate books on the history of Russian art.

cover of the magazine "World of Art", 1901

In addition to working on a magazine and books at that time, Diaghilev organized exhibitions that caused a wide response:

1897 - Exhibition of English and German watercolors, then Exhibition of Scandinavian artists.

1898 - Exhibition of Russian and Finnish artists. Diaghilev managed to attract to participate in the exhibition, in addition to the main group of the initial friendly circle, from which the World of Art association arose, other major representatives of young art - Vrubel, Serov, Levitan, etc.

1905-1906 - Historical and art exhibition of Russian portraits in St. Petersburg; Exhibition of Russian art at the Salon d'Automne in Paris featuring works by Benois, Grabar, Kuznetsov, Malyavin, Repin, Serov, Yavlensky and others.

participants of the "Russian Historical Concerts in Paris" visiting the composer C. Saint-Saens. Paris, 1907

In the spring of 1907, Diaghilev arranged a series of concerts in Paris dedicated to Russian music, from Glinka to Scriabin. In the following years, Diaghilev staged grand opera and then in the theater Chatelet, a number of Russian operas: « Boris Godunov » and « Khovanshchina» Mussorgsky, « Pskovityanka» and others, and a number of ballets: « Scheherazade» Rimsky-Korsakov, « Cleopatra» Arensky, « parsley» Stravinsky, « Pavilion Armidim» Cherepkin and others. For these performances, the scenery was painted by the best contemporary artists, and outstanding artists performed as performers. These annual foreign performances by Russian artists are called "Russian Seasons". They will be discussed in the next post.

Tamara Karsavina and Vaslav Nijinsky in Giselle

Sergzh Lifar

"Russian Seasons" was a means of promoting Russian ballet and fine arts and contributed to the flourishing of ballet in countries where this genre was not developed. In addition to Paris, the troupe had tours in London, Rome, Berlin, and also in the USA.

In 1911 Diaghilev organized a ballet troupe "Russian ballet of Diaghilev". The troupe began performing in 1913 and lasted until the death of its organizer in 1929. Unfortunately, Sergei Pavlovich left his homeland with the outbreak of the First World War and never returned. According to the recollection of Sergei Leonidovich Grigoriev, the permanent director of the troupe, their last performance was in Vichy on August 4, 1929.

Diaghilev and ballet dancer Serge Lifar

Despite the enormous success of the Ballets Russes, Diaghilev often experienced financial difficulties and always resorted to the help of wealthy patrons. He also spent his personal funds on new productions. In the 1920s, Diaghilev became interested in collecting rare books - his collection included unique publications in Russian, autographs of A. S. Pushkin. Being an extremely superstitious person, he was afraid of sea travel.

Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Diaghilev, Leon Bakst and an unknown woman.Switzerland, 1915

In 1921, Diaghilev was diagnosed with diabetes, but he hardly followed the prescribed diet. The development of the disease was facilitated by lifestyle, as well as constant sudden changes in weight. Starting in 1927, he developed furunculosis, leading to the development of extensive infections and a sharp increase in temperature, which was deadly in those days. Despite the doctor's orders, Diaghilev continued to tour Europe with the troupe. On August 7, 1929, he went to Venice, where he died on August 19 - on the water, as a gypsy woman predicted to him in his youth. Even while ill, Diaghilev continued to make plans and hum from Wagner and Tchaikovsky. The day before his death, he was visited by Misia Sert and Coco Chanel, who subsequently paid for the funeral, since Diaghilev had no funds with him. Diaghilev was buried on the island of San Michele in the Orthodox part of the cemetery.

The marble tombstone bears the name of Diaghilev in Russian and French and an epitaph: "Venice is the constant inspirer of our tranquility"- a phrase written by him shortly before his death. There are almost always ballet shoes on the pedestal next to the impresario's photograph. They say that choreographers and dancers have a tradition - when visiting the grave of Sergei Diaghilev, put their shoes on a marble pedestal. It supposedly brings good luck in your career...

"... Sometimes, especially at night, Diaghilev recalled his youth, said that it was the happiest time of his life. And he cried, remembering the beautiful Volga and Levitan's landscapes,
yearned for Russia, which he would never see. Yes, he created world fame for Russia, Russian art... Proust, Rodin and Apollinaire admired him... Debussy wrote that "barbaric, but such an attractive Russian art helped the West
better to know and understand yourself...(From the memoirs of Sergei Lifar)

After his death "Russian ballet of Diaghilev" disintegrated, and the repertoire was preserved only thanks to the efforts of the dancers and choreographers of his troupe.

Sergei Diaghilev had a huge influence on the formation of the entire ballet art of the twentieth century. Novels are written about him, films and theatrical performances are created. He proved that being an impresario is a great art. At the moment, work is underway to create a monument to Sergei Diaghilev on the square in front of the Grand Opera in Paris under the patronage of Pierre Cardin.

Russian theatrical and artistic figure

Sergei Diaghilev

short biography

Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev(March 31, 1872, Selishchi, Novgorod province - August 19, 1929, Venice) - Russian theatrical and artistic figure, one of the founders of the World of Art group, organizer of the Russian Seasons in Paris and the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe, entrepreneur.

Sergei Diaghilev was born on March 19 (31), 1872 in Selishchi, Novgorod province, in the family of an officer-cavalry guard of the hereditary nobleman Pavel Pavlovich Diaghilev. His mother died a few months after the birth of Sergei, and he was raised by his stepmother Elena, daughter of V. A. Panaev. As a child, Sergei lived in St. Petersburg, then in Perm, where his father served. Father's brother, Ivan Pavlovich Diaghilev, was a philanthropist and founder of a musical circle.

In Perm, at the corner of Sibirskaya and Pushkin (former Bolshaya Yamskaya) streets, the ancestral home of Sergei Diaghilev has been preserved, where the gymnasium named after him is now located. The mansion in the style of late Russian classicism was built in the 1850s according to the project of the architect R. O. Karvovsky.

For three decades, the house belonged to a large and friendly Diaghilev family. In the house, called by contemporaries "Perm Athens", the city intelligentsia gathered on Thursdays. Here they played music, sang, played home performances.

After graduating from the Perm gymnasium in 1890, he returned to St. Petersburg and entered the law faculty of the university, while studying music with N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov at the St. Petersburg Conservatory. In his youth, Diaghilev tried in vain to find his field. An important moment in his life was a meeting with the writer Leo Tolstoy, after which he decided to devote himself to collecting autographs of famous contemporaries. In 1896 he graduated from the university, but instead of taking up law, he began to work in the field of fine arts.

Conventionally, the activities of S. P. Diaghilev can be divided into two periods:

• 1898-1906 - Diaghilev's life in Russia, when his interests were concentrated mainly in the field of fine arts;
• 1906-1929 - Diaghilev's activities as an impresario abroad: starting with the organization of an exhibition in 1906, he soon focuses on the field of musical theater, primarily ballet.

Activities in St. Petersburg

In 1898, together with the artist A. N. Benois, he initiated the creation of the magazine "World of Art", published by S. I. Mamontov and Princess M. K. Tenisheva; was its editor (since 1903 - together with Benois), since 1902 he supervised the publication. In 1898-1904 he also wrote art history articles; is the author of a monograph about the artist D. G. Levitsky (1902).

During this period, he organized exhibitions that caused a wide resonance in St. Petersburg:

• 1897 - an exhibition of British and German watercolors, introducing the Russian public to a number of major masters of these countries and modern trends in fine arts;
• Exhibition of Scandinavian artists in the halls of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts;
• 1898 - an exhibition of Russian and Finnish artists in the Stieglitz Museum, which the World of Arts themselves considered their first performance (in addition to the main group of the initial friendly circle from which the World of Art association arose, Diaghilev managed to attract other major representatives of young art - Vrubel to participate in the exhibition , Serov, Levitan);
• 1905 - historical and art exhibition of Russian portraits of the XVII-XVIII centuries in the Tauride Palace;
• 1906 - exhibition of Russian art at the Autumn Salon in Paris with the participation of works by Benois, Grabar, Kuznetsov, Malyavin, Repin, Serov, Yavlensky, Roerich and others.

In 1899, Prince Sergei Volkonsky, who became the director of the Imperial Theatres, appointed Diaghilev an official for special assignments and provided him with editing the Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres. Diaghilev turned the yearbook from a dry publication into an art magazine.

Together with Diaghilev, many contemporary artists came to the Imperial Theaters (Ap. M. Vasnetsov, A. N. Benois, L. S. Bakst, V. A. Serov, K. A. Korovin, E. E. Lansere).

In the 1900-1901 season, Volkonsky entrusted Diaghilev with the production of Delibes' ballet Sylvia. Diaghilev attracted the artists of the World of Art group to the production, but the case fell through due to the protest of the directorate officials. Diaghilev disobeyed director Volkonsky's order, defiantly refused to edit the Yearbook, and the matter ended with his dismissal.

Russian seasons

Since 1907, Diaghilev has been organizing annual foreign performances by Russian artists, called "Russian Seasons". In 1907, as part of the "seasons", performances of musicians were held - "Historical Russian Concerts". They were attended by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, S. V. Rachmaninov, A. K. Glazunov, F. I. Chaliapin, harpsichordist V. Landowska and others. Together with the musicians involved in the Historical Concerts, Diaghilev visited in Paris and C. Saint-Saens.

In 1908 Diaghilev organized a season of Russian opera in Paris; the opera "Boris Godunov" was staged with the participation of F. I. Chaliapin. Despite the success with the public, the season brought losses to Diaghilev, so the next year, having assessed the tastes of the public, he decided to take the ballet to Paris. At the same time, at that moment, Diaghilev treated ballet with disdain:

both smart and stupid can watch it with equal success - all the same, there is no content and meaning in it; and for its execution it is not required to strain even small mental abilities

- M. V. Borisoglebsky. Materials on the history of Russian ballet, vol. II. L., 1939, p. 135.

In 1909, the first ballet season of the Diaghilev Entreprise took place in Paris; from that time until 1929, under his leadership, the ballet troupe "Russian Ballets" operates.

For the first ballet seasons, Diaghilev invited such soloists of the Imperial Theaters as M. M. Fokin, A. P. Pavlova, V. F. Nizhinsky and B. F. Nizhinskaya, T. P. Karsavina, A. R. Bolm, L. F. Shollar, V. A. Karalli, L. P. Chernysheva. Subsequently, he invited many Polish artists and dancers of other nationalities, many of whom received "Russian" names in the troupe.

Already from the second ballet season (1910), Diaghilev annually presented to the Parisian public exclusively world premieres. The main choreographers of his troupe at different times were M. M. Fokin, V. F. Nizhinsky, L. F. Myasin, B. F. Nizhinskaya, J. Balanchine. His "stars" V. F. Nizhinsky, L. F. Myasin and S. M. Lifar were his favorites at the same time.

Outstanding artists who were part of the "World of Art" participated in the design of the ballets, in particular A. N. Benois, L. S. Bakst, A. Ya. Golovin, N. K. Roerich, B. I. Anisfeld. "Seasons" was a means of promoting Russian ballet and fine arts. Over the twenty years of their existence, they completely changed the traditional ideas about theater and dance, and also contributed to the flourishing of ballet in countries where this genre was not developed.

Before the First World War, Diaghilev was obsessed with the idea of ​​presenting his productions in Russia - however, despite the efforts made, for various reasons he did not succeed. During the war, starting in the mid-1910s, he radically changed the style of performances, leaving the exotic, courtly pomp and orientalism and turning to the avant-garde. The first performance of the new musical form and choreography was the ballet "Parade" by Eric Satie, the scandalous premiere of which took place in Paris in 1917. Moving away from the style of the World of Art, Diaghilev began to collaborate mainly with European artists; the spouses N. S. Goncharova and M. F. Larionov were also his permanent employees.

The Diaghilev Troupe rehearsed in Monte Carlo, where the first performances of many premieres took place, gave seasons in Paris and London, and also toured in Italy, Germany, and the USA. Diaghilev also made numerous unsuccessful attempts to perform in St. Petersburg, which was his dream.

The troupe existed until 1929, that is, until the death of its organizer. According to the memoirs of the permanent director of the troupe S. L. Grigoriev, their last performance was in Vichy on August 4, 1929.

According to A. N. Benois, “none of the undertakings would have been realized if Diaghilev had not led it and brought his energy to where there was already a lot of creativity, but where there was no main thing - a unifying role.” M.F. Larionov believed that "Diaghilev is an enthusiast who gave his all to art with some kind of pagan passion." “Someone said that the entreprise was Diaghilev’s personal affair ... Only an evil tongue and an evil mind could utter such a slander against this crusader of beauty,” Nicholas Roerich argued.

Many contemporaries, artists and poets, used vivid symbols, metaphors in conveying the perception of the personality of S. P. Diaghilev: "radiant sun" (V. A. Serov), "Hercules", "Peter the Great" (A. N. Benois), “an eagle strangling small birds” (V. F. Nizhinsky), “Yellow Devil in the arenas of European countries” (A. L. Volynsky), “Nero in a black tuxedo over flaming Rome” (A. Bely)

Personal life

Diaghilev was homosexual, which was a serious obstacle in his career. He became aware of his homosexuality at an early age and, according to Nikolai Nabokov, was "the first great homosexual to make himself known and recognized by society."

Illness and death

In 1921, Diaghilev was diagnosed with diabetes, but he hardly followed the prescribed diet. The development of the disease was facilitated by lifestyle, as well as constant sudden changes in body weight. Beginning in 1927, he developed furunculosis, which could lead to the development of sepsis, which was deadly in the days when antibiotics were not yet known. In the summer of 1929 in Paris, a doctor ordered Diaghilev to follow a diet and rest a lot, warning that failure to follow the recommendations would entail dangerous consequences for his health. Diaghilev ignored the order, going with the troupe to Berlin, then to Cologne and through Paris to London, where he again visited a doctor who advised him to hire a nurse, which was also not done: Kokhno looked after him daily, doing the necessary procedures and dressings. After sending the troupe on vacation and returning to Paris, he again visited his attending physician, who insisted on a course of treatment with thermal waters in Vichy. Instead, Diaghilev, along with his protégé Igor Markevitch, undertook a "musical" journey along the Rhine, visiting Baden-Baden (where he discussed the new ballet with Hindemith and saw Nabokov, who later wrote: “Despite his appearance, he seemed to be in a good mood. He cheerfully talked about his plans for the rest of the summer and for the new fall season.), Munich (for the operas of Mozart and Wagner) and Salzburg. From there, Diaghilev sent a letter to Koribut-Kubitovich with an insistent request to come to Venice to see him. After parting with Markevich in Vevey, on August 7 Diaghilev went to Venice. The next day he entered the Grand Hotel de Ban de Mer, where Lifar arrived in the evening. By that time, he had already begun to have blood poisoning due to abscesses. Since August 12, he no longer got out of bed, Lifar looked after him. Even while ill, Diaghilev continued to make plans and hum from Wagner and Tchaikovsky. On August 16, Kokhno came to him, on the 18th - Misia Sert and Chanel visited him. Having received a telegram from Koribut-Kubitovich, who was in no hurry to arrive at his call, Diaghilev remarked: “Well, of course, Pavka will be late and will come after my death.”. In the evening the priest came to him. At night, Diaghilev's temperature rose to 41°C, he no longer regained consciousness and died at dawn on August 19, 1929.

Since Diaghilev had no funds with him, M. Sert and G. Chanel paid for the funeral. After a short memorial service in accordance with the rite of the Orthodox Church, the body was transferred to the island of San Michele and buried in the Orthodox part of the cemetery.

The name of Diaghilev is engraved on the marble tombstone in Russian and French ( Serge de Diaghilew) and an epitaph: "Venice is the constant inspirer of our reassurance" - a phrase written by him shortly before his death in a dedicatory inscription to Serge Lifar. On the pedestal next to the photograph of the impresario, there are almost always ballet shoes (so that they are not blown away by the wind, they are stuffed with sand) and other theatrical paraphernalia. In the same cemetery, next to Diaghilev's grave, there is the grave of his collaborator, the composer Igor Stravinsky, as well as the poet Joseph Brodsky, who called Diaghilev "Citizen of Perm".

Diaghilev's official heir was his father's sister, Yulia Parensova-Dyagileva, who lived in Sofia (she renounced the inheritance in favor of Nouvel and Lifar). On August 27, Nouvel organized a memorial service for the deceased in Paris, in the Alexander Nevsky Cathedral.

Compositions

• Difficult questions, "World of Art", 1899, No 1-2, No 3-4 (co-authored with D. V. Filosofov);
• Russian painting in the 18th century, vol. 1 - D. G. Levitsky, St. Petersburg, 1902.

Addresses

In St. Petersburg

• 1899 - autumn 1900 - tenement house on Liteiny Prospekt, 45;
• autumn 1900-1913 - profitable house of N. I. Khmelnitsky, Fontanka river embankment, 11.

In Venice

• Lido, Grand Hotel des Bains

The fate of the Diaghilevs in the USSR

• The fates of the two brothers of Sergei Diaghilev - Yuri and Valentin - are tragic. Valentin was shot on Solovki in 1929 on a fabricated criminal case; Yuri was sent into exile (according to other sources, he was subjected to administrative expulsion), died in Tashkent (according to other sources, in the city of Chirchik, Tashkent region) in 1957.
• The elder nephew Sergei Valentinovich Diaghilev was a symphony conductor. Like his father, Valentin Pavlovich, was repressed in 1937 on a fabricated political article. Spent 10 years in camps and 5 years in exile. After rehabilitation, he returned to Leningrad, where he continued his creative activity. Died August 13, 1967.
• The younger nephew Vasily Valentinovich Diaghilev, a neurologist, was forced to hide his relationship with the famous uncle.
• Great-grand-nephew Sergei Alexandrovich Diaghilev - composer and conductor. Lives in St. Petersburg.

Memory

In Paris

• In 1965, the area near the Grand Opera Theater, in the IX district of the city, was named Diaghilev Square.
• In 2003, a monument-bust of Diaghilev by the St. Petersburg sculptor Levon Lazarev was unveiled in the Châtelet Theater in Paris.
• In the year of the centenary of the Russian Seasons, interest in Diaghilev's personality increased again. In 2008, the Sotheby's auction house organized in Paris, in honor of the 100th anniversary of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, the exhibition Dancing Toward Glory: The Golden Age of the Ballets Russes, which featured about 150 paintings, sketches, costumes, scenery, and drawings. , sculptures, photographs, manuscripts and programs. Among the exhibits were costumes designed by Leon Bakst and French artists André Derain and Henri Matisse. An installation by the Belgian sculptor Isabelle de Borchgrave, inspired by the legacy of Diaghilev, was also presented.
• In 2009, the preparation of a project for a monument to Diaghilev began in Paris. The winner of the competition was the project of the sculptor Viktor Mitroshin. His Diaghilev stands to his full height in a top hat, tailcoat and with a cane in his hand, on a high pedestal, on which Petrushka opens the curtain. At the time of the competition, the project was supported by President Jacques Chirac, his wife Bernadette expressed her desire to supervise the work on the implementation of the project; then the project came under the patronage of Pierre Cardin. Since the mayor of Paris, Jean Tiberi, was against it, the erection of the monument could only be started after he was replaced by Bertrand Delanoe. The monument is planned to be installed on the square in front of the Grand Opera.

In Russia

In Perm

• Since 1992, the family home of the Diaghilevs in Perm has housed a gymnasium named after S.P. Diaghilev, and a museum that forms a single complex with the gymnasium. In 2007, a monument to Sergei Pavlovich by sculptor Ernst Neizvestny was erected in the concert hall of the Diaghilev House. Since 2009, Perm has been discussing the possibility of moving the monument to one of the streets, but the monument is cast from colored patinated bronze - a whimsical material that is afraid of rain and exhaust gases.
• On the initiative of the Perm Opera and Ballet Theater, the annual Diaghilev Festival is held in Perm. The building of the theater, built thanks to the significant financial support of the Diaghilevs, according to many Permians, is the most beautiful in the city.
• In September 2011, Nikolai Novichkov, Minister of Culture of the Perm Territory, proposed naming the new Perm airport "Sergey Diaghilev International Airport".

In other cities

• The lyceum of arts in Yekaterinburg and the school of arts in Zelenograd, as well as the ship "Sergey Diaghilev" are named after Diaghilev.
• In the spring of 2006, the Dyagilev nightclub (also known as the Dyagilev project) opened in the building of the Shchukin Stage on the territory of the Moscow Hermitage Garden. Its logo was a black and white drawing depicting a mustachioed man in a tailcoat, top hat and bow tie with a clear allusion to the image of S. P. Diaghilev.

Image in art

art

• Portrait by Valentin Serov (1904).
• Portrait of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev with his nanny by Lev Bakst (1905).
• In bonistics: Diaghilev is depicted on the front side of the banknote of 500 Ural francs issued in 1991.
• In philately:

Postage stamps of Russia

original stamp on postal envelope, 1997

Sergei Diaghilev and Russian Seasons, 2000

In cinema

• S. P. Diaghilev became the prototype of the impresario Lermontov in the film The Red Shoes (1948, played by Austrian actor Anton Walbrook).
• In the film "Nijinsky" (1980, USA), the role of Diaghilev was played by Alan Bates.
• In the film Anna Pavlova (Mosfilm, 1983, directed by Emil Lotyanu), the role of Diaghilev was played by Vsevolod Larionov.
• "Coco Chanel and Igor Stravinsky" (2009) - the film, in particular, shows Diaghilev's relationship with the composer Stravinsky.
• Sergei Diaghilev's Paris is a documentary film directed by Nikita Tikhonov and written by Violetta Mainiece and Yulia Tikhonova (39 min.; 2010, Russia).
• "Merchant for all time. Virtual Museum of Sergei Diaghilev" - a documentary film-interview with Edward Radzinsky, Nikolai Tsiskaridze, Alexander Vasilyev directed by Svetlana Astresova (2017, Russia).
• In the television series "Mata Hari" (2017), the role of Diaghilev was played by Andrei Tartakov.

In the theatre

• The image of Diaghilev is shown in Maurice Bejart's ballet "Nijinsky - God's Clown" (1972, theater "La Monnet") and in several performances by John Neumeier dedicated to the fate of the dancer Vaslav Nijinsky.

In the drama theater the roles of Diaghilev were performed by:

• Maxim Mishaev - in the performance of the Puppet Theater. S. V. Obraztsova "Nijinsky, God's crazy clown" (2008, director Andrey Dennikov).
• Edvardas Beinoras - in the play "Nijinsky. Music of one life, Experimental theater of the author's play on the stage of the V. S. Vysotsky Center.
• Oleg Vavilov - in the performance of the Theater on Malaya Bronnaya "Nijinsky, the crazy clown of God."

Bibliography

• Sergei Diaghilev and Russian Art. In 2 tons. Comp. I. S. Zilbershtein and V. A. Samkov. M., 1982.
• book. S. M. Volkonsky, My memories. Laurel. Wanderings. Motherland. - Berlin: The Bronze Horseman, 1923, Moscow: Art, 1992, in 2 volumes.
• book. S. M. Volkonsky. Reviews in Latest News - see complete collection in: Revue des études slaves, Paris, LXIV/4, 1992, pp. 735-772.
• Stasov V.V., Exhibitions. - Poor in spirit, Fav. soch., vol. 3, M., 1952, p. 215-228, 232-243.
• Lunacharsky A.V. In the world of music. M., 1958.
• Grabar I., My life, M.-L., 1937.
• Fokin M. M. Against the current, L.-M., 1962.
• Valentin Serov in memoirs, diaries and correspondence of contemporaries, vol. 1-2, L., 1971.
• Grigoriev S. The Diaghilew ballet 1909-1929, Harmondsworth, 1960 .).
• Haskell A. L., Nouvel W. Diaghilheff. His artistic and private life, L., 1935, 1955.
• A. Benois, My memories. In five books. vol. 1 and vol. 2. Ed. second, add. Moscow: Nauka, 1990.
• Serge Lifar (Sergey Lifarenko). Diaghilev, With Diaghilev. M.: Vagrius. 2005, 592 pp., 5000 copies,
• Garafola L. "Russian ballet of Diaghilev". Translation from English. Perm - "Book World", 2009, 480 pp., encyclopedic format, 500 copies,
• Semendiaeva Maria. Vladimir Semenikhin organized an exhibition about Diaghilev's ballets // Snob. - 2009. - October 30.
• Mokrousov A. B. Money and art between East and West. S. P. Diaghilev. Materials for the biography. 1902-1926 // Fashion Theory, 2010, No. 15. P. 167-204.
• Chernyshova-Melnik N.D. Diaghilev: Ahead of time. M., "Young Guard" (ZhZL), 2011.
• Scheyen S. Diaghilev. "Russian Seasons" forever / Per. from the Netherlands N. Voznenko, S. Knyazkova. M.: Hummingbird, Azbuka-Atticus, 2012, 608 p.

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