Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872-1929) - the famous theatrical and artistic figure of Russia. He was a critic and creator of the magazine "World of Art". He was engaged in the organization of "Russian Seasons" in France, namely in Paris. Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev discovered many famous choreographers for art. He devoted almost his entire life to promoting Russian ballet in Western Europe.
Biography
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was born into a noble family on March 31 (according to the Julian calendar on March 19) in 1872. Father - Pavel Pavlovich Diaghilev - officer. The birthplace is the Novgorod province, namely the village of Selishche. Diaghilev Sergey Pavlovich, whose personal life always attracted attention, grew up without a mother. During childbirth, Diaghilev’s mother died.
Childhood and family
Sergey Pavlovich had to grow up with his stepmother. However, she treated him with the same love as her own children. Such an attitude led to the fact that the death of a brother for Diaghilev became a tragedy. This was the reason that Sergey Pavlovich did not seek to return to his native places.
The father of the leader was a hereditary nobleman. He held the position of cavalry guard. However, numerous debts forced him to abandon the army and move to live in Perm. At that time, this city was considered the outback of the country. The family house became central in Perm's life. There was no end to people wishing to visit the house of the Diaghilevs. Often the family spent evenings at which they sang songs for guests. Young Sergey Pavlovich Diaghilev also took music lessons. In general, he managed to get an excellent and very versatile education. After the young man returned back to St. Petersburg, he was in no way inferior to the intellectuals who lived there. Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was very well-read, which surprised many of his peers.
Youth
Diaghilev was able to return to the cultural capital of Russia in 1890. Sergei Pavlovich had a very deceptive appearance. He looked like an ordinary provincial, had the physique of a healthy man. Despite this, he was very educated, well-read, and easily spoke several languages. All this allowed him to easily fit into the life of the university where he began his studies. He studied in St. Petersburg at the Faculty of Law.
Mastering the basics of law and jurisprudence, the student became interested in theatrical and musical activities. Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, whose biography is very rich, began to take piano lessons, and also to attend a class at the conservatory. Also, the young man began to write music and studied the history of artistic styles.
Sergey Pavlovich Diaghilev made his first trip to Europe during the holidays. The young man wanted to find his vocation and field of activity. At that moment, he began to make friends with many famous people.
Graduation
Since Diaghilev was very gifted by nature, he managed to complete a six-year training course in four years. During these years, he began to realize that he must achieve something in life. Despite the successful completion of the university, Sergey Pavlovich Diaghilev, whose personal life is quite interesting, realized the fact that he was not attracted to be a lawyer. More and more, he begins to immerse himself in art. Soon he makes a choice that left a mark in all of Russian culture. He begins to promote art.
Activities
Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, interesting facts from whose life can captivate many, began to engage in social activities. In general, it could be divided into several parts. The first stage of his life is associated with the formation of the organization "World of Art". She appeared in 1898, and was associated with a number of other figures. In 1899 - 1904 he acted as an editor together with Benoit in the magazine of the same name.
He received funding from major philanthropists, and Nicholas II himself sponsored it for some period.
Diaghilev Sergey Pavlovich, a brief biography about which does not provide complete information about his life, was also the initiator of a number of exhibitions. Each of them was organized at the highest level.
Statements about Repin and work in the Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters
At a certain period in his life, Diaghilev decided to create monographs about famous artists. Soon he wrote a work about Repin, who, in his opinion, was closer to the "World of Art" than to the Wanderers. At that time, few doubted that Repin lacked the gift of depicting realistic paintings. However, the majority did not notice that the artist began to gradually portray the personality, using modernist techniques. His talent was amazingly predicted by Diaghilev, which was proved by time itself.
The authorities saw that Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, whose photo is presented in the article, is literally overflowed with energy. Thanks to this, in the period from 1899 to 1901 he received the post of editor in the journal "Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters." However, as many people know, Diaghilev had a peculiar character, constantly upheld his point of view, and often provoked scandals. After one of the heated conflicts, Sergey Pavlovich was fired and lost the opportunity to work in government institutions. Nicholas II stood up for Diaghilev, who asked Secretary Taneyev to take him to his service.
New projects
The projects that Diaghilev has been involved in for the last ten years cease to interest him. He spends the next period of time traveling to cities in Russia, where he studies and collects objects of art. He decides to present them to the Russian reader. Soon he begins to make articles in front of interested people, and also writes a review about Levitsky's work. At that time, the artist was not known to many. It was Diaghilev who revealed the public the talent of Levitsky. For this, he was presented to the Uvarov award.
Then he decided to organize the exhibition, which will present the works of artists from 1705 to 1905. In order to collect a collection of paintings he had to travel around many cities of Russia. He managed to collect six thousand works. Also, Sergey Pavlovich wanted to write a history of painting from the 18th century. But he did not succeed in fulfilling this plan. Collecting paintings, Diaghilev was able to deeply study the paintings of that time.
Unfortunately, the exhibition has not been preserved for a long time. After its completion, no special rooms were allocated for the paintings, and they were destined to go back to their authors. Most of these works were destroyed during the revolution.
Conquest of Europe
Diaghilev soon began to realize that in Russia he had done everything he could. Here he organized the first art magazine, but could not continue its release. Nevertheless, Sergei Pavlovich did not succeed in creating a national museum in his homeland, and interesting ideas about Russian ballet and opera were not realized.
In 1906, he went to conquer Europe, organized a show "Russian Art" in Paris. Following them were exhibitions of Russian artists in Venice, Berlin, as well as Monte Carlo.
These demonstrations were the opening of the "Russian season". Often Diaghilev mentioned that the blood of Peter I himself flows in his veins. The cases that Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev committed were really large-scale and innovative. For example, in ballet shows, he managed to combine painting, music, as well as performance. It was Diaghilev who taught the inhabitants of France to Russian ballet. Thanks to him, it is Russian schools that are considered the best ballet schools. In addition, Diaghilev introduced a number of new names into world art. He opened for the ballet new brilliant dancers - Vaclav Nizhinsky, Leonid Myasin and others. It was he who became the founder of men's ballet dance. What guided Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev? His orientation became that creative force that encouraged the figure to embody bold ideas. Diaghilev was a homosexual. He loved men, admired them, pursued the career of his lovers.
Climbing
The appearance and activities of Diaghilev in European culture took place in stages. The first step was the exhibition of paintings by Russian artists, as well as icons. Over time, connections began to appear in him, thanks to which he was able to organize a large-scale concert of Russian music.
Subsequently, he began to attract the most famous Russian dancers to performances, and a year and a half later he came to the decision to create his own troupe.
The lists of speeches compiled by Diaghilev are amazing. In 1907, five symphonic performances were organized, which were held with the participation of such famous musicians as Chaliapin, Rachmaninov. The next year was dedicated to the shows of Russian operas. The famous Boris Godunov was staged, and in 1909 France saw the Pskovite. The French audience was delighted with the performances, almost all the audience cried and screamed.
After the ballet performances of 1910, many women began to make themselves hairstyles, similar to those that the artists had during the performances.
Ballet Shows
The ballets organized by Diaghilev were very popular in Europe. For twenty years, sixty-eight ballets were shown. Some of them entered the world classics, for example, "Firebird". Sergei Pavlovich was able to open the world to several talented directors.
Back in 1911, the figure managed to gather in his troupe the most famous dancers in Moscow and St. Petersburg. At a certain point in time, he traveled to the United States of America. Soon the First World War began, and soon the 1917 revolution. All these changes prevented the group from returning to their homeland, but they were not going to leave.
All the events that Diaghilev conducted were aimed at success. This happened largely due to his energy. He could easily persuade, convince, charge his associates with his enthusiasm.
Last years
At the last stages of his life, Diaghilev became less interested in ballet. His new occupation was collecting. For a sufficiently long period Sergey Pavlovich did not have a permanent haven. However, at some point, he stopped in Monaco. Here he began to collect at home the most valuable works of art, as well as rare autographs, books, manuscripts and so on. Sergei Pavlovich began to have serious problems with finances, as well as in relations with another lover Nizhinsky.
He tried to maintain relations, as well as to stay in public life of the twenties.
In 1921, Diaghilev learned that he had diabetes. However, he did not follow the doctor’s instructions and diet. This provoked the development of furunculosis. The result was an infection, a sharp increase in temperature. By that time, penicillin had not yet been discovered, so the disease was very dangerous. On August 7, 1929, he had a blood poisoning. The following days, he did not get out of bed, and on the night of August 19, his temperature rose to forty-one degrees. Diaghilev lost consciousness and died at dawn. Sergey Pavlovich was buried in Venice.
The life and fate of Diaghilev is very unusual. All the time he darted between the choice in which culture he should remain - Russian or European. He made bold experiments, which almost all became successful, brought a lot of profit to Diaghilev, as well as recognition and love of the public. His activities undoubtedly greatly influenced not only Russian, but also the entire world culture.