21.07.2007 Culture and the State

I believe in Orphic mission of the Art. Remember? By the power of his art Orpheus defeated chaos in the world and in human soul. Orphic spirit was imminent in Alexandria, famous for its Museion. It was there where people were taught to love and understand Beauty. Now I could give humanity a unique Polymuseion. It is the cause of my whole life. I imagine my dream come into reality and see a large building housing a complex of my five museums, auditorium for lectures and a library. I will say briefly of the structure of Polymuseion.
It embraces:
- Art museum in honor of N.K. Roerich, which contains the masterpieces of “Amaravella” art group, which in 1920-s combined the spiritual search of Russian avant-gardism and Russian cosmism: entering the exhibition the visitor feels taken to a transformed reality. “Amaravella’s” art is romantic. Any painting bears a mighty spiritual charge. Why can’t people see it?
- Museum of Russian North. It is a collection of wonderful paintings by Y.S. Ushakov, the finest graphics by A.B. Bode, pieces of folk art. The museum creates an integral poetical image of Russian North. The central place there is occupied by architectural images. It is our Northern Russian fairy tale. Why it must be hidden from the people?
- Museum of T.G. Yufa comprises about 100 compositions by the great artist. They echo the topics of my books on the diversity of world cultures. Her exhibition could be a remarkable art model of the whole world.
- Museum of Francisco Infante. The world famous artist, Francisco creates artifacts which serve the doors to other dimensions. His art astonishes. It expands one’s conscious, adapting it to a fantastic beauty – unheard of – unseen before.
- Museum of Natural aesthetics. The rare seashells and butterflies were selected by me for it according to one criterion – that they be of a singular beauty.
What different museums! How interestingly they would look in one complex!
Of course, Polymuseion would include Cultural center – I could read lectures there, read my poems, sonnets there. A lot of souls could be saved from alcohol and drugs! But the thanatophile system is not interested in it.
I realize full well, my dream will never come true in this country and in this time – but still I go on living and working for its sake.
Why is our state so indifferent to culture?
Here is a conspicuous fact. Several years ago the largest original of “The Rape of Europe” by V.A. Serov was exhibited in Tretyakov Gallery. The picture was accompanied by a note that 400000$ should be found to buy it out from a private collection. Can it be that the government lacked this sum for the return of a deathless masterpiece? The rulers of today sometimes drink toasts to the honor of I.V. Stalin – it was the time of his dictatorship when numerous priceless works from Russian collections were sold to the West. We could loosen our purse-strings just for redemption of the guilt for this trade in the immortal.
I remember my casual talk with the Duma deputy V.N. Pivnenko. I told her about my project, stressing the point that I offer the state much more than I ask of it. V.N. Pivnenko listened to me with little interest, but promised she would introduce me to some business person during the celebration of Petrozavodsk 300th city day. Of course, the promise sank into oblivion – that was to be expected. But only now I come to realize the core message of our talk: problems like mine must be solved not by the state but by rich “New Russians”. If they want to. If they wish to. If that be their pleasure.
When that became clear to me four years after, I felt uneasy.
I started to ponder over the nature of our state. And my thoughts grew more and more cheerless.
I know culture workers do regularly knock on the nouveau riches’ doors, in most cases being refused. But where do these people get their billions? They steal it – steal it from me and you.
We live in a profoundly corrupt state. But why bemoan that? We ourselves move to power people who are dubious in many respects. We are blind. I think V.N. Pivnenko was among those who voted for the text of Russia’s new anthem which is an insult to Russian culture. It is naive to seek understanding in this generation of people’s representatives.
Culture requires not all that great donations. It is not that there is no funds, but that the authorities don’t understand, culture is as important as national defense or secret services. There is a frightful tendency: each change of power is marked by a decrease of Russia’s cultural level – this is the source of our greatest losses.
Can there be a clever, honest, talented state power in Russia?
The question remains unanswered.

YURI LINNIK,
doctor of philosophical sciences, poet, Russia’s honored worker of science