Biography of Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev. Sergey Pavlovich Diaghilev: biography, photo, personal life, interesting facts Sergey Diaghilev personal biography

Biography

Life in art

Russian seasons

Addresses in St. Petersburg

The fate of the Diaghilevs in the USSR

Diaghilev as a symbol in culture

In bonistics

Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev(1872-1929) - Russian theatrical and artistic figure, entrepreneur, one of the founders of the World of Art group, organizer of the Russian Seasons in Paris and the Diaghilev Russian Ballet troupe.

Biography

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. His father, P. P. Diaghilev, was widowed early, and Sergei 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 50s of the XIX century 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.

Life in art

In 1896, Diaghilev graduated from the university, but instead of practicing law, he began a career as an artist. A few years after receiving his diploma, he created, together with A. N. Benois, the World of Art association, edited the magazine of the same name (from 1898 to 1904) and wrote art criticism articles himself. He organized exhibitions that caused a wide response: in 1897 - an exhibition of English and German watercolors, introducing the Russian public to a number of major masters of these countries and modern trends in the fine arts, then an exhibition of Scandinavian artists in the halls of the Society for the Encouragement of Arts, an Exhibition of Russian and Finnish artists in the Stieglitz Museum (1898) the World of Arts themselves considered their first performance (Dyagilev 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.), Historical and art exhibition of Russian portraits in St. Petersburg (1905); An exhibition of Russian art at the Salon d'Automne in Paris featuring works by Benois, Grabar, Kuznetsov, Malyavin, Repin, Serov, Yavlensky (1906) and others.

"Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters"

In 1899, Prince Sergei Volkonsky, who became director of the Imperial Theatres, appointed Diaghilev an official for special assignments, gave him editing of the Yearbook of the Imperial Theatres. Many artists came to the Imperial Theaters together with Diaghilev (Ap. M. Vasnetsov, A. N. Benois, L. S. Bakst, V. A. Serov, K. A. Korovin, A. E. Lansere).

In the 1900-1901 season, Volkonsky entrusted Diaghilev with the production of Delibes' ballet Sylvia. Diaghilev involved the artists of the World of Art group in 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 Diaghilev's dismissal.

Russian seasons

In 1907, Diaghilev organizes annual foreign performances by Russian artists, called "Russian Seasons". In 1907, within the framework of the "seasons", the introductions of musicians were held - "Historical Russian Concerts". N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov, S. V. Rakhmaninov, A. K. Glazunov, F. I. Chaliapin and others took part in them. In 1908, seasons of Russian opera were held. Despite the success, the season brought losses to Diaghilev, so the next year, knowing 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:

Ballet seasons then continued until 1913. For the ballet tour, Diaghilev invited a number of famous artists, including M. M. Fokina, A. P. Pavlova, V. F. Nizhinsky, T. P. Karsavina, E. V. Geltser.

With this troupe, he toured in London, Rome, and also in the USA. Outstanding artists who were part of the "World of Art" participated in the design of the ballets, in particular A. N. Benois, L. Bakst, A. Ya. Golovin, N. K. Roerich, N. S. Goncharova. "Seasons" were a means of promoting Russian ballet and fine arts and contributed to the flourishing of ballet in countries where this genre was not developed.

Troupe

In 1911, Diaghilev organized the Diaghilev Russian Ballet company. The troupe began performing in 1913 and lasted until 1929, that is, until the death of its organizer.

Death

Diaghilev died on August 19, 1929 in Venice, according to rumors, from furunculosis. He was buried on the nearby island of San Michele.

The meaning of the name Diaghilev at the present time

The gymnasium in Perm, where Diaghilev studied, has been named after him since 1992. In this gymnasium No. 11, a museum named after S. P. Diaghilev was opened.
In 2007, a monument to Diaghilev by sculptor Ernst Neizvestny was erected in the concert hall of the Diaghilev House.
Perm still hosts annual international cultural festivals named after S. Diaghilev - "Diaghilev Seasons: Perm-Petersburg-Paris". The initiator of the first Diaghilev festival in Russia was the Perm Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre. P. I. Tchaikovsky, whose building was built thanks to the significant financial support of the Diaghilevs and, according to many Permians, is the most beautiful in the city.
In the year of the centenary of the Russian Seasons, interest in the personality of S. P. Diaghilev increased again. In 2008, the Sotheby's Auction House organized the exhibition "Dance to Glory: The Golden Age of the Ballets Russes" in honor of the 100th anniversary of Diaghilev's Ballets Russes, which was held in Paris. On it one could see about 150 paintings, sketches, costumes, scenery, drawings, sculptures, photographs, manuscripts and programs. The organizers of the exhibition displayed the key moments in the development of the Ballets Russes, which over the twenty years of its existence has completely changed the traditional ideas about theater and dance. Among the exhibits were costumes, sketches for which were made by French artists Andre Derain (“Magic Shop”, 1919) and Henri Matisse (“Song of the Nightingale”, 1920). Separately, it is worth mentioning the costumes invented by Lev Bakst. Bakst is the first stage designer to become a worldwide celebrity. Creating sketches of ballet costumes, he was inspired by oriental and ancient Greek outfits. The models that he developed not only delighted the audience in the theater, but also influenced fashion trends. Of contemporary artists inspired by the legacy of Diaghilev, an important place was taken by the paper installation by the famous Belgian sculptor Isabelle de Borchgrave.
In May 2009, Monaco issued two postage stamps "Centenary of the Russian Ballet of Diaghilev", created by Russian artist Georgy Shishkin.
In 2009, a discussion began in Perm on the creation in the city of a number of monuments to S. P. Diaghilev, showing him in different years of his life.
In 2009, the preparation of a project for a monument to Diaghilev began in Paris. The model of the sculptor Viktor Mitroshin became the winner of the international competition. 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. Probably, the monument will be erected with the support of patrons, on donations, by the forces of the Russian diaspora. At the time of the competition, the project was supported by President Jacques Chirac, and his wife Bernadette expressed her desire to oversee the implementation of the project. The former mayor of Paris, Jean Tiberi, was against it, but the erection of the monument could only be started after he was replaced by Bertrand Delanoe. At the moment, work is being carried out under the patronage of Pierre Cardin. The monument to Diaghilev will be installed on the square in front of the Grand Opera in Paris.

Addresses in St. Petersburg

1899 - autumn 1900 - tenement house - Liteiny prospect, 45;
autumn 1900-1913 - profitable house of N. I. Khmelnitsky - embankment of the Fontanka River, 11.

The fate of the Diaghilevs in the USSR

The fates of two brothers of Sergei Diaghilev - Yuri and Valentin are tragic. Yuri Pavlovich was repressed, and Valentin was shot on Solovki in 1929 on a fabricated criminal case.
Diaghilev's elder nephew Sergei Valentinovich was a symphony conductor. Repressed in 1937, like his father, Valentin Pavlovich, under a fabricated political article. He served 10 years in camps and 5 years in exile. After rehabilitation, he returned to Leningrad, where he continued his creative activity. He died on 08/13/1967.
His grandson Sergei Alexandrovich Diaghilev (Sergey Diaghilev Jr.) is a composer and conductor. Lives in St. Petersburg.
The younger nephew Vasily Valentinovich Diaghilev was forced to hide his relationship with the famous uncle in the USSR.

Diaghilev as a symbol in culture

In the spring of 2006, in the building of the Shchukin stage on the territory of the famous Moscow garden "Hermitage", the most famous club in Russia was opened, with a capacity of 1500 people - "Dyagilev" (also known as "Dyagilev project"). The club's 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 Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev.

There is a tradition among choreographers and dancers - when visiting the grave of Sergei Diaghilev in Venice, put their shoes on a marble pedestal. Almost always, pointe shoes and various theatrical paraphernalia are left by someone on his grave. In the same Greek cemetery of the island of San Michele, next to the grave of Diaghilev, there is the grave of another great figure in the Russian stage - Igor Stravinsky, as well as the poet Joseph Brodsky, who called Diaghilev "Citizen of Perm". For "theatrical" visitors, a special sign "Diaghilew Strawinski" has been installed at the cemetery.

An epitaph is engraved on the grave itself: "Venice is the constant inspirer of our reassurance." This phrase, written by Diaghilev shortly before his death in a dedication inscription to Serge Lifar, became winged in the circle of cultural figures.

In bonistics

Diaghilev is depicted on the front side of the banknote of 500 Ural francs issued in 1991.

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.

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 Art 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, the 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 heiress 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 Towards 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 Vasiliev 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.
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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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› Sergei Diaghilev

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.

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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.

Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev (1872-1929) is a famous theatrical and artistic figure in Russia. He was a critic and creator of the magazine "World of Art". He was involved 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 the promotion of Russian ballet in Western Europe.

Biography

Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev was born into a noble family on March 31 (March 19 according to the Julian calendar), 1872. Father - Pavel Pavlovich Diaghilev - an officer. The place of birth is the Novgorod province, namely the town of Selishche. Pavlovich, whose personal life has always attracted attention, grew up without a mother. Diaghilev's mother died during childbirth.

Childhood and family

Sergey Pavlovich had to grow up with his stepmother. However, she treated him with the same love as her own children. This attitude led to the fact that the death of his brother for Diaghilev became a tragedy. This was the reason that Sergei Pavlovich did not seek to return to his native place.

The father of the figure was a hereditary nobleman. He held the post of cavalry guard. However, numerous debts forced him to leave the army and move to live in Perm. At that time, this city was considered the hinterland of the country. The family home has become central to the life of Perm. There was no end to people wishing to visit the Diaghilevs' house. Often the family held evenings where they sang songs for the guests. The young Sergei 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 a healthy physique. Despite this, he was very educated, well-read, and also easily communicated in 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 began to be interested in theatrical and musical activities. Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, whose biography is very rich, began to take piano lessons, as well as 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 calling 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 course of study in four years. During these years, he began to understand that he must definitely achieve something in life. Despite the successful completion of the university, Diaghilev Sergei Pavlovich, 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 has left a mark on the entire Russian culture. He starts promoting art.

Activity

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 editor together with Benois in the magazine of the same name.

He received funding from major patrons, and for some time he was sponsored by Nicholas II himself.

Diaghilev Sergey Pavlovich, a brief biography about which will not give 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 of 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, most did not notice that the artist began to gradually portray the personality, using modernist techniques. His talent was amazingly predicted by Diaghilev, which was proven by time itself.

The authorities saw that Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev, whose photo is presented in the article, is literally full of energy. Thanks to this, in the period from 1899 to 1901, he received the position of editor in the journal "Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters". However, as many people know, Diaghilev had a peculiar character, constantly defended his point of view, and often provoked scandals. After one of the hot conflicts, Sergei 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 into his service.

New projects

The projects that Diaghilev has been working on for the last ten years cease to interest him. The next period of time he spends traveling around the cities of Russia, in which he studies and collects art objects. He decides to present them to the Russian reader. Soon he begins to speak with articles to interested people, and also writes a review of Levitsky's work. At that time the artist was little known. It was Diaghilev who discovered Levitsky's talent to the public. For this, he was presented with the Uvarov award.

Then he decided to organize an 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 in Russia. He managed to collect six thousand works. Sergey Pavlovich also wanted to write the 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 painting of that time.

Unfortunately, the exhibition did not survive for long. 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 he had done all he could in Russia. Here he organized the first art magazine, but was unable to continue its publication. Nevertheless, Sergei Pavlovich did not manage to create a national museum in his homeland, and interesting ideas about Russian ballet and opera were not implemented either.

In 1906, he set off to conquer Europe, organized a show of "Russian Art" in Paris. They were followed by exhibitions of Russian artists in Venice, Berlin, and Monte Carlo.

These demonstrations became the opening of the "Russian Season". Diaghilev often mentioned that the blood of Peter I himself flows in his veins. The deeds that Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev did were truly ambitious and innovative. For example, in ballet performances, he managed to combine painting, music, and performance. It was Diaghilev who taught the inhabitants of France to Russian ballet. Thanks to him, the Russian ones are considered the best ballet schools. In addition, Diaghilev brought a number of new names to world art. He discovered new brilliant dancers for the ballet - Vaslav Nijinsky, and others. It was he who became the founder of male ballet dance. What guided Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev? His orientation became the creative force that inspired the figure to implement bold ideas. Diaghilev was a homosexual. He loved men, admired them, pursued the career of his lovers.

ascent

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, he began to have connections, thanks to which he was able to organize a large-scale concert of Russian music.

Subsequently, he began to involve the most famous Russian dancers in performances, and after a year and a half 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 devoted to showings of Russian operas. The famous "Boris Godunov" was staged, and in 1909 France saw "Pskovityanka". The French audience was delighted with the performances, almost all the spectators cried and screamed.

After the ballet performances of 1910, many women began to make themselves hair similar to those that the artists had during performances.

Ballet screenings

The ballets organized by Diaghilev were very popular in Europe. Within twenty years, sixty-eight ballets were shown. Some of them have become world classics, for example, "The 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 of Moscow and St. Petersburg. At a certain point in time, he went to perform in the United States of America. Soon the First World War began, and soon the revolution of 1917. All these changes prevented the group from returning to their homeland, but they were not going to leave.

All activities carried out by Diaghilev were aimed at success. This was largely due to his energy. He could easily persuade, convince, charge his comrades-in-arms with his enthusiasm.

Last years

In the later stages of his life, Diaghilev became less and less interested in ballet. Collecting became his new occupation. For quite a long period, Sergei Pavlovich did not have a permanent home. 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, Nijinsky.

In 1921, Diaghilev learned that he had diabetes. However, he did not follow the doctor's prescriptions and diet. This provoked the development of furunculosis. The result was infection, a sharp rise in temperature. By that time, penicillin had not yet been discovered, so the disease was very dangerous. On August 7, 1929, he became infected with blood. For 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. Sergei Pavlovich was buried in Venice.

The life and fate of Diaghilev is very unusual. All the time he rushed between the choice of which culture he should remain in - 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.

Sergei Diaghilev

Window to Russia

He entered his name in the history of art in golden letters, without being an artist himself, and proved that the organizers can also be brilliant. He considered himself a descendant of Peter the Great, who at one time cut a window into Europe from Russia - and made a return move, no less significant: having arrived in Europe, he cut a window into Russia, making a real cultural sensation all over the world with Russian painting, music, but more everything is ballet. And he was also an open homosexual at a time when it was not yet accepted, and in his love affairs he considered himself Pygmalion, and his Galateas became the most famous dancers and choreographers.

Everyone who knew Diaghilev personally recalled how big his head was - so gigantic that he had to make hats to special order. At the birth of Serezha, this circumstance turned out to be fatal for his mother, Evgenia Nikolaevna, nee Evreinova. Childbirth was long and painful; On March 19, 1872, in the Selishchensky barracks of the Novgorod province, the baby was finally born, and Evgenia Nikolaevna died a few days later, leaving Serezha's twenty-five-year-old father, cavalry guard officer Pavel Pavlovich Diaghilev, an inconsolable widower.

However, despite these tragic circumstances, Seryozha was by no means deprived of female warmth in childhood. From birth, he was in the loving hands of the nanny Dunya, who at one time nursed his mother. The nanny will play a big role in his life until his death: take care of him not only in childhood, but also when he has become quite an adult and published the World of Art. All editorial staff knew her well. The artist Lev Bakst even placed her in the background of his famous portrait of Diaghilev, painted in 1906.

And thanks to another woman, Seryozha's childhood was happy and serene: his father, two years after the death of his wife, consoled himself and married again - to Elena Valerianovna Panaeva. Aunt Lelya, as Diaghilev called her, soft, kind and loving, completely replaced his mother. He himself later spoke of her: "I have never met a better woman on earth."

Soon after the birth of Serezha, Pavel Pavlovich was transferred to St. Petersburg, where he married Elena Valerianovna. Soon they had two more sons, Yuri and Valentin. The family lived well and amicably, music constantly sounded in the house, there were talks about art and literature. Pavel Pavlovich, however, was a lover of playing cards - and as a result he got into huge debts. His father promised to pay them off, but on the condition that the Diaghilev family would move to the Urals with him. Thus, it turned out that Sergei spent from ten to eighteen years in Perm, in a large beautiful mansion, which was called the Perm Athens - the most educated people of the city constantly gathered there, arranged musical and literary evenings, charity concerts and performances. One of Serezha's classmates at the Perm Gymnasium subsequently shared his memories of him: “He was a large, tall boy beyond his years, with a head of outstanding size and an expressive face. He was educated and developed beyond his years and inconsistently with the class. He knew about things that we, his peers and classmates, had no idea about: about Russian and foreign literature, about theater, about music.<…>he had a refined, graceful appearance, something lordly in his whole figure.

For all the education and elegance of the manners of the young Diaghilev, he did not at all belong to the type of quiet and modest dreamer boys: he was active, cheerful, noisy, and often resolved disputes not by talking, but by fighting.

His manners did not change much even after he, having graduated from the Perm gymnasium, moved to St. Petersburg and entered the law faculty of the university. An interesting recollection of that time by Alexandre Benois - Diaghilev's future colleague in the World of Art and the Russian Ballet - which characterizes not only the young man Diaghilev, but in general his manner of communicating with people, remained with him for the rest of his life. Benois recalled how, in the summer of their acquaintance, when Diaghilev had just arrived in St. Petersburg, he had a serious conversation with him in nature, stretched out on the grass, about art - and then Sergei, without warning, pounced on him and began to beat him up, laughing loudly at the same time. “In my relationship with Serezha, I often returned to this case.<…>Over the years, Seryozha, “squeezing” out of me (and from other others) everything that we could give him, with some strange ease passed from a state of peace into a state of struggle with us, often “put us on both shoulder blades” and accepted for no reason to “blow” about anything - however, resorting to methods of not physical, but moral (and “business”) influence.

In his student years, Diaghilev had little interest in studies, paying all his attention to music, painting, theater, and literature. He was an active member of the circle, which would later become the core of the World of Art magazine - it included, in addition to the aforementioned Benois, the artists Konstantin Somov and Lev Bakst, the aspiring musician Walter Nouvel, as well as Diaghilev's cousin Dmitry Filosofov, who became for many years not only Sergei's closest friend, but also his lover. Their relationship began with a romantic trip to Europe, when both were eighteen years old. Venice made a particularly strong impression on Diaghilev during this trip - and remained his favorite city for the rest of his life. “I love Venice so much that I would like to die there, like Wagner,” he wrote to his stepmother in 1902. Twenty-seven years later, his wish came true.

During the first years in St. Petersburg, Diaghilev cherished serious musical ambitions: he could sing, played the piano beautifully, and tried to compose. However, all these attempts failed, without meeting the approval of either professionals or friends, and Diaghilev realized at a fairly young age that his vocation was to be a connoisseur of art, a critic, an organizer. Fortunately for this, he had unique data: the finest artistic flair and breadth of views on art, a powerful practical streak and seething energy. Immediately after graduating from university, he began to collect paintings, hatched projects to create a museum, hold exhibitions, and open an art magazine. He managed to carry out the last two points, and with brilliance. Having developed a vigorous organizational activity, he holds exhibitions one after another (“Scandinavian”, “Exhibition of German and English watercolors”, “Exhibition of Russian and Finnish artists”), finds patrons for the magazine and, finally, together with Philosophov and other friends of student times, begins publish The World of Art in 1898.

The influence of the World of Art on the cultural life of Russia at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries was enormous. Many researchers believe that this magazine fundamentally changed the attitude towards culture in the country - it shook it out of hibernation, opened its eyes to contemporary art. The journal was published for five years, and Diaghilev was its editor-in-chief all this time, determined the general policy of the editorial board, and wrote conceptual articles. The best modern artists, critics, musicians, poets united around the World of Art, and under its auspices annual art exhibitions were held, which caused a great resonance in society.

In parallel with his editorial activities, Diaghilev was in the public service for two years - an official for special assignments under the director of the Imperial Theaters. One of his main assignments in this service was the publication of the Yearbook of the Imperial Theaters - and as a result, the first issue of the updated Yearbook made a splash. However, Diaghilev had too much personality to be simply an official who suits everyone. Very soon he was removed from the production of Delibes' ballet "Sylvia", in response, he refused to manage the "Yearbook". A scandalous dismissal followed on the third point - without the right to subsequently hold public office. He no longer occupied them, although the emperor personally subsequently invited him to serve in circumvention of the law.

In 1904, for a number of reasons, the World of Art was closed - the matter was both in financial difficulties (patrons finally refused to finance the project), and in the moral fatigue of the editorial board members, including Diaghilev himself. Not the last role was played by the distance from the journal Filosofov, who, thanks to the influence of Dmitry Merezhkovsky and Zinaida Gippius, became interested in religious and mystical issues - subsequently they began to publish a more suitable for them in the direction of "The New Way". Gippius generally did a lot to tear Filosofov away from Diaghilev - feeling like an androgynous creature, she decided that she had found in Dmitry the ideal androgynous lover, and made every effort to win him over. She was only partially successful in doing this - Philosophers really moved away from Diaghilev and entered into a triple alliance with her and Merezhkovsky, but Gippius could only offer spiritual relations. The final break in relations between Filosofov and Diaghilev was a scandal with assault in a restaurant in 1905, which Diaghilev started when he found out that Filosofov was trying to beat off his young lover.

The World of Art was no longer being produced by that time, and Diaghilev, with his characteristic energy, took up other projects. After a triumphant exhibition of Russian art portraits in the Tauride Palace, he decided it was time to take Russian art abroad. “I want to groom Russian painting, clean it up and, most importantly, bring it to the West, glorifying it in the West ...” This goal of Diaghilev was brilliantly realized in 1906, when an exhibition of Russian painting and sculpture was held in Paris, at the Autumn Salon - starting from ancient icons and ending with the work of the "World of Art". In the same year, Diaghilev made a lot of useful contacts in France and found sponsors, whose help allowed him to conduct further Russian seasons - he succeeded primarily thanks to his boundless charm, which he always knew how to “turn on” at the right moment. Debussy once remarked that with his charm he could bring a stone to life, to say nothing of wealthy art patrons.

The unconditional success of the exhibition inspired Diaghilev to continue his missionary work - and already next year he introduces Russian music to Paris, carefully selecting the repertoire of "historical concerts" so as to, on the one hand, present the maximum artistic diversity, and on the other hand, the internal integrity of Russian musical traditions. Both historical concerts and the opera Boris Godunov staged the next year with Chaliapin were a great success in Paris - and it was the turn of the ballet.

The beginning of the ballet - the most significant - period in the life of Diaghilev was preceded by an acquaintance with Vaslav Nijinsky, which took place in 1908. It is worth dwelling on this acquaintance in more detail, it was so important for both: it was largely thanks to him that Diaghilev organized the Russian Ballet, which became one of the most significant cultural phenomena of the 20th century, while Nijinsky became a world star, a living legend. At the time of their acquaintance, Nijinsky was an eighteen-year-old promising dancer, a graduate of a theater school who had just entered the Mariinsky Theater. Despite the fact that his career had barely begun, the fame of his unusually high jumps was already circulating. They called him the bird man. Nijinsky himself, when once asked what was the secret of his famous jumps with a stop in the air, replied: "It is not difficult at all: you rise and stop in the air for a moment."

Diaghilev could not help being interested in the rising star, moreover, of a very attractive appearance, and begged Prince Lvov, on whose support Nijinsky was at that moment, to “give way” to him the young dancer. As a result, the weak-willed Nizhinsky for five years entered almost completely at the disposal of Diaghilev and became his first "Galatea". The very next year, 1909, he, like other stars of Russian ballet, was known outside the country: the first Russian ballet season took place in Paris, to prepare for which Diaghilev invited the innovator choreographer Mikhail Fokin and decorators Benois, Bakst, Roerich , Korovina. Paris, for which ballet was an outdated and long-decayed genre, was shocked. “The red curtain rises over the holidays that turned France upside down and which carried the crowd in ecstasy after the chariot of Dionysus,” Jean Cocteau later wrote about Diaghilev’s first ballets. Diaghilev himself was not just a technical organizer, but a kind of ideological center, a conceptual leader on which the entire project rested. He fully delved into all stages of the production, selected employees, dictatorially established his will, often entering into conflicts with composers, choreographers, and performers. Many complained, unsuccessfully tried to argue, left him, but most often returned - his ballet was the best: the most innovative, advanced and brilliant.

Since 1909, the Russian Ballet has been firmly established in Europe, performing annually with new productions in Monte Carlo (where its permanent residence was set up), Paris, London; touring in other countries, traveling outside of Europe - including to America. In 1911, a permanent troupe was formed - some of the artists agreed to leave Russian theaters, some - stars such as Karsavina and Kshesinskaya - to combine without leaving the Mariinsky Theater. This also happened because of Nijinsky - he was just fired from the Mariinsky Theater, and for an insignificant reason: dancing in Giselle in a costume made for him by Alexander Benois, he, at the insistence of Diaghilev, did not put on over the tights that rely on artists in those days ballet panties. After the formation of a permanent troupe, Diaghilev begins to involve Nijinsky in choreography. The dancing genius of Vaclav was not enough for him - he wanted to form a real creator from his favorite. Nijinsky's ballet rehearsals were painful because he did not have the gift of clearly expressing his thoughts, but he still managed to put The Rite of Spring to the music of Stravinsky and Debussy's Afternoon of a Faun. It was precisely because of Nijinsky's advancement as choreographer that Fokine left Diaghilev, who managed to stage such masterpieces as Petrushka and Daphnis and Chloe.

In 1913, Diaghilev let Nijinsky go on tour to South America - he himself, after a fortuneteller predicted his death on the water, was terribly afraid of water travel. Nijinsky reached South America already betrothed - during the trip he was quickly taken into circulation by the energetic Hungarian Romola Pulska. Upon learning of Nijinsky's wedding, Diaghilev was furious - he broke tables and chairs, rushed around the room in a rage. Perceiving this act as a betrayal, Diaghilev fired Nijinsky from the Russian Ballet - it seemed that everything was over. Then, however, he cooled down, helped his protege during the war to get out of Austria, where he was interned, to America, offered to resume cooperation. Most likely, they could work fruitfully together again if not for Romola, who constantly stood between them and even began to sue Diaghilev, demanding that he pay Nijinsky 500,000 francs for performances in the Russian Ballet. Soon Nijinsky, who had always been mentally unstable, went insane. Diaghilev could not come to terms with this and tried several times with the help of an emotional shake-up to return his Vats: he took him to one of the rehearsals in 1924, and in 1929, a few months before his death, to Petrushka at the Grand Opera. But alas, the miracle did not happen.

Nijinsky's place in the heart of Diaghilev, as well as on the pedestal where another Galatea was to stand, did not remain vacant for long - very soon he found himself new material for modeling: eighteen-year-old Leonid Myasin, who at the time of his acquaintance with Diaghilev was dancing in the corps de ballet of the Bolshoi Theater and was about to move into drama. Judging by Massine's turbulent personal life, which he subsequently led with women - he was only married four times - it can be assumed that his preferences were purely heterosexual. However, Diaghilev knew how to make offers that could not be refused, and Myasin agreed, moving after Diaghilev to Monte Carlo, where he became the chief choreographer of the Russian Ballet for six years, impudent and avant-garde. One of his most high-profile projects was "Parade", staged in 1917 based on a libretto by Cocteau to the music of Satie and decorated with scenery and costumes by Picasso - this was his first appearance as a theater artist. "Parade" was a series of choreographically solved circus numbers, as characters, in addition to circus artists, skyscraper people in costumes made of cubic cardboard structures appeared in the ballet. "Parade" marked the gradual farewell of Diaghilev's ballet to the modern era and its merging with contemporary art.

Seven years later, Myasin left Diaghilev and the Russian Ballet, having struck up a relationship with an English dancer, but subsequently staged ballets for Diaghilev several times in the twenties - he knew how to put professional relationships above personal insults. The Russian ballet itself by that time was no longer quite Russian. Costumes and scenery for him were designed mainly by French artists (Picasso, Matisse, Derain, Braque and others), foreigners were recruited into the troupe, although Russian pseudonyms were certainly given to the primates. Diaghilev's new favorite, Anton Dolin, for example, was actually named Patrick Chippendall Healey-Kay. Russia, in which the revolution took place, separated from Europe by an almost impenetrable wall, although young talents managed to get out of it from time to time. So Sergei Lifar and George Balanchivadze, aka George Balanchine, appeared in the Russian Ballet.

Diaghilev's relationship with Soviet Russia was ambivalent. On the one hand, he condemned the revolution, on the other hand, he showed interest in what was happening in his homeland, rushed there, cherished dreams of showing his ballets there. Only the news that both of his brothers were arrested in Russia destroyed all his hopes of visiting his homeland. The most striking manifestation of his interest in Soviet Russia was the ballet "Steel Jump" to the music of Prokofiev, the idea of which he explained as follows: "I wanted to portray modern Russia, which lives, breathes, has its own physiognomy. I couldn't imagine it in the pre-revolutionary spirit! This production is neither Bolshevik nor anti-Bolshevik, it is beyond propaganda.”

Sergei Lifar, a native of Ukraine, spent the last years of his life with him, from whom Diaghilev also made a creator - not only an outstanding dancer, but also a choreographer. Lifar subsequently wrote a large book, Diaghilev and Diaghilev, in which he recalls in sufficient detail his relationship with the great impresario. Based on these memoirs, one can draw a conclusion about what kind of relationship Diaghilev had with his Galateas in general.

Lifar told how Diaghilev taught him to perceive art, leading him through the streets and museums of Italian cities, how he sent books on art for reading, for which he then had to take an exam, describing in detail his impressions of what he saw and read. He also spoke about the frenzied scenes of jealousy that Diaghilev often arranged for him - Lifar called his formidable lover and mentor Otellushka.

Shortly before his death, Diaghilev began to gradually move away from ballet, carried away by collecting a library, which included such rare books as two copies of Radishchev's Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow burned under Catherine II, the original books of the first printer Ivan Fedorov and many other rare folios.

In the last year of his life, he also had another new hobby - a talented sixteen-year-old musician Igor Markevich. With Lifar, however, Diaghilev, despite a noticeable cooling, did not part - and it was Lifar who spent the last weeks of his life with him in Venice, in August 1929.

From what Diaghilev died, it is still not known exactly. He suffered from furunculosis, sciatica and diabetes, but what exactly caused the sharp weakness and fever, which in a short time brought him to the grave, the doctors could not determine.

Diaghilev was buried in Venice, on the island of San Michele, on his monument are carved the words that he wrote to Lifar three years before his death: "Venice is the constant inspirer of our reassurance." Choreographers and dancers still bring worn-out pointe shoes and various ballet paraphernalia to his grave as a sign of eternal respect and admiration.

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