Creativity commune

Written by И.Я.Великанов

«Especially I would like to mention here one my fellow countryman - Dmitry Rodionovicha Panin. We have got acquainted even before revolution. He then studied in the Kharkov art school, and a vacation spent in Kozlov. Panin among the first has entered into «a creativity Commune », together with it we performed all graphic works. Together with me he worked then at local theatre. Later, when has located in Moscow, Panin has arrived to me and many years worked in my workshop. Last years lives, being seriously ill he lived at itself on a summer residence to Abramtzevo.»
These lines of Alexander Gerasimov - the deserved tribute of memory of the best friend Dmitry Panin. And after all short unintentional quarrel between them last months their lives was their fatal drama. Panin, living in the country to Abramtzevo where he has died, grieved for a workshop. Is melancholy recollected him and Alexander Gerasimov, but they did not meet any more. By the way, this summer residence to Abramtzevo has been presented to Panin Gerasimov. And, apparently, there would live two artists side by side as brothers under one roof till the end of the life, but have separated them foes, having quarrelled them about what in due time it will be told more in detail. And now about «a creativity Commune». About some additions to her.
As a matter of fact, it was not the commune, in full understanding of this word, and creative association. As well as it is described by Alexander Gerasimov, really, all who only could have control over a brush entered into creative association. For a city and for a staff of Southern front all works were performed. Pictures, slogans, posters, TASS messages by large letters on the big sheet of paper which were hung out in all window in printing house were written, signboards for shops and many other things were written. The collective was big, the material for creative work was spent in a considerable quantity, and means for all it almost were not. Therefore, that difficulties somehow to resolve, «the creativity Commune» had to take «in rent» lordly gardens. They were charged to those small groups of members of creativity which could process thriftily "a rented" garden and skilfully to harvest.
New "tenants" then visited in a garden and the organizer their Alexander Gerasimov, by all means having grasped with itself painter's case.
Panin was Gerasimov's frequent companion also.
New "tenants" of visitors met with due honour. For gardeners they were welcome guests because met not simple people, and true artists. Without knowing, as it is better to please visitors, they fussed round a vehicle, unharnessing gelding on which there have arrived artists.
Time by the evening. July day almost cloudless. The easy caressing breeze almost calmed down. At pond coast the cane whispered. The moon slowly died away, hiding for a cloudlet. The marvellous panorama opened from a garden when you look at a pond and behind him - the Chicherinsky manor.
Visitors, without waiting invitations to a dinner, began to prepare, taking from a vehicle the mobile kitchen. Having noticed culinary gathering of visitors, gardeners have begun to worry, addressing to visitors.
- Alexander Mihajlovich! - owners, - you our visitors have begged. We for you already make a dinner.
- And, lovely friends, ourselves will treat you. A dinner at us especial. 
Though gardeners also have bought a duck in Pokrovo-Chicherinsky village to make from her a dinner, but bread at them was not true, and from vetch. Did not begin to insist. And will be in time with an entertainment their duck, considering that artists will stay for a while with them not one day.
Gerasimov and Panin anything such especial culinary miracle have not brought from a city. They started only porridge-slivuhu with lard. But bread at them was true, baked of a rye flour. Visitors by means of gardeners hastily have made a fire. "Head cook" has incurred a role Panin. He has got from the store room of millet and seasoning for him. Over a fire have adapted a marching copper with which have filled with water with the millet which has been washed out in a pond. Began to cook. The pleasant smoke rose a column and dissipated.
Alexander Gerasimov sat on the brink of a cart and long, keeping the eyes glued, looked at a decline glow. Also it was not clear, whether he thought of what or is blissful dozed. At last a smell of the boiled soft porridge on a free fire so it is tasty began to tease that Alexander Mihajlovich, waking up from a somnolence, it was not kept, has asked:
- Mitja, whether soon porridge will be ready?
- Suffer a little, Sasha. Here pork I will cut, I will enclose in porridge and then favour I ask.
Slivuha it is called because millet boils soft in a water considerable quantity. When it will well boil soft, superfluous water merges in separate ware which with porridge grains serves kulesh, so to say, as the first dish, not less tasty, than porridge. After a meal again walk before a dream on a garden. Then and rest on a fragrant mow, open-air.
Night has taken place with a sweet dream, and the come day has brought him good mood. Visitors together with kind owners have gone to a pond to accept a morning toilet, to be bought. A pond, as a fragment of glass, - any wrinkle. Floating white lilies-water-lilies dressed up him as the girl in day of a celebratory walk. The transparency of a pond would suffice in depth on the whole verst, but its depth at coast on a belt and only in the middle is twice deeper. Temperature - as pair milk.
During a breakfast, having tried a duck bought in Pokrovo-Chicherinsky village and prepared in earthen "oven", all of them together walked then on a garden, being interested in a crop of apples. After walk have dispersed in different places of a garden to draw independently, to extract picturesque treasures. Everyone had a lot of a creative inspiration and desire to create such masterpiece, which else light did not see. Whether a pencil, a water colour or oil paints it was necessary to write an etude or a picture - all the same, but only by all means to create, instead of to make. Such is an arrangement. In «a creativity Commune» where «who is in the slightest degree skilful to have control over a brush», all should aspire to join a true art. It was not the studio and not school, but it is possible to study and in creative collective when near to the amateur artist such attentive artist to companions, as Alexander Gerasims works. Still then in him line of goodwill has been noticed. Still then he was given to the friendship power trustfully, becoming attached to the person from whom quite often suffered change, unrespectability. Being disappointed in such people, he carried them in the category of the enemies and never with them entered into business relations. Pedagogical line of goodwill in Alexander Gerasimov has remained on all life. It is remembered, somehow in the Tretyakov gallery, already in an old age, meeting collective of admirers of its creativity of one of factories of Moscow among which there were many amateur artists, he, talking to them, has told that «quite often happens, when the amateur artist can create such miracle that sometimes it is not possible to create and to the venerable artist». And in this case «to light a spark» in the fan-artist its sincere desire to help it has affected.
... In a garden four days stayed with new tenants. For these days they have written many studies in oils and a water colour. It would not be desirable them to leave, but affairs demanded, and they on the simple crew have left for a way-dorozhenku to the city of Kozlova.
One thousand nine hundred nineteenth was a difficult year. White Guard spot-check of Mamontov has caused to a city the big loss. Shops, the vital warehouses have been plundered and many are ruined in what not guilty people. At station Nikolsky the railway bridge, and in the river Voronezh, in a precipice has been blown up, together with the bridge the steam locomotive is lowered. In villages the gang of the white ruined cattle, selected horses. Have been plundered by them and communes. As Alexander Gerasimov writes, Charles Marx's his big portraits and Fridrih of Engels made it for theatre, have been destroyed, and it had to disappear in city vicinities. It is remembered, how it was difficult to restore anew all when have expelled a gang. But wounds are healed, and «the creativity Commune» again has started to work with full force.