Mark Shagal in White Redingot

In the section “Memoirs”, Kiev art critic Tatyana Galitskaya talks about a meeting with Mark Shagal in 1973 in Leningrad. It was recorded by Lidia Storodubtseva. In the story, the word "redingot" sounds several times. In the 18th century, the so-called riding costume was called, subsequently a coat of similar cut.

(excerpts)

- In 1973, Mark Shagal came to Moscow and visited Leningrad. In Leningrad, I happened to see Mark Shagal in the building of the Academy of Arts. This is a classic building on the University Neva Embankment with two Sphinxes, stereing on the pier on the embankment. In the summer of 1973, I passed the session in the first year of the faculty the theory of art of the Repin Institute, which is located in the building of the Academy of Arts. I entered the lobby of the Academy, and the lobby is huge, striking with my columns. At the battered office desk sat our famous Grandma's grandmother, a man stood nearby in a white radingote. Our luminaries, our masters, when they passed, they always greeted her very politely, affably or not. But very often I saw the great masters who carried themselves by bowing, not like a bow, without greeting: well, what is there, an old woman sits. This polite pose is not a semi -colon, but inclination - it remains in memory, the frame is stopped: a stately man with a very beautiful head, gray hair. When I look at the TASS photograph, chronicles, he is some kind of bent a little, and there he was very beautiful. This white redingot is also in general. The great people did not particularly visit the Academy of Arts, it was not very presentable, a little dirty, with this artistic student crowd. But the white redinding, a scarf, of course, a leather bag over the shoulder. The man is so outstanding, striking with the sculpting of his head. I was simply fascinated by this figure. This plastic, this becomes. I see a person looks around, I say: "How can I help?" Different people came to us. He said that he needed to the library. I undertook to conduct it. You represent this girl, who is in the first year! I worked at the travel Bureau, the guide in me was sitting. And we went to the academy. I did not know that it was Mark Chagall. We, moving along the student forced mass, climbed the second floor. "Want to see the workshop?" He agreed. The doors were opened, our students were dumped, I invited him to enter the Antolsky workshop. This is almost a three -story workshop, it always amazes any person. These wooden stairs, the height of three floors. We left this workshop, went further along the corridor of the faculty of the theory of art and the picturesque faculty. He was a very good listener. When we approached the library, there was a crowd, led by the director of the library, bibliographers, as I understand it, the scientific secretary of the institute was in glasses. Then it sounded: "Well, of course, Galitskaya!" Yes, I was a tongue in the tongue. “You understand, we are looking for a walking. This is Mark Chagall. " I said: "It is very nice to meet."

Further in the program:

Life in the village of Ozhmovo.