In 1986 I flew into Russia because all my young life had been about "The paintings by the Russians"
Aurora Publishing was Russian based and the books they published were the most mesmerizing I had seen.As a child looking at pictures in books was a daily past time...I remember the school library well, but it wasn't there that my interest for images of paintings began.
My grandfather was a wonderful story teller and often asked me to give his hair a little trim...outside in our backyard, I would sit him at a small table and place an old table cloth around his neck and begin to cut his silvery white (swan like strands).He would then tell me stories about the second world war and include dates and times...he was very specific.
I enjoyed this immensely and became his regular hairdresser.
On one occasion he mentioned a painter called "Ilya Repin" a Russian who worked from 1844-1930.
My grandfather went on to say that this painter was one of the greatest Russian realist painters ever.
He explained what 'Realist' meant and told me that Repin painted the spirit of the age he was living in.
It feels you up!....he went on to say....I wondered if I might see a Repin in my school library.
The next day I went looking for a book on Russian painting in the library and saw my first Ilya Repin.
Now all these years have past and my grandfather is long gone to heaven...Im convinced it was the sighting of those paintings, which imbued me with a sense of civic feeling...the human condition...sufferings and painful contradictions.
Reality itself.
Never forgotten in my memory...the day I touched down in Moscow in minus sixteen degrees weather.
It appeared to be like arriving in heaven...a totally white place with no sound at all.
The trip to the Hermitage was stunning in every way imaginable...on arriving I noticed very small tea cups on sale with Ilya Repin's face on them.
I adored them instantly.
I understand that perfectly sounding movie title which resonates in my head.."To Russia with love".
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