"George H. W. Bush asked at the airport if it was possible to visit the artist Tsereteli"

Zurab Tsereteli has communicated with Izvestia more than once in his long life. Back in 1983, he wrote an article in the newspaper "The Image of a modern city", where he talked about the importance of a common visual solution for streets and thereby anticipated much later ideas about the design code of Moscow. Later, there were numerous interviews, comments about his works and plans, meetings in the workshop and at the Academy of Arts with representatives of the publication. In one of these conversations, Zurab Konstantinovich confessed: "I love the newspaper Izvestia. I think all the editors-in—chief visited my studio - they loved the artists and watched them very carefully. It's nice: the door opens and the editor comes in... With a correspondent... It is a great honor for the artist."

At the same time, few painters and sculptors were as criticized by journalists as Tsereteli. But he always treated negativity philosophically (although he was genuinely upset), respected the press and liked to answer sharp questions. And most importantly, he never talked formally — always with pleasure and excitement, as if this were not a job, but a friendly feast. By the way, such meetings often really began or ended with generous Georgian treats. He was a hospitable, open-minded man. He could charm and, for all his apparent openness, not say too much. However, in the end, despite all his political instincts, outstanding diplomatic talents and various leadership positions, he remained primarily an artist. And even during the interview, he sometimes held a pen or pencil in his hands — and drew, drew, drew. The paradox: it didn't interfere with the conversation, or maybe vice versa.

Now that Tsereteli is gone, the best thing about him is not obituaries, but works — paintings, drawings, sculptures, mosaics. But Zurab Konstantinovich's statements can become additional, expressive touches to his portrait in their own way. Izvestia has selected the most striking quotes from various interviews of the master to our publication.

About childhood

I recently remembered how we boys heard that the war had started and ran out into the yard, rejoicing. We didn't understand what that meant! We thought that now we would take machine guns and — "boom, boom, boom!" - we would defeat all the enemies at once. But, of course, it was bad for everyone during the war years... Mom cooked the same thing every day — porridge, which was topped with butter for satiety. There was no way to make any other dish.

After the war, when I was little, German prisoners came into our yard. They were building a tramway in Tbilisi. They brought wooden jugs, benches, and stools for sale so that there would be something to eat. We lived poorly, but bread was drying on our terrace in the sun, and I threw these crackers to the Germans. My father came home from work, saw that it was shrinking, and thought I had eaten it... One day he asks: "Why didn't you eat the hominy?" I say, "This is for the Germans." They didn't scold me. Conversely. This is a good trait, it was common to our whole family. A Russian, a German, a prisoner, or not a prisoner is still a person.

Next to my parents lived an uncle, an artist, a handsome man with an athletic build. I thought that if I became an artist, I would be just as handsome an athlete. It didn't work out (laughs).

About professional development

When I was working on my diploma, I set myself an unusual task for that time: to show the ratio of shadow and light, cold and warm color scales. I wanted to create something joyful, enchanting. I was inspired by the Impressionists, the post-Impressionists. The viewing was attended by a delegation from the USSR Academy of Arts, headed by then-President Vladimir Serov. I remember one of the teachers put my work away because they knew the views of the leadership. The great Martiros Saryan was on the commission, he saw it, came up, pulled aside the cloth, looked at it and praised it. And Serov, in turn, began to scold and said that I should be removed from the diploma. It was a scandal! It was the first time that a diploma was taken off, and even so loudly. And in just two weeks I wrote a new paper and defended myself perfectly. But this was the first serious test for me.

Picasso and Chagall influenced me with their individual attitude to creativity — it means a lot. They don't look like anyone else. In the USSR, they taught so that everyone looked like each other. This was evident in everything: the shops had the same storefronts, people dressed the same, and the word "not allowed" was constantly being used... It was believed that if you are a painter, then do only painting, if you are a sculptor - sculpture. And when I got to know Picasso and Chagall, I saw that they, the painters, make both sculpture and graphics, and use a variety of materials in their work. This inspired me and convinced me of the correctness of my path.

Chagall had two workshops in Paris, and he wouldn't let anyone into the second one, but for some reason he let me in. I ran up to the palette, and he gave me a friendly pat on the cheek - apparently he was flattered, but did not want to reveal the whole "kitchen". Because it was immediately clear from the palette which color was the main one in his color scheme.

On relations between countries and peoples

There is oil today, but not tomorrow. Art is an eternal value. And the Americans need us, because they don't actually have their own art school. We had the strongest school in the world at the USSR Academy of Arts.

When George H. W. Bush first arrived in Moscow, he asked the greeters at the airport if it was possible to visit the artist Tsereteli. At that time, I lived in a basement on Tverskaya Boulevard, where the Museum of Modern Art is now. The president's office came running to me, informed me that I was stunned and began to quickly restore order. At first I didn't even believe it, I thought it was a joke, but it turned out to be true: soon Bush arrived with his wife Barbara and said, "We have half an hour, let's see the work." As a result, they spent more than three hours with me. We set the table with Georgian dishes, began to treat them, and when Barbara went to look at the work, I said: "Please choose what you like, I'll give it to you." She chose a still life she had just painted. And only later, when a delegation from the USSR visited them in the USA, she said that her and George's morning began joyfully: they saw Zurab's flowers hanging in their bedroom.

Many Georgians live and work in Russia. It is important that Russia is multinational. Each nation here paints, dances, and sings in its own way, but together they are Russians: one whole grandiose culture in art. No state has this. I love Russians.

About the education of new generations

I urge parents to wake up and realize that Russia has a unique art school. The child can practice and draw... He doesn't even have to become an artist in the end — he can just develop. And learn to see nature properly. It's a whole philosophy to learn to see man and nature. But having learned this, a person will be able to accurately convey it in a drawing, and write good poetry, and just think correctly.

I give freedom to my students. Everyone's eyes, hand, and mind work differently. I'm developing this, and every Friday I conduct a master class for children. But I am not one of those who will constantly point out: "Do this this way, and do that this way." I'm not teaching, but I'm trying to observe how they develop.

There is an incredibly talented generation growing up in Russia. This is a blessing for our country. The only negative is that there are many more girls who want to paint than boys. I recently had a master class: 64 children, only four of them boys.

Academic school is a multiplication table for an artist. This is the basis on which it is already necessary to develop an individual attitude, to show your view. The Moscow and St. Petersburg art schools are very strong today. I can say loudly that there is no school like ours in Europe and America. And our children are wonderful and talented. I conduct master classes and see how beautifully they think, what a good hand they have. This is the key to preserving art. And art is our main asset. Not oil, not aluminum, but museum treasures!

About criticism

Art is not always immediately appreciable. It takes time. I come to the conservatory, I see people sitting there, they have no hearing, Shostakovich is like Chinese to them, but the symphony orchestra is playing, they are listening and applauding. They're afraid of getting into trouble. And in painting, in architecture, it seems that everyone understands. Everyone undertakes to judge, although they did not hold a pencil in their hands.

Other people's opinions don't affect me. Why was I chosen as a professor in America, why was I entrusted to teach, why do I already have five sculptures in America, why did I do my work in 18 countries? Let them scold me, I'll get more orders. Although now it has become unfashionable to scold me. Tired, I guess. And how many apologized? One journalist scolded, scolded, and when he saw me, he asked me to take a picture together.

About the philosophy of life

I'm a professional: I wake up in the morning and immediately want to work. I've trained myself to do this. When I talked to Picasso, I visited his studio, I saw that he worked the same way. I have a lot from him. Chagall was just as hardworking. But not everyone is like that. I hate it when artists say, "Oh, I'm not in the mood today, I'm not going to work."

Ideas are born by themselves. Sometimes I sleep, have a dream, another one, wake up, and start creating a work.

I have a holiday every day. In general, I believe that a man should be able to celebrate every day. And give more joy to others. After all, this is a holiday.

I'm an artist, I don't do politics. I don't like to talk much. I reveal my ideas through art. And my main idea is to live in peace and harmony, to love God and my neighbor. That's my philosophy of life.

About faith

I once worked at the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Academy of Sciences. It was allowed to copy frescoes and make measurements of temples there. There is a temple on a mountain, on a huge mountain, and everyone wonders how they could have built it there. And this is faith — when people carry stones themselves.