Russian artists' unforgettable 'journey of friendship' to RI

Russian artists' unforgettable 'journey of friendship' to RI

By Mehru Jaffer

JAKARTA (JP): They came. They saw. And when they left, their
hearts stayed behind.

Eleven Russian painters who spent a month in Java, Bali and
Madura in celebration of half a century of friendship between
Indonesia and their country may have lost their hearts to
Indonesia but they said that they were returning home loaded with
inspiration.

Vladimir N. Anisimov, head of the Russian Bureau of Creative
Expedition told The Jakarta Post on the eve of his departure that
he felt enriched as a person.

"All this traveling has made me relaxed and opened my eyes
once again to life in its entirety".

He was most inspired by the vast expanse of sea, batik
patterns and women. He has already made 150 sketches of his
travels here and is afraid that even a lifetime may not be enough
to put down all his impressions of Indonesia on canvass.

With his long hair and bronze colored beard he is aware of his
striking physical resemblance to Rasputin, the Siberian mystic
healer who was treating prince Aleksei Romanov, just before the
socialist revolution in October 1917. He said that he has been
called Rasputin before.

The women here remind Vladimir of a precious stone that is
inlaid in gold. He has nicknamed them fragrance of the night but
when asked to compare them with Russian women, he promptly
replied that women in his own country are even more beautiful. He
also promises to run amok with a riot of colors in memory of all
the butterflies he has seen here.

Sumarti Sarwono from the Indonesian Fine Arts Foundation that
helped organize a three day exhibition of the painters at the
Hotel Borobudur in early February found it extremely charming to
see some of these big, Caucasian men dressed in shirts and
shorts, often down on their knees, chasing butterflies.

"What we take for granted here was a complete novelty for
them," she said, smiling at the memory of her Russian guests
crawling on the ground like children.

Personally, Sumarti felt privileged at having the opportunity
to behold the 150 exhibits from Russia without having to travel
there. She hoped that adequate funds would be found eventually to
sponsor a similar trip of a group of Indonesian painters to
Russia around the middle of this year.

Before they left, the Russian painters distributed most of
their work to friends they had made here.

"We have taken the first step, now it is your turn to visit us
in Russia," Vladimir said.

The visit has also helped the painters to experience a
different face of Islam. In Russia they had lived with the
impression that Islam was a militant and intolerant religion. But
as they saw it practiced in the largest Muslim country in the
world, they found that it had a gentle and attractive effect on
society.

They were also impressed with the way political and social
reform is taking place in contemporary Indonesia as compared to
Russia.

"Our path to democracy is much more cruel. It is taking too
long. There is too much suffering in our society," says Vladimir
who has gone home wishing that the violence and confusion in
Russia will soon give way to a more peaceful life style and that
Indonesia's democratization process may never get as difficult or
lawless.

Meeting with numerous fellow artists here and watching them
work made him feel that their work is very unique. The artist
here has a style of his own. It is unique and not an imitation of
art in the west.

But he wonders how some local artists can work indoors when
they live surrounded by so much natural beauty?

"Despite the very cold, treacherous climate in our part of the
world, we still prefer to sit amidst nature and paint, and seldom
lock ourselves up in a workshop," Vladimir said.

Vitali B. Popov who has traveled to India, Nepal and Latin
America said that he has never come across the kind of lush green
color any where else that he finds here. The emerald green
background, the smiling faces of the people and their hospitality
have impressed Vitali most.

Vitali S. Mironov who is a look alike of Nicholas, the last
Romanov Czar of Russia, with an upturned moustache, confessed
that his head is full of images of people in the countryside.

He has already made 10 paintings of life in different parts of
Jakarta. The most vivid memory of Indonesia that he carries back
with him is that of the extreme kindness amongst the people of
this country.