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.