Sergei Diaghilev: the man who opened Russian art to the whole world

March 31, 2022 marks the 150th anniversary of Sergei Diaghilev, an outstanding theatrical and artistic figure, an entrepreneur who created the triumphant Russian Seasons and Diaghilev's Russian Ballet. He managed to conquer the whole world with the greatness of Russian art.

“Devil in the flesh”, “sacred monster”, “Russian prince”, - this is how the French writer Jean Cocteau described him. Sergei Diaghilev, through the art of opera and ballet, told the whole world about the national culture with its national traditions. Anna Pavlova, Tamara Karsavina, Matilda Kshesinskaya, Vatslav Nizhinsky and Mikhail Fokin performed on the best theater stages in the world. It was thanks to Diaghilev that the sophisticated Parisian audience learned about Fyodor Chaliapin, who played the main role in the opera Boris Godunov.  

The name of Diaghilev is mentioned in the memoirs of almost all the brightest representatives of art of that time. He collaborated with the artists Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, with the composers Maurice Ravel, Claude Debussy and Eric Satie. Among his friends was the great Coco Chanel, who often supported his expensive productions and herself created sketches of stage costumes for them. Pablo Picasso said: "Diaghilev did more to spread my fame on an international scale than Rosenberg's Paris exhibitions". Henri Matisse, like many of his contemporaries, noted the inconsistency and spontaneity of Diaghilev's character: “It is impossible to understand what kind of person he is, he enchants and drives you crazy at the same time, like a snake, he slips out of his hands - in essence, he cares only about himself and what he does". According to the memoirs of the ballet dancer Serge Lifar, the impresario himself, when asked about his life, answered: “I am personally not interesting to anyone; It’s not my life that’s interesting, but my work”. However, it was the scale and uniqueness of his personality, amazing intuition and efficiency that largely determined the success of the business to which he devoted himself. Sergei Diaghilev not only showed the new Russian world to the West, but, no less valuable, opened "Russia to the Russians". The figure of the founder of the magazine "World of Art" has become a key figure for the representatives of the Silver Age in Russia. The authors of the articles in the best magazine about art were the whole "light" of Russian literary symbolism - Zinaida Gippius, Dmitry Merezhkovsky, Valery Bryusov, famous artists - Alexander Benois, Valentin Serov, Ilya Repin and many others.

Diaghilev's desire to surprise the whole world with Russian art came primarily from his own admiration for it and, undoubtedly, from his love for his homeland. Despite the long-term stay of the impresario abroad, frequent moves, and even the fact that in his entire independent life he did not have his own home in Russia, everyone who knew him noted his “Russianness”. The expressiveness of his face, liveliness and, at the same time, firmness, a distinctive half-smile, all his "Diaghilev charm", together with his large figure and monumentality, represented the image of a real Russian gentleman - however, what he was. Sergei Diaghilev belonged to a well-known noble family. He was born in the village of Selishchi, Novgorod province, not far from the barracks where his father served. Sergei's mother died in childbirth. The widowed father, Pavel Diaghilev, married Elena Panaeva, who replaced the mother of three-year-old Seryozha - the most tender feelings will connect them all their lives. First, the Diaghilevs lived in St. Petersburg, then moved to Perm to an estate in the village of Bikbarda. The Diaghilev House “breathed” with art, musical evenings were held there, and opera was staged. Very quickly it became the cultural center of the whole of Perm, “it was a real Permian Athens,” recalled Diaghilev’s school friend. Elena Panaeva from childhood instilled in children (besides Seryozha, there were two more sons in the family) not only love for art, but also willpower. According to Diaghilev’s close friend Walter (Valechka) Nouvel, from childhood she weaned Sergei from the words “I can’t”: “You must forget this phrase when they want - they can always”. Years later, art became a real passion for Diaghilev, and the strength of his character made it possible to implement the most ambitious ideas.

“We have to go ahead. One must strike and not be afraid of this, one must act immediately, show oneself entirely, with all the qualities and shortcomings of one's nationality”, - said Diaghilev himself.

Studying at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University took six years instead of the prescribed four - in those years, Diaghilev was more interested in music. He especially idolized Tchaikovsky; living nearby, he often visited "Uncle Petya" (the Diaghilevs and Tchaikovskys were distantly related). For some time he studied with Rimsky-Korsakov, but he tempered the young man's musical ardor, not appreciating his work.

In the 1890s, the magazine "World of Art" was released. The editorial board was headed by the ideological inspirer - Diaghilev. Among the like-minded people are his friends: Dmitry Filosofov (his cousin, with whom the relationship will last for many years), Alexandre Benois, Walter Nouvel and Lev Bakst.

The first issue of the magazine was published in 1898 (this and other issues of the “World of Art” are available in the Presidential Library’s collections) and very soon became the most popular art publication in Russia. The participants of the "World of Art" could not limit themselves to the printed version of the magazine, having decided to organize art exhibitions as well. The first in 1899 took place in the Museum of Baron Stieglitz in St. Petersburg and was full of the names of Russian and foreign artists: Benoit, Bakst, Vasnetsov, Vrubel, Levitan, Repin, Serov, Degas and Benard. The second was held at the Academy of Arts and consisted exclusively of paintings by Russian artists. The "World of Art" lasted until 1904, when it was forced to stop working mainly for material reasons.  

In parallel with his active work in the magazine, Diaghilev served in the Directorate of the Imperial Theaters. A twenty-seven-year-old handsome man with a white strand of gray hair (which is why he was nicknamed "shenchel") enjoyed incredible prestige in the theatrical environment. The star of the Russian Imperial Theater Matilda Kshesinskaya, according to the memoirs of her contemporaries, even jokingly sang: “Now I found out that there was a shenshel in the box and I’m terribly afraid that I will fail in the dance...”

Diaghilev was full of plans, he dreamed of a desire to reform the ballet, to arrange a grandiose national museum in Russia. In 1905, he organized an exhibition of Russian portraits in the Tauride Palace, which became an event of world-historical significance, giving many new names in painting and sculpture. Diaghilev wanted to consolidate the success of the exhibition and fussed about transferring the Tauride Palace to a place for holding permanent exhibitions, but he did not succeed.

Professional disappointments were reinforced by personal ones - a quarrel with Dmitry Filosofov. Diaghilev was the owner, he did not want to share his loved ones with outsiders, and he had to experience losses over and over again. Later, the ballet dancer Vaslav Nijinsky will strike him, whom he will open to the whole world. Other losses will follow him, Diaghilev will never be able to find the only close person for life.

Over time, Diaghilev's talent became cramped in St. Petersburg, and he set off to conquer Europe. In 1906, the first exhibition of Russian artists took place at the Autumn Salon in Paris, the success was unheard of. A year later, the musical Russian season passes - the names of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov, Sergei Rachmaninoff, Modest Mussorgsky sound. Fyodor Chaliapin's fame begins with Diaghilev's concerts. Before the premiere of the opera “Boris Godunov” at the Paris Grand Opera, an excited Chaliapin came to Diaghilev’s hotel with the words: “I can’t sing tomorrow ... I’m afraid ... It doesn’t sound.” Diaghilev tried his best to calm Chaliapin, and he succeeded. The very next day, Paris was shocked, the audience screamed in a frenzy, people climbed onto chairs, waved, knocked, cried with delight.

In 1909, Diaghilev went to impress the West with Russian ballet, which he adored, because it was in it that he saw the synthesis of painting, music and dance. The preparation of the performances took place under the highest patronage of the imperial family - this was an important merit of Diaghilev. With a large subsidy, the platform of the Hermitage Theater and the costumes of the Mariinsky Theater, preparations began for a fundamentally new Diaghilev ballet. The main artists of that time were involved, but Diaghilev controlled almost everything - the work of decorators, costumers, the sound of the orchestra. No one felt better than him what should go down in the history of world art. Diaghilev had an exceptional instinct for discovering talents. Ballerina Tamara Karsavina wrote: “It used to be a great joy for him to discover a genius where a less true intuition would, in most cases, see nothing but eccentricity...” Igor Stravinsky, Ida Rubinstein - the list goes on and on.

The affairs of the impresario did not always go smoothly, building strong relationships with representatives of the creative environment was often incredibly difficult. So, having decided to stage Giselle for Anna Pavlova, Diaghilev doomed himself to a quarrel with Matilda Kshesinskaya. Her influence in the imperial family was extremely significant for the financing of the Russian seasons. And although the subsidies were then finished, a few years later they would reconcile and maintain cordial relations until the last days of Diaghilev.

Russian ballet, following painting and opera, shone in Paris, it was recognized as "the greatest artistic revelation". Diaghilev expanded the scope of classical ballet. He supported experimentation with dance forms that were ahead of their time in many ways. Anna Pavlova shone on stage in La Sylphides, the "genius and angel" Vaclav Nijinsky reminded Europe of an independent male dance. The paintings and scenery of Alexander Benois and Lev Bakst for the performances captivated with their beauty. In a word, Russian art reigned in Paris.

Now Diaghilev's eyes turned to the rest of Europe - England, Italy, Spain, and also to America ... And everywhere there was unconditional success. From 1912 he will no longer start to amaze the world with Russian art, but to look for new forms of it.

Russian seasons marched across Europe until the death of the great entrepreneur. They were overtaken by both stunning success and crises. It also happened that the income could not always cover the costs of the troupe's expenses. Diaghilev himself had practically no property, he traveled the world with suitcases, accompanied by one servant, spent the night in expensive hotels, but was not always able to pay for them.

The stormy Diaghilev, who was constantly on the move, could be calmed down only by one place that he fell in love with from his very first visit - Venice. In 1902, Sergei Diaghilev wrote to Elena Panaeva: “So, I am convinced that I will end my days here [in Venice], where there is nowhere to hurry, no need to make efforts in order to live, and this is our main misfortune, we all do not just live but we strive terribly to live, as if our life would cease without these efforts”. Diaghilev suffered from diabetes, but he did not know how to follow a diet, and constant stress often “jammed” with boxes of chocolates. On August 19, 1929 he died in Venice. The great impresario was buried in the cemetery of San Michele.

His close friend, Alexander Benois, in the book “Diaghilev. Russian Seasons Forever" wrote: "This elemental man is one of the most characteristic figures of our homeland, combining all the charms and all the unquenched power of Russian culture".