From Russia with Love

Never Talk to Strangers

Nigel Bruce

Jul 31, 2023 • 2 min read

Pavel Svedomsky: "A God's Fool" (late 19th century), Regional Art Museum Kirovograd, Ukraine

The strangely dressed older man with the Muslim skullcap was a foreigner for sure. The younger man just looked worried. Perhaps they had money. Who knows these days? Especially since they were speaking in Russian. The waiter helped the two men seat themselves in the hotel restaurant then hovered.

"Sasha, you thought you would be untouchable if you played the yuródivïy? How quaintly archaic of you. You thought you were divinely inspired? You thought you could play the holy fool and say what others couldn't. Well, this isn't the age of the Czars any more and you a dead man."

Nesterov-Vision-Youth-Bartholomew — Both these paintings are by Mikhail Nesterov, the leading Russian Symbolist painter. This is *The Vision of the Youth Bartholomew* (1890-91), a masterpiece that unintentionally hints at death.

Sasha flushed resentfully but didn't respond.

"Sasha," said the older man, "you are making it all up. This whole pedophilia nonsense. You got too personal. Putin will be gone one day and there will be another, and you won't be here to see it, or to take pleasure from it. You should have stayed anonymous. It's the secret to a successful life." He raised his glass of water.

The waiter closed in and Sasha asked, "So what did you think of his novel?"

"I liked it" was the reply. "It will get made one day, I promise you. But I have to go. Your guests will be here in a few minutes so I must excuse myself. Good luck with your pitching..."

This painting, "In Russia" (1916) is also known as "Rus': The Soul of the People," a title which refers to the Holy Fool (yuródivïy) dancing center left. It was painted the year before the October Revolution...

Side quest: you can fly below, or you can tell me what you think of Putin here.

Fly...