Last Supper. "little secret" of Natalia Tsarkova - tips

SYMBOL- Unicorn. oil for fire. Another symbol of this day is the Boar digging the ground.

CHARACTERISTICS AND SIGNS OF THE DAY:
The unicorn is a prophetic beast that eats golden apples from the tree. Capable of changing his appearance and can predict the future, fulfill the wishes of a person who is able to tame him.
Description
Day of wickedness, deception. The 3rd hour of the night and day are unkind. Dreams come true within 100 days. Associated with the transition from Taurus to Gemini. Symbolizes absorption, assimilation, transformation, transition to a new quality.

In general, the fifth lunar day is a good and auspicious day. The symbol of the day is the unicorn, signifying strength of mind and body, purity and chastity. And its influence affects the character of the day. Everything related to spiritual development and self-improvement is welcome today. This could be spiritual practices or meditation, analysis of one’s own and others’ actions, work on awareness. This is the best day for self-development. highest qualities such as love and forgiveness. Working on the purity of thoughts and desires has a beneficial effect. Reading prayers and chanting mantras can help with this.
In addition to spiritual development, the fifth lunar day is also suitable for physical improvement. Good influence provide physical exercise. Yoga has a special effect. During which relaxation occurs not only of the body, but also of the mind. Performing asanas helps to acquire inner harmony and peace, and allows you to achieve tranquility.
Thanks to the changes taking place in spiritually, on this lunar day sensitivity increases significantly. And this opens up the opportunity to understand people more sensitively. You can quite accurately determine those who hinder and who contribute to your development. As on the second lunar day, today your intuition extends to food, among the variety of which you can choose products that are healthy for you.
Fifth day lunar month is influenced by two signs at once - Taurus and Gemini. And if the sign of Taurus gives the day decisiveness, development, strength, Gemini endows it with duality and contradiction. This can be expressed as the emergence of various temptations or a sharp change in state, from comfortable to vain. It is important at this moment to treat yourself carefully, give up everything bad and be able to maintain spiritual purity.
The symbol of the day - the unicorn, personifying perfect goodness, incorruptibility and dignity, endows the day with these characteristics. That is why today it is so easy to defend your beliefs and principles. It is advisable to finish all good deeds started on this lunar day. Otherwise it could turn into trouble.
According to legend, on this day of the lunar month it is favorable to cry. Not only in dreams, but also in reality. Tears are a sign that the soul is being cleansed.

HEALTH AND TREATMENT: Making cold remedies, fumigating rooms with herbs: wormwood, incense, calamus root, St. John's wort, weeping grass root. You should pay attention to the food consumed on this day. You can't starve, but you can't eat animal food either. It's good to cry. Pay attention to the esophagus.

Vulnerable body part:
Esophagus.

AGRICULTURAL WORK, HERBS COLLECTION: Day of protecting the harvest and making the corresponding pentacles. Collection and drying of herbs.

MAGICAL RITES AND RITUALS: Rituals and conspiracies for good luck in business, business, friendship, love. Placing amulets for the implementation of plans. Pentacles for crop protection. Meditation on ruby, diamond, working with amulets - falcon, cat's and tiger's eye.
You should guess only on topics related to Internal changes, ask questions regarding state of mind, as well as those that directly indicate any dramatic changes in your life. You can only guess for yourself. Even if someone asks you, politely refuse. Now this is very dangerous, you may not be able to resist the temptation to interpret the prophecy from the point of view of your own selfish interests, which could violate moral code magician

SPECIAL WARNINGS: Marriage is not recommended.
Dreams. Dreams of the fifth lunar day reflect your internal state. During this period, changes occur on the spiritual plane. There is a transformation from one state to another. If you pay close attention to the interpretation of dreams, you can understand in which direction changes are taking place. Either you are on the path of spiritual development, or you are moving in a circle without gaining new experience.
In this case, it is recommended to analyze your life, thoughts, actions. Your intuition will help you draw the right conclusions.
It is believed that if dreams are related to the road, then this good sign, and difficult dreams indicate health problems. Good omen if you cried in a dream. Your soul at this moment has become purer.

About those who were born on the fifth lunar day.
Those born on the fifth lunar day have spiritual and physical strength since childhood. But these people have very contradictory nature. They are characterized by frequent changes in mood, state inner world. People of the fifth lunar day are very active and emotional. They have a thirst for new knowledge, which comes easily to them. Creative inclinations contribute to the emergence of new ideas, the implementation of which they have enough strength.
Children with early age It is advisable to teach them to analyze what is happening, develop their awareness, the ability to control their emotions and desires. In their lives great importance It has spiritual development. It is very important that they are able to acquire inner harmony and balance. And we learned not just to maintain this state, but to live in it. It is advisable that they learn to avoid manifestations negative emotions.
The ability to understand themselves will give them the opportunity to control their desires and thoughts, the purity of which they must be able to carry throughout their lives. If a child has been interested in spiritual development since childhood and shows curiosity about religion and traditions, there is no need to be afraid or resist such interests. On the contrary, it is recommended to encourage and facilitate such development.
Those born on the fifth lunar day are very sensitive. All this contributes to the emergence of curiosity about more subtle worlds. Thanks to good intuition, they can highlight what is favorable for them in their lives. And this applies to all areas of life - relationships, self-development and even food preferences, which they are advised to pay attention to Special attention.
It is believed that magicians and heroes are born on this day.

Tsarkova’s painting was first shown before Easter in Rome, and Pope John Paul II himself blessed it as a message of peace. At a ceremony in Milan, together with the artist, the purple veil was torn from the canvas by the curator of the archives and library of the Roman Empire, who had specially arrived from the Vatican. catholic church Cardinal George Maria Meia, who then, in a lengthy speech, spoke very flatteringly about the merits of the painting and even traced the spiritual connection between the authors of the versions of “The Last Supper” - from the great Leonardo to this miniature Russian woman...

- Why exactly " last supper"and September 11? - I asked Dr. Paolo Biscottini, director of the Milan Diocesan Museum.

Humanistic Western culture emerged from the European Renaissance, of which Leonardo was a shining star. Exactly this Western culture, its values were challenged on September 11 last year. The fact that the picture was painted by a Russian artist is a certain encouraging sign of the inseparability of the Christian world.

- Natasha, aren’t you worried, seeing such proximity: Leonardo and you?

Of course I'm timid. This is in no way a comparison with Leonardo, but only one stage of the painting’s journey. After Milan, it will be exhibited in Rome, in the church of Santa Maria delle Angeli e dei Martiri, designed by Michelangelo. Then he will go to Moscow for Easter and maybe to New York by September 11, 2003.

In Italy, my painting was called “The Last Supper of the Third Millennium.” Because it was only on September 11, 2001 that the third millennium began. Before this, everything in the world seemed to have already settled down, everyone had calmed down. But no. Again the terrible, new, unexpected is falling. New uncertainty about the future has emerged. In the fresco by Leonardo da Vinci, Christ looks at the bread, in other authors - at the sky. But then the New York tragedy happened, and the world changed. It was as if everyone had woken up. In my picture, Christ has turned and looks at the world with a tragic look, with reproach and at the same time with love and understanding. Looks at each of us. In the soul.

Until now only male artists have painted The Last Supper. There were no women among the characters either. Apostles after all. A woman appeared on Tsarkova’s canvas. Far away, in the background, is a curious, rustic female head from behind the curtain: Natasha’s self-portrait.

- What does this innovation mean?

It's like a look from the third millennium. Mine and my peers.

-Are you a religious person?

Yes, religious, but this is very relative. Firstly, because I lead a special life. This separate question, complex and very personal. Secondly, the state of mind. You don't have to write only religious objects to belong to a religion.

Natasha invited the people who posed for her for “The Last Supper” to the presentation in Milan. The composition of the company reveals some of the secrets of the artist’s success.

At a banquet over a glass of champagne, she introduced me to “Christ” - Count Pepi Morgia, architect, author of the project for the reconstruction of the dome of St. Peter’s Cathedral in Rome; with his friend “Judas” - the “cool” Milanese fashion stylist Gilermo Mariotto; with the brilliant Roman lawyer Vittore Cordella, whose noble profile and thick head of long graying hair represent St. Andrew the First-Called. Natasha wrote St. John from Count Andrea Marini, Philip from the professor of architecture Count Dario del Bufalo. And the models for the images of Simon, Thaddeus and Thomas were, respectively, the Grand Prior of the Order of Malta Franz von Lobstein, Count Romano del Forno and Prince Nicolo Borghese.

That is, the Italian and Catholic aristocracy, the people whom Natasha paints on orders. She included fragments of past or future portraits in her canvas. The desire of aristocrats to replenish their family galleries is not only family photos, but also the solid portraits, similar to the original and carefully executed in the traditional manner, attracted them to the Russian artist. The aristocrats brought her to the Maltese, and after the portrait of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Sir Andrew Burtis, she was noticed in the Vatican and ordered a portrait of the pope.

- Perhaps the Pope is not an ordinary model?

He doesn't pose for artists at all. Even if I wanted to, church rules don’t allow it. I worked for nine months instead of the usual two. They brought me his photographs, staff, clothes, ring. Do you know that the ring, which must be kissed by all believers when meeting him, is individual and exists only during the lifetime of each specific pope? Then it is destroyed by fire and melted.

- And did dad like that first portrait?

Yes, and he granted me a private audience. I told you how I worked. He was touched by the fact that the portrait reflected secrets that not everyone would notice. The Madonna and Child is reflected in the staff. It is believed that Madonna saved the pope from death during an assassination attempt. He always keeps her image in front of him. The Vatican said that I guessed the “third secret of Fatima,” who predicted that Madonna would save the “man in white.”

- Russian people working in the West are forced to establish themselves, overcoming sometimes brutal competition. Does this problem exist for you?

Thank God there are enough artists, otherwise I would die from orders. There are millions of portraits of the Pope painted. The portrait of the pope itself is far from uncommon. But mine was commissioned by the Vatican because they saw my previous paintings, which they liked.

- Is it better to work here than in Russia?

I don’t know how artists work in Russia now. I just happen to be here and things are going well. I feel needed here. There are people who wait for my paintings and stand in line for years. As a rule, customers are from the aristocracy. What is aristocracy? These are the people who follow family tradition, know the history of their kind for centuries. Among the clients there are representatives of families known from the 11th-13th centuries. I see a certain symbol in the fact that in “The Last Supper” I collected portraits of aristocrats. It is important for them to have their own artistic image for posterity. For the Italian, European and even American nobility, this is not vanity at all, but a matter of continuity. I painted a portrait of Prince Ludovisi. There were five popes from this family. Among them is Gregory XIII, who reformed the calendar in 1582 (this is when Orthodox Church remained under Julian).

- Who do you feel like - Italian, Russian, Orthodox, Catholic? Religions, unfortunately, often do not unite, but divide people.

Of course, Russian, Orthodox. But this does not mean - a stranger in this environment. Russian for the first time Orthodox artist, moreover, an artist, recognized as the official portraitist of the pope. This is very useful, very necessary. This is a small step towards peace. Not towards reconciliation, but towards peace.

- I have no doubt about your personal qualities and charm. But, probably, it also played a role Russian school the painting you brought?

Still would. It is most important. They have virtually no schools here. Art school in Western Europe died. There is not even a hint of the level that still exists in Russia. Our country is young compared to Italy. And that's okay. A dying European nation is kept alive by the foreigners who come here. It's the same with art. People have seen, experienced and live in the past. Russia survived an extra hundred years thanks to “ iron curtain». Classical school implies work, study, patience. Qualities inherent in totalitarianism. And I am a Russian artist.

- Well, in this sense, we are threatened with the fate of Italy and falling behind China?

I graduated art school in 1985. And then the decomposition began. In a hundred years, perhaps there will be no genre of painting at all.

On this optimistic note, we said goodbye to Natasha, for whose lifetime there will be enough aristocrats in Europe.

News from the world of art

Little secret, 1995. Oil, Rome, artist’s collection

The title "Little Secret" indicates the mystery or mystery hidden in this painting. What is Natalia Tsarkova’s secret? In a clock symbolizing the transience of time? IN chess game, personifying the struggle between light and darkness? In the figures of two characters of the Commedia dell'Arte, Pierrot and Pulcinella, or in a golden cage in which a beautiful bird is imprisoned?

Ministry of Culture Russian Federation invited the artist Natalya Tsarkova to hold personal exhibition in the State historical museum. The artist plans to implement this project soon. Natalia Tsarkova is known as the only woman in the world who painted portraits of four Popes. She has been the official portrait painter of the Vatican since the late 1990s. Her works hang in Vatican palaces, churches and museums different countries peace. At an exhibition of portraits of popes in Washington, organized in 2005, Tsarkova’s portraits were the only works by a living artist - other paintings were by Raphael, Caravaggio and Velazquez.
Natalia Tsarkova was born in Moscow in 1967. She studied painting at the Krasnopresnenskaya art school, then at the Moscow secondary art school at the Institute. Surikov. At the same time, she entered the newly opened Ilya Glazunov Academy. She was on Glazunov’s course the only girl, the best in the portrait class. It was thanks to Glazunov that she first came to Italy. And soon she returned there to organize an exhibition of her works in 1994. The paintings were successfully sold. She decided to stay for several months, but received one order after another and postponed her departure. First she became a portrait painter for a number of aristocratic families, and then she was invited to work at the Vatican. Her first work was a portrait of John Paul II.
This Pope, despite 21 years on the Holy See, has not yet had an official image. Later this portrait was printed on official documents of the synod of the Roman Catholic Church. Tsarkova painted a total of three portraits of Pope Wojtyła. The first portrait was exhibited in the Vatican Museums, the second was commissioned cultural center named after John Paul II in Washington, and the third is located in the Roman Basilica of Santa Maria del Popolo.
Portraits by Tsarkova are realistic, and their details indicate the works and personal characteristics of the heroes. In the portrait of Francis I, the pontiff is depicted with a wounded but already bandaged lamb in his hands - a symbol of mercy, in addition, this is a reference to the parable of the lost sheep.

On the left - "The Merciful Shepherd", 2013. Oil, artist's collection. On the right - "Saint John Paul II", Vatican Museum

A portrait of Benedict XVI is on display in the Vatican Museums. There are a lot of symbols in this portrait. First of all, this is the throne of Pope Leo XIII, on which Benedict XVI is depicted. The red color of the mantle symbolizes faith and love, and the red folder with the pope’s speech symbolizes dialogue as the only way come to peace.

Natalia Tsarkova's studio is located in one of the most "Russian" quarters of Rome, near Piazza Barberini. A stone's throw away is the house where Gogol lived and wrote." Dead Souls"On the contrary, across the road, near the “four fountains,” was the apartment of Karl Bryullov, who wrote “The Last Day of Pompeii” in Rome. Alexander Ivanov and Orest Kiprensky lived not far from Barberini. Central location in the studio, completely hung with paintings, the “Last Supper” is dedicated.
Natalya wrote her version of "The Last Supper". Unlike traditional iconography, Jesus Christ is depicted half-turned, and his gaze is directed directly at the viewer. He looks reproachfully, but at the same time with love. Picture Russian artist was given a special honor: its first show took place in the refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan next to famous masterpiece"The Last Supper" by Leonardo Da Vinci.

The Last Supper, 2002. Oil, artist’s collection

Once upon a time, Russian artists were specially sent to Italy to learn from local masters, and this led to brilliant results. Russian painting has taken its rightful place in world art. A unique national school classical and realistic painting. And now painters from Russia also come to Italy, but not for experience, but for success.
It is interesting that Russian contemporary realist artists are in demand and successful in the world. According to the West, the classical art school, which implies work, study, and patience, has already been lost in Western Europe. There is not even a hint of the level that still exists in Russia. And the European aristocracy prefers to have their images for posterity in a classic, recognizable manner.
Apparently, this is why there are many Russian names among contemporary court artists. You can name the St. Petersburg artist Ivan Slavinsky, who made a name for himself in France, and for 10 years worked under contracts with European galleries. Georgy Shishkin is an artist of Monaco, the Prince of Monaco wrote about him: “I’m glad that this artist great talent chose the principality for his art." The name of the Russian artist Sergei Pavlenko, a graduate of the St. Petersburg art academy, is known to the British for a very good reason - he is the author of the ceremonial portrait of Elizabeth II and other portraits of the royal family.
The information was published in the Italian magazine AVRVM.

– Natalya, the question suggests itself: are you going to write Benedict XVI, who was elected a month ago?

– The idea is already in the air. The Vatican is talking about her. And I really want this myself. Painting a portrait of the new Pope is incredibly interesting. Benedict XVI has an unusually expressive face, and what are his eyes worth... But it’s too early to do that now. For a portrait to be successful, I need to properly study the person, penetrate into his world.

- Wait. Didn't you know the Pontiff when he was Cardinal Ratzinger?

– I knew Cardinal Ratzinger very well. However, the Pope is a special hypostasis; it leads to colossal internal changes. This is not my discovery. The mysterious, largely mystical restructuring of personality that occurs after election has been known since ancient times.

– It seems to me that it is generally difficult to be Pope after John Paul II, who is about to be canonized.

– John Paul II was very humane, this is his strength. I'll probably never fully understand that he's gone. IN last time I saw the Pope before Catholic Christmas. He received me in his personal library, where he met many of his guests, including Vladimir Putin. I brought the painting “Our Lady of Light” to show and talked about it for a long time. Dad could practically no longer speak, but he listened very carefully and answered with his eyes. I understood him well. Dad left my painting in the library. In this he did me a great honor. The next day I was interviewed in St. Peter's Square and the Italian journalists asked me to wish the Pope a Merry Christmas at his native language. They told me later that Dad watched the program and was very happy that I addressed him in Russian.

– Did he know Russian?

- I understood well. Once, before a meeting with the Pope, his secretary asked me to address him exclusively in Russian: John Paul II liked the sound of our language, and in general he was interested in Russia. Sometimes he spoke entire phrases in Russian. For example, during our first conversation he said goodbye: “Long live Russian art!»

– They say that the late head of the Catholic Church made an exceptional impression on people.

– There are many cases where, upon seeing John Paul II for the first time, someone began to cry or even lost consciousness. What can I say... When the Pope's body was put out for farewell, people were willing to spend sixteen hours on their feet for the sake of some minutes, or rather seconds, next to him.

– Were you in this line?

- No. I was allowed out of line, and not just for goodbyes. I drew him.

- Right there? Is your drawing finished?

“It was finished at the Pope’s deathbed.” I won’t add anything; any detail created later will look unnatural.

– Will you give this unique drawing to the Vatican Museum? Will you sell? Will you keep it as a souvenir?

– There were several drawings. I will give them to the former secretary of the Pope, Archbishop Stanislaw Dziwisz, who dedicated himself to the service of John Paul II.

– I saw a photograph in which you are standing next to John Paul II, showing him a portrait. At the same time, the Pope was telling you something. What if it's not a secret?

“Of course, I was very worried before his arrival. What will he say about my work? After all, there were a lot of portraits of the Pope. No one is prohibited from writing the pontiff. On average, they brought him two paintings a week. Of course, this was different. I didn't write to Dad own initiative, it was an official order from the Vatican. I was curious what he would say about me.

- Well?

“Expressive,” Papa remarked. - I like". And then... A number of cardinals and two secretaries of John Paul II were present during our conversation. They began to show me signs so that I would reveal to the Pope the mystery of the painting. They already knew about it, but they decided not to dedicate the Pope ahead of time, maintaining the effect of surprise. On the sparkling hilt of the Pope's staff a reflection appears with Jesus in his arms. The Virgin Mary was the patroness of the Pope; it was from her that the prophecies that accompanied him in life came.

- Was dad surprised?

“He was shocked. Italian newspapers later wrote that I foresaw the third secret of Our Lady.

– The Secret of Our Lady?

– In Italy this story is known to everyone. In Russia, they may not have heard of it. In 1917, the Virgin Mary appeared to three Portuguese teenagers, and from her they heard three predictions: about the revolution in Russia, about the Second World War. But the third prophecy remained a secret. The girl, one of these children, took a vow of silence and kept her secret until her death. This prediction became known relatively recently. It was about “a man in white robes falling down as if dead.”

– Attempted assassination of the pontiff?

– Your “Last Supper” was hung next to “The Last Supper” by Leonardo da Vinci. I think you need to be very a brave man to decide to write it after a genius.

– It took me a long time to gain courage. I bought the canvas and it sat clean in the studio for a year. And then insight came. I realized how I should write it. And nowadays you can contact well-known topics. But the question is in interpretation. My painting was called “The Last Supper of the Third Millennium.” Do you know why? In today's world, Christ can no longer look at bread and wine, he cannot look at heaven. I have the Son of God sitting at the table, his back to us, and turning over his shoulder. He seems to ask: “People, what are you doing? Come to your senses!

– As far as I know, you have a dream to show the film in Russia, but a sponsor has not yet been found.

– Russian Minister of Culture Alexander Sokolov was in my studio. He liked The Last Supper, and it is possible that the issue of her trip to Russia will be resolved at the government level. I think my “Evening” definitely needs to visit Russia, because it was written by a Russian.

Born in Moscow in 1967. She studied painting at the Krasnopresnenskaya Art School, then at the Moscow Art School at the Institute named after. Surikov. At the same time, she entered the newly opened Ilya Glazunov Academy. In Glazunov’s course, she was the only girl who was the best in the portrait class. And now she has been living and working in Rome for eight years, where she was recognized as a portrait painter of Pope John Paul II and was accepted as a Dame of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. She came to visit an Italian friend and stayed late. Then she painted two official portraits of the pope, one of which was printed on the documents of the last synod.
The author's copy was commissioned for the Cathedral in Washington.

Tsarkova’s painting was first shown before Easter in Rome, and Pope John Paul II himself blessed it as a message of peace. At a ceremony in Milan, together with the artist, the purple veil was torn from the canvas by the keeper of the archives and library of the Roman Catholic Church, Cardinal Giorgio Maria Meia, who had specially arrived from the Vatican, who then, in a lengthy speech, spoke very flatteringly about the merits of the painting and even traced the spiritual connection between the authors of the versions of “The Secret” supper" - from the great Leonardo to this miniature Russian woman...

- Why exactly “The Last Supper” and September 11? - I asked Dr. Paolo Biscottini, director of the Milan Diocesan Museum.

Humanistic Western culture emerged from the European Renaissance, of which Leonardo was a shining star. It is this Western culture and its values that were challenged on September 11 last year. The fact that the picture was painted by a Russian artist is a certain encouraging sign of the inseparability of the Christian world.

- Natasha, aren’t you worried, seeing such proximity: Leonardo and you?

- What does this innovation mean?

It's like a look from the third millennium. Mine and my peers.

-Are you a religious person?

Yes, religious, but this is very relative. Firstly, because I lead a special life. This is a separate issue, complex and very personal. Secondly, the state of mind. You don't have to write only religious objects to belong to a religion.

Natasha invited the people who posed for her for “The Last Supper” to the presentation in Milan. The composition of the company reveals some of the secrets of the artist’s success.

That is, the Italian and Catholic aristocracy, the people whom Natasha paints on orders. She included fragments of past or future portraits in her canvas. The desire of aristocrats to replenish family galleries not only with family photos, but also with solid portraits, similar to the original and carefully executed in a traditional manner, attracted them to the Russian artist. The aristocrats brought her to the Maltese, and after the portrait of the Grand Master of the Order of Malta, Sir Andrew Burtis, she was noticed in the Vatican and ordered a portrait of the pope.

- Perhaps the Pope is not an ordinary model?

- And did dad like that first portrait?

- Russian people working in the West are forced to establish themselves, overcoming sometimes brutal competition. Does this problem exist for you?

- Is it better to work here than in Russia?

I don’t know how artists work in Russia now. I just happen to be here and things are going well. I feel needed here. There are people who wait for my paintings and stand in line for years. As a rule, customers are from the aristocracy. What is aristocracy? These are people who follow family tradition and know the history of their family over the centuries. Among the clients there are representatives of families known from the 11th-13th centuries. I see a certain symbol in the fact that in “The Last Supper” I collected portraits of aristocrats. It is important for them to have their own artistic image for posterity. For the Italian, European and even American nobility, this is not vanity at all, but a matter of continuity. I painted a portrait of Prince Ludovisi. There were five popes from this family. Among them is Gregory XIII, who reformed the calendar in 1582 (this is when the Orthodox Church remained under the Julian Church).

- Who do you feel like - Italian, Russian, Orthodox, Catholic? Religions, unfortunately, often do not unite, but divide people.

Of course, Russian, Orthodox. But this does not mean - a stranger in this environment. For the first time, a Russian Orthodox artist, moreover, a female artist, is recognized as the official portrait painter of the pope. This is very useful, very necessary. This is a small step towards peace. Not towards reconciliation, but towards peace.

- I have no doubt about your personal qualities and charm. But, probably, the Russian school of painting that you brought also played a role?

Still would. It is most important. They have virtually no schools here. The art school in Western Europe is dead. There is not even a hint of the level that still exists in Russia. Our country is young compared to Italy. And that's okay. A dying European nation is kept alive by the foreigners who come here. It's the same with art. People have seen, experienced and live in the past. Russia survived an extra hundred years thanks to the Iron Curtain. Classical school implies work, study, patience. Qualities inherent in totalitarianism. And I am a Russian artist.

- Well, in this sense, we are threatened with the fate of Italy and falling behind China?

I graduated from art school in 1985. And then the decomposition began. In a hundred years, perhaps there will be no genre of painting at all.

On this optimistic note, we said goodbye to Natasha, for whose lifetime there will be enough aristocrats in Europe.