To leave vs to return: the soviet artists ‘view on the interware “Russian Paris”
The article considers the historical and cultural phenomenon of “Russian Paris”, reflected in the memoirs of Soviet cultural figures. The author suggests considering this set of sources as an alternative to the testimonies of emigrants. Soviet artists who came to the French capital during the interwar period were a fairly large and notable group of “Russian Parisians”. Among the temporary visitors abroad were very noticeable for Russian art figures: Alexander Gerasimov, Vera Mukhina, Alexander Deineka, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, Igor Grabar, Eugene Lancer and others. No matter how much time each of them spent in Paris, this visit became very important in their biographies. For most, a trip abroad in the 1930s was the last opportunity to see relatives and friends, as well as personally touch the various areas of European art. The “Paris episode” in the life of Soviet artists was reflected in their diary entries, correspondence, as well as in articles and memoirs. It is difficult to overestimate the value of these often fragmentary impressions.