Aivazovsky on American aid to starving people in Russia. It happens that a journalist talks about something. It happens that an artist talks about the same thing! So today our story will be about two unusual paintings by I. K. Aivazovsky, who, with their help, told about a little-known episode of Russian-American relations.
What's the easiest way to stay in power?
At one time, the famous British philosopher and scientist Bertrand Russell in his "History of Western Philosophy" cited the most ancient "Code of Tyrants" attributed to Aristotle and containing the following recommendations:
1. Under no circumstances should the worthy be nominated. Which can even be executed.
2. To prohibit joint dinners (in the language of modernity, this means the abolition of freedom of assembly) so that thoughts harmful to society do not spread.
3. Contain spies so that you know exactly what the people and your followers are really saying about you.
4. Promise a better life in the future.
5. Build public buildings to keep people busy and have money for entertainment.
6. Arrange holidays, because when the people sing and dance, they do not plot evil!
7. It is imperative to wage wars (or prepare for them), because the need for an autocratic leader increases.
The angry Yankees got into the car, pinched the tail of their monkey
Based on the latter position (and we will not touch on others today), it is always extremely beneficial to prepare for a war or a small war, or to frighten the people with the threat of a big war. All miscalculations and shortcomings are attributed to the threat of war. And it is not for nothing that our media today describe how the same USA is preparing for a third world war with Russia and has almost started it. Literally everywhere, we are talking about the evil-minded and angry Yankees. As a matter of fact, about suicides, since they, of course, are well aware of the consequences of the answer. After all, if after the explosion of only two houses in New York they did not pay salaries for three months, because they could not make ends meet with credit operations and insurance, then what will happen if there are… many such houses? Although the main idea of the information flow of such a direction is clear: to continue to produce trench consciousness and to show that our main enemies are, of course, nasty Americans, they do not live in peace! And again, there are reasons for it. The same sanctions, for example. But here it is important to remember about the percentage of negative and positive. What do we do more good or harm: from the cast iron, titanium, platinoids and steel unalloyed semi-finished products sold in the USA, or from the statements of their retired generals and the entry into the Black Sea of one of their ships? However, how much the United States buys from us and in what percentage to deliveries from other countries, today you can see on the Internet …
All in all, the victims of the crop failure
However, there were times in the history of Russia when the people talked about the same Americans in a completely different way, and troikas traveled around the villages under the stars and stripes American flag. But when and how did this happen? Well, there is information about this, and two paintings by the famous artist Aivazovsky will serve as illustrations for it. Which, it turns out, wrote not only the sea, but also horse troikas under the American flag. And yes, he had a reason for that.
The fact is that in 1891-1892, the South and the Volga region of Russia were seized by a severe famine.
Moreover, no matter how hard they tried to explain it by unfavorable weather conditions, the reason was different - in the policy of the state. The fact is that Russia, in order to replenish its treasury, annually exported a lot of grain abroad. In the first year of famine alone, 3.5 million tons of bread were sold abroad. The next year, the situation worsened even more. Epidemics were added to the famine. But both the Russian government and grain merchants have now sold 6, 6 million tons of grain to Europe, that is, almost twice as much. And all because the sovereign-emperor himself in every possible way denied the very fact of the famine in Russia. “I have no starving people, - said Emperor Alexander III, there are only those who suffered from poor harvests.” Why, why did the autocrat, who disguised the army in peasant caftans, gave the battleships the names of saints and built buildings in the pseudo-Russian style, treated his own peasants so badly - the people who were the mainstay of his power?
Count V. N. Lamsdorf wrote in his diary that in the highest circles they are not at all aware of hunger, but, worst of all, they do not even sympathize with the starving, as well as those compassionate people who seek to help them.
There are always people or at least one person …
As always, it was impossible to hide an awl in a sack. There was no Internet and satellite communications at that time, but news of the famine in Russia got into the European press, and then into American newspapers. And there was a man in America named William Edgar, editor of the weekly North Western Miller, who offered to provide Russia with humanitarian aid. An appeal was drawn up and sent to the emperor, but again he did not make a decision immediately, but nevertheless allowed him to help the starving Russian people. However, maybe all these were just fictions in order to increase the circulation?
But no, for example, that no one else wrote about the famine of these years, but Leo Tolstoy himself: “People and cattle are really dying. But they do not wriggle in the squares in tragic convulsions, but quietly, with a faint groan, they get sick and die in the huts and yards … Before our eyes, there is a continuous process of impoverishment of the rich, the impoverishment of the poor and the destruction of the poor … the worst human traits: theft, anger, envy, begging and irritation, supported in particular by measures prohibiting resettlement … The healthy grow weak, the weak, especially the old, children die prematurely in need and painful death. However, these were nothing more than words. But W. Edgar got busy with business. Immediately after the publication of the first materials on the famine in Russia in his magazine, he sent out five thousand letters to the states asking grain merchants to donate grain to the hungry in Russia.
Correct judgment and correct opinion
Moreover, in his articles, Edgar also decided to remind his readers how during the Civil War between North and South it was Russia who sent its warships to the United States and thus rendered America an invaluable service. Two military squadrons, which arrived at the Western and Eastern ports, showed Russia's readiness to help his country in the moment of testing. The threat from England and France, ready to come to the aid of the southerners, was quite real. And for almost seven months the Russian ships stood at the American coast, preventing this threat from being realized. So, he wrote, it was with the help of Russia that the United States won the civil war. If England and France had intervened, the North would have lost it!
All these words resonated in the hearts of American citizens, and the correct opinion was born that power is power, and people are people and that they need help. And they began collecting donations to buy grain for the starving Russian men. Everything went on a voluntary basis, since the US government did not approve of this popular initiative, although in a free country it did not dare to prohibit it either.
And although the Americans were surprised by the reports that, despite the famine, Russia continues to export bread, they continued to raise funds to send "their own bread" to the starving.
For what measure you measure, the same will be measured to you
It seems surprising, but money to buy bread for the hungry in a distant and little-known country was collected literally from representatives of all strata of American society. Money was sent and borne by both farmers and millers, donations came from bankers and … religious leaders who also addressed calls to their flock, among the donors were the owners of railway and sea transport companies, telegraph employees, newspaper and magazine reporters, government officials, workers, college and school teachers, and even students. Although the newspapers continued to report that grain from Russia still goes to warehouses and is being traded on the exchange! That is, people considered it their moral duty to help those in need and to commit a truly moral act, which, in general, characterizes those Americans on the good side, doesn't it? Whether faith was the reason, proclaiming mercy to one's neighbor the main content of a Christian's life, or something else, in this case it is not so important. The result is important, namely the money collected by people!
And in the end, the Americans collected so many of them that as many as three northern states and the American Red Cross for several months brought everything that was bought and collected during this time, and by the end of winter the first two ships, loaded with flour and grain, went to Russia.
Without theft anywhere
In the early spring of 1892, they came to us, and the organizer of this action, William Edgar, went along with the cargo. He saw a lot with his own eyes and a lot surprised him: both the unfair distribution of the sent aid, and just the godless theft of the sent grain while still in the ports. The indignation of the American journalist simply knew no bounds. But "they don't go to a strange monastery with their own charter." I had to endure. In addition, the main thing was that from the beginning of spring to the very middle of summer, as many as five steamships with humanitarian cargo arrived from America to Russia, the total weight of the cargo on which amounted to more than 10 thousand tons, which at the prices of that time cost about one million dollars.
It is interesting that the future Emperor of Russia Nicholas II appreciated this help and wrote about it then: "We are all deeply touched by the fact that ships full of food are coming to us from America." How many lives this bread saved, then, of course, no one counted, and it was hardly possible. But the fact that he saved not one life, but many, is beyond doubt. True, the authorities preferred not to spread much about the fact that the bread was American. Involuntarily, the question would arise: "And where did you share our bread?" Why is it that the Americans are helping the starving, but "the owners of the land are not Russian," and it is clear that this should have been avoided by all means.
But it so happened that the famous marine painter I. K. Aivazovsky, and he responded to all these events in his own way. He started painting!
"Aid Ship" and "Food Distribution"
When the first steamers "Indiana" and Missouri "from the so-called" Hunger Fleet "arrived in Libava and Riga, Ivan Konstantinovich Aivazovsky was among those who personally witnessed their meeting. American steamers greeted the bands, and wagons loaded with food were adorned with US and Russian flags. And the wave of popular gratitude and hope for salvation had such a strong effect on the artist that he wrote two canvases at once: the first was named by him "The Ship of Help" (and at least there was a sea and there was a ship on it!), But the second was completely unusual for him. and was called "Food Distribution". After all, usually the artist did not paint either people or horses. Almost all of his paintings are the sea and ships, and it was their images that he became famous for. And suddenly, quite unexpectedly, this!
That being said, the latter picture is particularly impressive. In the center of it is the famous Russian troika, laden with food, on which a peasant stands and holds an American flag. And the villagers wave their hats and scarves with joy, and some immediately turn to God with words of gratitude to Him and America for the life given to them. The painting conveys genuine popular enthusiasm. And it is not surprising, because yesterday you and your children were threatened with death from hunger, but now it has retreated. And immediately there was hope!
When the truth hurts your eyes
Interestingly, these paintings by Aivazovsky were banned from showing in Russia. The emperor was extremely irritated by the mood of the people conveyed by him on these canvases. Such enthusiasm should have been directed towards him, the sovereign of the throne, and not some overseas "liberals".
As a result, Aivazovsky, somewhere in the late 1892 - early 1893, left for America and took with him the paintings that did not please the authorities. There he donated them to the Corcoran Gallery in Washington, where they were then exhibited for many years. From 1961 to 1964, Jacqueline Kennedy decided to exhibit them at the White House, clearly with a hint of a thaw in US-Soviet relations. But in 1979 they were bought by a private collector from Pennsylvania, so it was no longer possible to look at them. But the paintings did not disappear and did not get lost among private collections. In 2008, at the Sotheby's auction, both of these canvases for a very decent amount (2.4 million dollars) were bought by a patron of the arts and this time he did not hide, but immediately transferred them again to the Corcoran gallery in Washington, so now they can be again contemplate. So, if one of the readers of "VO" suddenly finds himself in the US capital and visits this art gallery, he will be able to see two paintings by Aivazovsky there and now they will no longer cause him bewilderment …
Instead of an epilogue
It is now we have such an "information war" going on, or, better to say, a "smokescreen" is being erected. But if something happened - and what will they write and say in our country then?
Yellowstone will explode, or from global warming the deserts will crawl all the way to Moscow, will flood the entire Western Siberia and New York, and then we will have to jointly resettle and feed more than a billion refugees and migrants, setting up many "ships of hunger" for this. But for this it will be necessary, first of all, to learn to see each other as friends, and by no means enemies. And then our media will write something completely different for us, as has happened more than once …
