Wanderlust - Far Away, So Close by Prospekt Magazine

Prospekt 2/2022

Wanderlust Far Away, So Close

edited by prospekt magazine

The Perspective - Far Away Take me away - Aeroflot - 6/7 Tom Brennecke - Out there in the streets alone I feel at home - 8/9 Bradley Stafford - Eastern Shades - 10/11 Ying Liu - China‘s Concrete - 12/13 Karen Shakhnazarov - Scenes from Courier (Mosfiilm) - 14/15 my mysterious home - Rilke and Russia - 16/17

The night Do you? - 20/21 Bradley Stafford - Eastern Shades - 22/23 Anastasiia Ushchapivska - The place where time stopped/ A trip to the forgotten - 24/27 Night Cafe - 28/29

The Proximity- So Close Tom Brennecke - Until Tverskaya - 32/33 Bradley Stafford - Eastern Shades - 34/35 Artist: Joseph Edgar, Song: Espionne Russe - 36/37 Anastasiia Ushchapivska - The place where time stopped/ A trip to the forgotten - 38/41 Walter Benjamin - Moscow Diary - 42/43 Credits & Images: 44/45

The Perspective

Far Away

tom brennecke - out there in the streets alone I feel at home

I‘ve fallen in I‘ve fallen out your mouth I‘ve jumped across your legs so many times I‘ve seen your lung out from my window sill I was breathed in but still I am just one of so many particles and there is none that hits the hearts as sharp as your body‘s talking skills we are all blushed your endless grace when summer ends we pace cadence we chase what ends we chase the streams with hands that slice the last sunbeams that touch the walls that‘ll outlive me but say do you live nearby? I want to change my sky 0ut there in the streets alone I feel at home

st. pete

ersburg

Bradley Stafford - Eastern shades Stepping across the HungarianUkrainian border was akin to setting foot into the past, an era of gritty and grey textures and tones. This cold edifice paradoxically warmed my soul and it is a feeling that has continued to pull me back four years later.

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Ying Liu - China´s concrete Millions of tons of concrete that sometimes form a bridge, sometimes a hotel and sometimes are left unfinished.

Beij

jing

Courier (Mosffiilm) - Karen Shakhnazarov - 1986

My mysterious home - Rilke and Russia - 2020

To Mother, 6./18.5, from St. Petersburg

To the mother, 27.5.1900, from Moscow

My dear good Mama, [...] [i]I have not much time to write, - otherwise there would be too much to tell; for the impressions are exceedingly strange; new and densely packed. Pictures and people, festivals and processions, and the whole calendar red! At half past one at night on the Nevsky, hardly able to walk because of the crowd. Before the 3-5 dinner, a splendid parade on the Newquai. Our own cars with black Orloff trotters and silver dishes. And since I have Russian friends here, I often travel through St. Petersburg. You find very strange people here and they are all hospitable and kind. Today I‘m with the famous painter Elie Repin, tomorrow with Princess Tenichev. Sunday, God knows where. I‘m thinking of staying in St. Petersburg for another 10 or 12 days, and then travelling to Finland to Helsingfors or thereabouts and returning to Berlin around the middle of June. But all that is still uncertain. My address remains the same: Ligowka 35! I confirm 2 letters and 4 cards that make me addicted to Italy again. Nevertheless, I wish you sunshine and beauty with a heart full of gratitude. Your René kisses you.

My dear Mama, [...]. All I can tell you about myself is that my two eyes are barely able to see everything that is presented to me and that I am leaving with a heavy heart. On Thursday or Friday I will leave for Kiev and only there will I find out how the journey is progressing. - Today I am invited to visit a private collection, and I also have to make 4 visits. Tomorrow I will probably go for half a day to Abramtsevo, a small village where 20 years ago those men first came together who are now the pride of Russian art. [...] Then one of the next days I‘ll go to the famous old Sergei Troitsky Monastery, one of the 4 main monasteries of the Russian Empire. [...] You can imagine the joyful anticipation I am in. [...] You are embraced and kissed by a René. A kiss on the hand for Grandmama.

From Leonid Pasternak‘s ‚Encounters with Rainer Maria Rilke‘ (1932) The next encounter with Rilke was brief and temporarily fleeting. Rilke came to Russia again and this time to undertake a longer journey. By chance we met at a station between Moscow and Tula. I was travelling to southern Russia with my family. As I stepped out of the carriage onto the platform - I met Rilke, who complained to me of his embarrassment, - for he would like to go to the ‚Jasnaja Poljana‘ to see Tolstoi, but he does not know whether Tolstoi is on his estate or on a journey. [...]

The Night

how bright do you want bu how well do you feel walk where are people gathering in the early hours of the mo which music dictates the way how far are you navigating who else takes the metro a will that window be lit up a how long can you stare at is this still the same wind th can you walk on the street can you walk with your ey will someone notice if you do you stretch your arms t can this facade be climbed? where are you right now?

buildings lit at night? king home tipsy? g morning? ay? g around them? at this time? again? at someone in the night bus? that blew this morning? et? yes closed? u do not walk home? s to reach the walls? ?

Bradley Stafford - eastern shades

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Anastasiia Ushchapivska - The place where time stopped/ A trip to the forgotten

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The Proximity

So Close

tom brennecke - until tverskaya there is a house on chicken legs near V D N C Ha! it sits slightly off the street one can feel it from afar here I met Mira the other day she showed me how she likes coffee she put milk first then looked at me the same she did in sokolniki what am I up to? besides the dreaming she talks about an urban screening have you seen Ostankino? I saw from every alley the fire long forgotten and ash rests in the valley have you seen Ostankino? she asks again and fades I try to reach her hand like fishing in the shades before she jumps and we depart I took a walk at Tulskaya Shukhov send the signal I have my coffee now with milk atomic building all in silk I need to change my place to be and settle down where I spent time with birches or with fir trees arcades that are befalling mine a view that does not hurt but mira, you‘re disturbed? oh dear, why have you gone so soon we never swam the Moskva river in the early afternoon were you one of those that live and die Arbat or were you one of those Krasnaya Ploschad?

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I don‘t know you all too well my heart takes roots where my body dwells are you Strelka in a costume? am I Belka with some perfume? you are going undercover and for you this means down there I have always tried to follow and was always in despair it is my prefab-heart you know that hates to be alone at home I need my neighbours, they need me I need Panelki to be free when we went to walk again every sunday a new line but not before old Tverskaya that you wanted to be mine and then we split up to higher chances find place for you find place for me and finish our lonely dances

scow

Bradley Stafford - Eastern shades

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Artist: Joseph Edgar, Song: Espionne Russe - 2014 Espionne russe Hey qu‘est-ce que c‘est tu veux qu‘il dit de plusse? Y‘est tombé en amour avec une espionne russe Qui fumait des superslims au milieu d‘la nuit Quelque part sur Mont-Royal, tout près de Saint-Denis Peut-être sur une pleine lune il ne se souvient plus Mais se souvient de ses yeux perçants au coin d‘la rue Se souvient de ses ch‘veux, se souvient d‘son odeur Et se souvient de la prendre et ainsi perdre son cœur Ainsi perdre son cœur Se souvient de la prendre Se souvient de l‘odeur Cherchait dans les ruelles, il cherchait dans les bars « Ya-t-il quelqu‘un qui a vu caché mon cœur quelque part? » Il déterrait les arbres, détruisait les gazons Oui il cherchait tout partout en-d‘ssous de chaque buisson Quand il marchait su‘l‘trottoir les gens changeaient d‘côté Pour pas voir le trou d‘son chest qu‘elle lui avait laissé Mais moi j‘m‘ai arrêté et j‘ai regardé dedans J‘ai dis : «Hey, tout est ok! Couche-toi, laisse passer l‘temps! Laisse passer l‘temps! Tout est alright, man, couche-toi! Laisse passer l‘temps! » Oui j‘l‘ai laissé là dans la mousse pour guérir Et en deux temps, trois mouvements, j‘me suis mis à courir Maintenant c‘est à mon tour de n‘pas pouvoir dire plusse J‘ai tombé en amour avec une espionne russe Oui j‘l‘ai laissé là dans la mousse pour guérir Et en deux temps, trois mouvements, j‘me suis mis à courir Maintenant c‘est à mon tour de n‘pas pouvoir dire plusse J‘ai tombé en amour avec une espionne russe [...]

Did you know? From the mid-17th century to the 19th century, French was a popular language in Russia. Russian aristocrats would speak French, so their servants could not understand them. Additionally, it was the language of European politics and many European foreign books were read in French (so for example Shakespeare, Byron and Heine). The Russian nobility would teach French to their children employing French tutors that had fled the French Revolution. And of course, using French was seen as noble and classy - something Tolstoy would display as a loss of Russian values and reality in his book ‚War and Peace‘, that contained French dialogues up until the 3rd edition. 36

Russian spy Hey, what more do you want him to say? He fell in love with a Russian spy Who was smoking Superslims in the middle of the night, Somewhere on Mount Royal, near Saint Denis. Maybe it was a full moon, he no longer remembers, But he remembers her piercing eyes on the corner of the street, Remembers her hair, remembers her scent, And remembers catching her and thereby losing his heart, Thereby losing his heart. He remembers catching her, Remembers her scent. Searching in the alleys, he was searching in bars „Has anyone seen my heart hidden anywhere?“ He dug up trees, destroyed lawns, Yeah he searched everywhere, under every bush. When he walked on the sidewalk people would change sides So as not to see the hole in his chest that she‘d left him. But me, I stopped and looked inside him, I said: „Hey, everything will be OK! Go to bed, give it time! Give it time! Everything‘s alright, man, go to bed! Give it time!“ Yes, I left it there in the moss to heal And in a split second , I broke into a run Now it‘s my turn to be unable to say anything more I fell in love with a Russian spy. Yes, I left it there in the moss to heal And in a split second, I broke into a run Now it‘s my turn to be unable to say anything more I fell in love with a Russian spy. [...]

Anastasiia Ushchapivska - The place where time stopped/ A trip to the forgotten

yiv

Walter Benjamin - moscow diary (MIT Press) - 1985 - written: 1926/1927

December 11. Some words on Moscow‘s characteristics. During my first few days I am above all struck by the difficulty of getting used to walking on the sheet ice of the streets. I have to watch my step so carefully that I cannot look around very much. The situation improved when Asja bought me a pair of galoshes yesterday morning. It was not as difficult as Reich had claimed. The numerous oneand two-story buildings are typical of the city‘s architecture. They give it

the appearance of a summer vacation colony, looking at them one feels doubly cold. The paint jobs are often multicolored, pale in hue: above all red, but also blue, yellow, green. The sidewalk is strikingly narrow, they are as stingy with the ground as they are spendthrift with the airspace. In addition, the ice has formed so thickly along the edges of the houses that a portion of the sidewalk remains unusable. Nor is there any clear demarcation between sidewalk and pavement: the snow and ice even out the various levels of the street.

One often comes across cordons in front of the state stores: one stands in line for butter and other important staples. There are countless shops and even more merchants whose entire inventory consists of little more than a washbasket of apples, tangerines, or peanuts. In order to protect their produce from the cold, they place it under woolen blankets on top of which two or three specimen items are displayed. A profusion of breads and other baked products: rolls of every size, pretzels, and in the

pastry shops, luscious tarts. Fantastic edifices or flowers are constructed out of spun sugar. Yesterday afternoon I was in a pastry shop with Asja. They serve cups of whipped cream there. Asja had a cup with meringue, I had coffee. We sat in the middle of the room, facing each other over a small table.

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asja lacis - Latvian actress, theatre director & Bolshevik

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Credits Images Front & Back: Hammond, Thomas Taylor (University of Virginia Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies). (1964). Central Asia Hammond Slides 2 28. Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA-4.0 Table of Contents: Grachev, Gennady. (2016). Moscow, 1st Botanichesky Proezd, construction of Life-Botanichesky Sad block (25381510059). Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-2.0 6: Solomin. Alexander V. (2011). Aeroflot soviet ticket. Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-3.0 7. Aeroflot. (1983). Aeroflot CSA boaring pass 1983. Wikimedia Commons. Not licensed 9: Family photos of Infrogmation. (1996). Visiting St Petersburg, July 1996 - Alexander Pilar. Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA-4.0 14 & 15: Shakhnazarov, Karen. (1986). Courier [Курьер]. Mosfilm. 21: Smilyanic, Mark. (2016). Saint Petersburg Streets. Pixahive. CC-O 28 & 29: Hammond, Thomas Taylor (University of Virginia Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies). (1972). Hammond Slides Moscow 71. Prokhlada Cafe. Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA-4.0 43: (no author). (1914). Asja Lacis. Wikimedia Commons. Public Domain. Credits: Florstein. (2012). Saint Petersburg Metro Map ENG. Wikimedia Commons. CC-BY-SA-3.0,2.5,2.0,1.0 Credits Text 16: Russian Art & Culture. (2018). RILKE UND RUSSLAND, MOSCOW, OSTROUKHOV’S HOUSE. https://www. russianartandculture.com/rilke-und-russland/ 17: Rilke, Rainer Maria. (2020). Meine geheimnisvolle Heimat: Rilke und Russland. insel taschenbuch (Schmidt. Thomas. Mass, Julia). Text translated with DeepL 36: Manaev, Georgy (Russia Beyond). (2020). 4 reasons Russian nobility spoke French like natives. https://www. rbth.com/history/332300-4-reasons-russian-nobilityspoke-french 36: Dr. Hudspith, Sarah. (no date). Ten Things You Need to Know About War And Peace. BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/ programmes/articles/5lrPL2vWJG6Th9zmh1xwqfV/tenthings-you-need-to-know-about-war-and-peace 37: ferrisaurus (lyricstranslate). (no date). Espionne russe (English translation) 42: Benjamin, Walter. (1985) [1926/1927]. Moscow Diary. October, Vol. 35. MIT Press. pp. 17. Style British English was used; Numbers 1-12 are written out in words. Notes 38: Books shown for educational and aeshtetical purposes only.

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