BUNIN I.A. (1870-1953), TWO AUTOGRAPHS Commemoration of Pushkin's death annivesary in Paris in 1937
Lot 332
7 0008 000
1) Handwritten note. Paris, 1937 1 l., folded in half. 27, 5x21, 5 cm. Stamp "Pushkin Committee. Paris".
"Pushkin's commemorations"!
Terrible days, a terrible anniversary — one of the most mournful events in the entire history of Russia, Russia that gave him life. And she herself — where is Russia now?
"Be beautiful, city of Peter, and stand
Unshakeable, like Russia." —
- Oh, if only the Poet and the King
May come out of the grave
Even for a single moment! / Ivan Bunin".
Further at the bottom of the page: "It is indispensable condition to give me a proofreading of the verse (?)! Ivan. Bunin / 1, rue Jacques Offenbach, Paris 16".
Published: Illustrated Russia. 1937. No. 7. February 6. P. 34. This issue of the magazine was dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the death of Alexander Pushkin. The article was placed in the section "Modern Russian writers about Pushkin", where the opinion about the great poet was also expressed by D. S. Merezhkovsky, I. S. Shmelev, K. A. Korovin, Lolo (L. G. Munstein), Duke V. V. Baryatinsky.
Bunin made this note for S. M. Lifar, a ballet dancer and Director of the Diaghilev theater and the Grand Opera, who organized the Pushkin exhibition in Paris. Bunin actively participated in Pushkin's anniversary commemorations. He published a chapter from "The Life of Arseniev" dedicated to Pushkin in the one-day Parisian newspaper "Pushkin" (February 8, 1937). On February 11, 1937 he made a speach at the solemn meeting in the Ien hall. He read Pushkin's works at the evening of the poet's memory on March 6, 1937.
Bibliography: Bunin I. A. Publicism of 1918-1953 / Rus. Acad. science, In-t world lit. of A. M. Gorky. Moscow, 1998.
Provenance: from the heritage of S. M. Lifar.
2) Handwritten note addressed to V. A. Maklakov. Paris, 1936 1 l., folded in half. 27, 5x21, 5 cm.
"Dear Vasily Alekseevich, I hereby inform You that I am standing down from my position of a member of the editorial Committee for the publication of Pushkin's works. / Truly yours / Iv. Bunin / 21. II. 36".
Minor contamination. Stamped ex-libris of S. Lifar.
The Paris Pushkin Committee was established on February 26, 1935 under the chairmanship of V. A. Maklakov. Its Presidium included I. A. Bunin, P. N. Milyukov, M. M. Fedorov, G. L. Lozinsky (Secretary). The goal was to glorify the name of Alexander Pushkin, to organize various committees to prepare events dedicated to the centenary of the poet's death. The Pushkin Committee decided to publish a complete one-volume collection of Pushkin's works, publicly affordable in price and "impeccable in text". It includes works that Pushkin published during his lifetime, as well as all the texts prepared by him for printing and preserved final manuscripts. An editorial Committee was assembled under the chairmanship of I. A. Bunin, consisting of M. L. Hoffman, N. K. Kulman, A.V. Tyrkova, K. V. Mochulsky, V. F. Khodasevich and G. L. Lozinsky.
Vasily Alekseyevich Maklakov (1869-1957) was a Russian lawyer and political figure. Member of the state Duma of the II, III and IV convocations.
Provenance: from the heritage of S. M. Lifar.