Irina Antonova headed the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in 1961 and left the post of museum president only in connection with his death. She was endlessly admired. Her enormous authority and her incredible experience were indisputable. She spoke three languages, she knew Italian art perfectly and she was in love with her life’s work. Irina Aleksandrovna changed the public perception of the museum. Largely thanks to hers im Pushkin Museum. Pushkin has become a world-class museum. It was she who brought Mona Lisa to Moscow in 1974, she also built cultural bridges during the Cold War.
For the birthday of the only Irina Antonova, “RG” recalls interviews with her from different years.
About the needs
“I am for a quality human life, a person must be satisfied in clothing, food and living conditions. But there must be a limit and the main thing is to understand to what extent he needs it. A person must develop his body, soul, knowledge , talent.”
About giftedness
“The law of giftedness has not yet been discovered. But I don’t think it is dripping from the sky. Because many things are dripping from the sky. Giftedness is a combination of something incomprehensible in a person, the formula of giftedness is unknown. But I’m sure this isn’t dripping from the sky.”
About a childhood dream
“Unfortunately, I realized late that I want to study art. Since I was little, my cherished dream was to become a dancer. I even talked to my mother about it. That addition. What kind of dancer are you?”…Of course, I I loved ballet, but I already understood everything about my data. I won’t do a ballerina, that’s okay. But then maybe I’ll get a circus horseman? Not the one who just rides a horse in circles and performs all sorts of acrobatics, and the one who dances, standing on the back of a galloping horse!For some reason it seemed to me that there, in the circus, I don’t have to dance so well like in the Bolshoi”.
About love and envy
“Envy is a very powerful anti-force. But love is stronger! Just because it is stronger, the world endures. It is not surprising that one of the most important images that runs through the entire history of world art is the image of a mother. You see, mother is synonymous with love.”
About genetics
“Most likely, my nature is genetic. My mother lived a hundred years and five months and died on the way. She read lots of newspapers until the last day, I came home at night and she said: waste your time,” and many times I agreed with her”.
on the tears
“Do I often cry? Very rarely, my tears are most often associated only with art. I could cry, watching Galina Ulanova brilliantly dance “Juliet”.
About the experience
“Headlights? I have no beacon inside, I will be cynical, but I am my own beacon. I go to my own light, I understand that there is not much left and I understand that it is doomed to leave. I must trust myself, in my experience, and try what best I can, to do what I think is important.
