(E-E) Ev.g.e.n.i.j ..K.o.z.l.o.     Berlin                                                  


      (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov: Leningrad 80s • No.113 >>

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection • Harvard University

USA-CCCP. Points of Contact.
Catherine Mannick – (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Correspondence 1979 – 1990

Text and Research: Hannelore Fobo, 2021/2025

Letter D (September 1982) – The Sea and the Countryside

Letter D consists of two double cards – slightly yellowish, solid sheets of paper folded in the middle, each with a painting on the top page and three text pages; the pages of the second card are numbered 4, 5, and 6, respectively.

 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a, outside: top page with painting and text page 3  Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010  (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a, inside, p 2, p. 3  Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a, outside: top page with painting and text page 3

Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010


(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a, inside, p 2, p. 3

Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010
 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document b, outside: top page with painting and text page 6  Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0009  (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document b, inside, p 4, p. 5  Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0009

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document b, outside: top page with painting and text page 6

Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0009

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document b, inside, p 4, p. 5

Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0009



Kozlov dated Letter D at the beginning, 22 / VIII / 82, but there is also a second date at the end of the letter, on page 6 – 1 / I / 82. The Roman “I” in the middle is obviously a mistake, since it refers to the month of January. By all accounts, the “I” should stand before an “X”, 1st September 1982.[1]

The first painting, a multifigure composition signed E.K 82, is a detailed study of a holy couple engaged in some kind of ritual while being watched by a devil resting on a divan. Drawn with watercolour and silver ink (or aluminium powder), the 14 x 10.5 cm miniature displays the luminosity of a stained glass window for which the paper’s painted curved borders provide a frame. Next to it, on page 3, is a title: Старый бумажный свиток, An Old Paper Scroll.

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Старый бумажный свиток / An Old Paper Scroll.  Title of painting from Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a, detail outside, left   Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Старый бумажный свиток / An Old Paper Scroll.
Title of painting from Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a, detail outside, left

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010



Kozlov cut the borders with the card folded to make its undulated shape appear mirrored on the other half of the sheet. Such a brown, irregular “frame” also marks another composition from the same year, only that in this case, Kozlov burnt away the edges of the paper (see Slides 1980-1983, E-E-182003 >>).

E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Top page of Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a. An Old Paper Scroll. Gouache? and watercolour on paper, 14 x 10.5 cm, 1982 E-E archival number: E-E-182053  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Top page of Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document a.
An Old Paper Scroll.
Gouache? and watercolour on paper, 14 x 10.5 cm, 1982
E-E archival number: E-E-182053

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0010



The artist describes its style in the last paragraph of the letter:

    My latest drawings are decorative in nature, some of them are like silhouette clippings / I make them on old, time-worn, slightly yellowish paper, silver ink, as in this letter, and, for greater elegance, I finish separate pieces with black tempera /, woodcuts or linoleum. I think that in this way it is possible to achieve the most vivid expression of the primary roughness of the beauty of thought.

The second work is a slightly larger (16.5 x 12 cm) nocturnal view of a field with haystacks, about which Kozlov writes his friend, “By the way, this postcard is about magical nights in my village, where I spent my holidays”. Its dominating colours are shades of black, silver, turquoise, and blue. 

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Top page of Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document b. Untitlted (Magical Nights in My Village) Gouache? and watercolour on paper, 16.5 x12 cm, 1982 E-E archival number: E-E-182054  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University  Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0009

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Top page of Letter D to Catherine Mannick, document b.
Untitlted (Magical Nights in My Village)
Gouache? and watercolour on paper, 16.5 x12 cm, 1982
E-E archival number: E-E-182054

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University 
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0009



The content of the letter falls into two parts, each referring to one of Mannick’s letters. Kozlov first discusses Letter 13, received 18 July, and then, starting on page three, Mannick’s birthday letter, Letter 14, received 29 August. It is very likely that Mannick’s birthday letter, which included some notes on her holidays on the coast of Maine, stimulated him to add the “magical nights” illustration, The second part of the letter actually gives a detailed description of Kozlov’s summer holidays in the countryside, following a vivid account of his adventures during a fishing trip in the Gulf of Finland. Both events are mentioned in his diary, which thus offers further information; the holidays are dated 15–30 July (Diary III, p. 3-24 more >>), and the fishing trip 14–17 August (Diary III pp 3-29-31 more >>). In this second part of the letter, an entertaining tone prevails.

In the first part of his letter, Kozlov gives his friend a more personal account of his state of mind, explaining where he sees himself with respect to their first meeting in the summer of 1979:

    Something has changed in these 3 years. […]. Now I already know my minimum desires pretty well, but I never want to fully know my abilities or capabilities, because a lot of secrets, an untrodden road to the future depend on them. I have to find a person of my ideals and destiny on it. Happiness lies ahead! (p.2)

It is quite obvious that Kozlov wouldn’t have spoken of his existential questions without being encouraged by Mannick’s sincere feedback. It helped him to reflect his own life:

    I see your attitude towards me and cherish it, it is very special, although my friends treat me well, but none of them speaks as openly as you do. […] And I also want to say that if I hadn't received your letters and hadn't thought about you, then life would have presented itself to my eyes like a beautiful fog around, but nothing more, and that would be a delusion. (p. 1)

Mannick’s early letters show that the two had made it a habit to look for mutual support and understanding.[2] Put differently, they not only shared with each other their happy and intriguing moments in life, but also their worries and uncertainties. In Letter 13, Mannick wrote “…believe me, your advice to me really helped during the difficult winter and spring.” 

For Kozlov, support and understanding was particularly important, as he experienced a feeling of alienation, of being ill adapted to the practical requirements of this world:

    I have always lacked the quality of dealing with practical matters, I never knew what a person can do, but I always knew what they should do if they became perfect. You need to know this in order to better understand me and my work. (pp.1, 2)

This statement seems to be a direct reference to Mannick’s conclusion about ideas and beliefs in Letter 12:

    Our lives are simply such – there are crises, we doubt our ideals and beliefs, we create new views on life, we live peacefully with these views and then something happens, we begin to doubt our worldview and the whole process begins again. In general I think that this is healthy - we constantly experience new things, our knowledge grows, we discover new secrets and we seek harmony between us and the world around us. 

The two statements reveal, however, a fundamental difference between Mannick’s and Kozlov’s positions in the world. While Mannick is confident that she can reconcile personal with general expectations though not always, but in principle, Kozlov accomplishes harmony – perfection – only in art. The term “identity crisis” Mannick uses in this context doesn’t quite apply to Kozlov. He knows who he is – an artist – but to connect to the less-than-ideal world, he needs to find someone to bridge the gap between what a person can possibly do and “what they should do if they became perfect”. Perhaps it can be said that Kozlov’s is essentially a metaphysical rather than a psychological question.    

While he is waiting for their next meeting, Kozlov, in an attempt to bridge the physical distance, is seeking parallels between Mannick’s and his own activities, which leads him to the second part of the letter:

    I noticed a few coincidences in our summer vacation. This summer, you, like me, spent several days in a wooden cottage. And after I received your congratulatory letter / thank you very much! / I found out that you also went out on a boat. (p. 3)

Mannick’s summer holidays on the coast of Maine remind Kozlov of his holidays in Sintsovo, his mother’s village in Kostroma Oblast, while her boat trip prompts him to provide an elaborate description of his fishing trip in the Gulf of Finland with two friends, when their small boat almost capsized in stormy weather. He relates both activities with colourful details, and through the images he evokes, invites his American friend to participate in his life and adventures. This becomes particularly clear when comparing the text about the fishing trip in Diary III with the one from Letter D, which is about twice as long.  

Although the diary entry does have some poetic notes, its general tone is quite factual and rather laconic. Here is the main part:  

    The night was warm, windless, and there was some light rain. By morning, a stormy wind had risen and it was impossible to return home. The boat was flooded by a wave and we were forced to moor to the shore of the island. On the 15,16 and 17 we were in the bay, drying our clothes in the supply room on the shore.  We were sheltered by a team from a barge supplying Kronstadt with food during those days, delivering green peas, and the barge that stood next to it was loaded with watermelons. (Diary III, pp 3-29-30 more >>)

By contrast, the letter builds up a vivid picture of the dramatic circumstances of their trial. Four verbs depict the noises produced by the storm – roared, rattled, cracked, strummed – and their rhythmical progression stimulates the reader’s fantasy.

    The boat was not very large, it rocked on the waves and gathered water inside, the waves rolled on our backs and the risk of drowning was real. My friend Victor, who was steering the boat, smoked one cigarette after the other, and I think he felt more responsible for our lives than everyone else. Wind and danger blocked the way back home, everything roared, rattled, cracked, and strummed, and we decided to dock at the island. Unknown sailors from other ships welcomed us and warmed us up. (pp 3, 4)

Thus, the three friends took refuge in Kronstadt, located on the nearby island of Kotlin – which was another adventure, because Kronstadt, due to its military significance, was a so-called “closed city” until 1996.

Kozlov describes life in Kronstadt only in the letter; it is a charming travelogue of local customs seen through the eyes of a stranger. His slightly exaggerating commentaries on everyday people are actually a bit reminiscent of Mark Twain’s humorous ethnographic observations, blurring the line between fact and fiction:

    […] Sailors drink cheap wine from the store, and then everyone tries to show their strength, beat each other at cards or find a woman — everything goes according to the rules, like in the movies. In the evening, you see only fashionable couples on the streets, and teenagers try to hide among trees and bushes in the hope of learning something. (p. 4)

Kozlov’s account of his summer holidays in Sintsovo keeps the same pleasurable tone. In Kozlov’s photo archive, there are two black and white films documenting his holidays. Among the pictures is a carefully arranged scene with Mars, or Marsik, his little dog. Mars is sitting on a wooden bench; on his left is Kozlov’s American rucksack, the subject matter of a painting from 1980, and on the right is a wicker basket covered with a cloth, most likely filled with mushrooms (in Kostroma oblast mushroom hunting starts in June). Behind Mars, leaning against the seat back, is an illustrated book of Chagall’s work, possibly one of Catherine Mannick’s gifts. The book is open and displays a drawing of a man playing the violin – while looking towards Mars, so it seems. Marc Chagall has always been one of Kozlov’s favourite artists, and he took the book with him to translate the English text into Russian.[3] In this way, the picture unites some key aspects of Kozlov’s trip to Sintsovo. The vintage print is titled and signed on the reverse with a reverence to Mars: Вдохновитель ART. Идей” Е. Козлов / “An Inspirer of ART. Idea” E. Kozlov.

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  “Вдохновитель ART. Идей” Е. Козлов / “An Inspirer of ART. Idea” Coloured vintage print, 9.3 x 13 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JL51-1-opc (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Вдохновитель ART. Идей” Е. Козлов / “An Inspirer of ART. Idea”. Coloured vintage print, reverse with title and signature 9.3 x 13 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JL51-1-opc

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Вдохновитель ART. Идей” Е. Козлов / “An Inspirer of ART. Idea”
Coloured vintage print, 9.3 x 13 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JL51-1-opc

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Вдохновитель ART. Идей” Е. Козлов / “An Inspirer of ART. Idea”.
Coloured vintage print, reverse with title and signature
9.3 x 13 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JL51-1-opc




The village, rather a hamlet, is close to Galich, an old Russian town and once a trading centre. Sintsovo’s main attraction is Saint Nikolai Church, built in 1831 in the style of Neoclassicism; it was closed in the 1930s and is now dilapidated (see Diary III, note to p. 3-25 more >>). Kozlov sent Mannick two small expressionist drawings of the church; perhaps they went in the same letter. Together with two poetic gouache drawings, a landscape and a view of some houses, they make up those few compositions that bear a direct, and not just indirect relation to Sintsovo. 

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Untitled (Church in Sintsovo) Lithographic crayon on paper, 11 x 15 cm, approx 1982 E-E archival number: E-E-182055  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0006 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Untitled (Church in Sintsovo). Lithographic crayon on paper, 11 x 15 cm, approx 1982 E-E archival number: E-E-182056  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0006

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Untitled (Church in Sintsovo)
Lithographic crayon on paper, 11 x 15 cm, approx 1982
E-E archival number: E-E-182055

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0006

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Untitled (Church in Sintsovo).
Lithographic crayon on paper, 11 x 15 cm, approx 1982
E-E archival number: E-E-182056

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0006




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Untitled (Мамина деревня / My Mother's Village) Gouache and watercolour on paper, approx. 22.5 x 34 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-182024 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Untitled (Пейзаж / Landscape) Gouache and watercolour on paper, approx. 22.5 x 32.5 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-182023

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Untitled (Мамина деревня / My Mother's Village)
Gouache and watercolour on paper, approx. 22.5 x 34 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-182024

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Untitled (Пейзаж / Landscape)
Gouache and watercolour on paper, approx. 22.5 x 32.5 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-182023




Sintsovo can be easily reached from Saint Petersburg, since trains from the Petersburg - Izhevsk railroad line stop nearby, at Krasilnikovo station. This gave it some importance, but the village seems to be depopulated today, and the family’s wooden cottage no longer exists.

Evgenij’s mother left Sintsovo in the early 1950s for Leningrad, where she soon got married, while part of her family remained. Like many urbanites, she remained tied to her rural heritage and continued visiting her birthplace. In the summer, she helped with the harvest, often together with her husband and son.

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Untitled (Haymaking at Sintsovo) Vintage print, 9.8 x 12.7 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JB53-op (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Untitled (Girl with Mushrooms, Sintsovo) Vintage print, 9.3 x 13.1 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JB74-op

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Untitled (Haymaking at Sintsovo)
Vintage print, 9.8 x 12.7 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JB53-op

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Untitled (Girl with Mushrooms, Sintsovo)
Vintage print, 9.3 x 13.1 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-pho-JB74-op




In this way, Kozlov was quite familiar with the people and the location, yet in his letter he insinuates that the place perceived him as being different from the locals.  

    Next to our house, 200 meters away, there was a dense fir forest with berries, mushrooms, a swampy river in the middle, cobwebs that for some reason enveloped only my face all the time and almost never attacked my uncle. (p.5)

Kozlov enjoyed gathering mushrooms – and nature in general – but 1982 might have been his last visit to Sintsovo, because his feelings about life in the countryside had become somewhat ambiguous. It was actually Kozlov himself who felt different from his relatives, as the following fragment shows.

    My impressions are very diverse and contradictory. People are too simple – they are friendly, although some are reserved and silent, but most are open. (p.5)

Kozlov appreciated the quietness and simplicity of nature. At the same time, he did not idealise the notion of simplicity when it came to people – other than Natalia Goncharova and Michail Larionov, who, in their manifesto from 1913, romanticised “simple, uncorrupted people” (простые, нетронутые люди).[4] This doesn’t mean that he rejected the simplicity of folk art, too. In Sintsovo, Kozlov carved wooden objects:

    During the day, if I didn't help my uncles and aunts with haymaking, I usually was engaged in sculpture and carved figures out of wood and then painted them with watercolour or gouache. One of them turned out to be quite appealing, reminiscent of samples of primitive toys of Russian folk craftsmen of the early twentieth century. (p.5) 

The letter continues with a meticulous description of a small statue of a soldier which is still is in Kozlov’s collection. The same year, he created another wooden statue, possibly also at Sintsovo, “The Wizard of Halloween”. The bust of a magician was a birthday present for Catherine Mannick (Diary III, pp 3-40 more >>), together with his painting on paper entitled “Таинственный свет Америки / The Mystic Light of America”.

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Soldier Watercolour and/or gouache on wood, varnished.   25 x 5.5 cm, 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-182039 “ (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Волшебник Халувина / The Wizard of Halloween Watercolour and/or gouache on wood approx. 20 x 8 cm (diameter), 1982 E-E archival number: E-E-182057  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0102

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Soldier
Watercolour and/or gouache on wood, varnished.
25 x 5.5 cm, 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-182039

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Волшебник Халувина / The Wizard of Halloween
Watercolour and/or gouache on wood
approx. 20 x 8 cm (diameter), 1982
E-E archival number: E-E-182057

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0102



But he also produced and decorated some simpler, everyday objects for his mother, such as a flower stand and a coat rack with hooks, and, last but not least, a painted wooden box – a dog bed for Mars.

 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Coat rack. Wood, gouache?, approx. 70 cm (length), 1982  E-E archival number: E-E-182068

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Coat rack. Wood, gouache?, approx. 70 cm (length), 1982

E-E archival number: E-E-182068

E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Dog bed for Mars. Wood, gouache (?), approx. 15 (height) x 40 x 60 cm, 1982. View from below.  E-E archival number: E-E-182070

E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Dog bed for Mars. Wood, gouache (?), approx. 15 (height) x 40 x 60 cm, 1982. View from below.

E-E archival number: E-E-182070



Generally speaking, Russian folk art had an impact on his early works (see Slides 1980-1983: The Russian period). Many of his works from 1980 / 1981 display its characteristic geometrical shapes and bright contrasting colours, and they also feature rural traditions and scenes, like in Nighttime Wanderer 17 or A Dance with a Kiss / A Kiss in the Rye (both from 1981; more >> and more >>).

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  „Ночной Путник“ 17 / ‘Nighttime Wanderer’ 17 Oil on canvas, 73.5 x 111.5 cm, 1981  E-E archival number: E-E-181008

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

„Ночной Путник“ 17 / ‘Nighttime Wanderer’ 17
Oil on canvas, 73.5 x 111.5 cm, 1981

E-E archival number: E-E-181008



In 1982, a different, more elaborate style follows. Kozlov described the purpose of its decorative elegance in the last paragraph of the letter quoted above – “to achieve the most vivid expression of the primary roughness of the beauty of thought” (see Slides 1980-1983). This applies to the composition with of the holy couple sent in Letter D, but also has an indirect connection to Sintsovo.

During one of his earlier visits, Kozlov had recovered, it in the attic of an abandoned house, a “book of hours” from the 19th century – a “часослов” / “chasoslov”, a book with Church Slavonic prayers to be said at fixed intervals more >>. In 1982 he created, on selected pages he removed from the book, a cycle of full-page miniatures with religious motifs, of which twenty-four have been documented.[5] They are indeed very decorative and bear a likeness to sumptuously illuminated manuscripts, such as the medieval Homilies of Gregory more >>. In his diary, Kozlov referred to them as “paintings” (p. 3-41 and pp. 3-78-79 more >>). I called this cycle “The Peterhof Book of Hours” retrospectively (see Slides 1980-1983). “The Mystic Light of America” was painted on one of these pages (see also Letter E).

Anonymus. The Homilies of Gregory. Grégoire de Nazianze, Homélies. Folio 75r, 163/953 BnF Gallica Transfiguration Late ninth century https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84522082/f163.item (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Путник / Wanderer (Catchword: Иерей / Priest) Gouache, tempera, watercolour, aluminium powder on paper 34 x 22.5 cm, 1982 from The Peterhof Book of Hours E-E archival number: E-E-182015

Anonymus. The Homilies of Gregory.
Grégoire de Nazianze, Homélies. Folio 75r, 163/953
BnF Gallica
Transfiguration
Late ninth century

https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/btv1b84522082/f163.item
(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Путник / Wanderer (Catchword: Иерей / Priest)
Gouache, tempera, watercolour, aluminium powder on paper
34 x 22.5 cm, 1982
from The Peterhof Book of Hours

E-E archival number: E-E-182015 more >>



(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov «Таинственный свет Америки» / The Mystic Light of America Mixed media on paper, 34.5 x 22.5 cm, 1982 Painting on a page from a book of hours. E-E-archival number: E-E-182027 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0100  (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov «Таинственный свет Америки» / The Mystic Light of America Reverse of the painting on the left displaying the text from a book of hours E-E-archival number: E-E-182027 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0100

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

«Таинственный свет Америки» / The Mystic Light of America
Mixed media on paper, 34.5 x 22.5 cm, 1982
Painting on a page from a book of hours more>>.
E-E-archival number: E-E-182027

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0100

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

«Таинственный свет Америки» / The Mystic Light of America
Reverse of the painting on the left displaying the text from a book of hours more>>.
E-E-archival number: E-E-182027

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University
Harvard Accession Number: KMFP_0100



Kozlov ends the letter with a wish:

    I would love to work on scenery for ballets, for example, the Art Nouveau style would suit, or curtains. I want to believe that someday this desire will come true for both of us. (p.6)

Considering the decorativeness of “The Peterhof Book of Hours” cycle, it is not difficult to imagine him creating extravagant costumes or stage sets that capture the audience’s emotion. But just as important is the last sentence, “I want to believe that someday this desire will come true for both of us.” This unusual complimentary clause expresses his hope to unfold his talent not for himself alone.

Hannelore Fobo, 25 March 2023, revised 22 August 2024.



[1] In case the “I” replaces a “X”, 1st October 1982, it wouldn’t have reached Mannick before she departed to Moscow for her studies at Moscow State University. Her next letter, sent from Moscow (Letter 14a), arrived on 19 October; see Letter E.

[2] Only a few of Kozlov’s written testimonies have survived from the first years of their friendship, but Mannick’s letters confirm that Kozlov wrote her regularly. See Prelimary Remarks >>

[3] Evgenij Kozlov worked on the translation for more than a year. I wrote about it earlier: 

[…] In the summer of 1983, he was working as a guard with one shift of 24 hours followed by two days off, watching a compound with tractors and other machines (and, if necessary, chasing away thieves). Sitting in a small booth, he would spend most of his working time translating word by word, with the help of an English-Russian dictionary, a Marc Chagall art book he had received from the US. Kozlov’s manuscript, a unique manifestation of his love for Chagall’s works, might still exist in his Peterhof flat.

Fobo, Hannelore. The New Artists. Timur Novikov: Roots – E-E Kozlov: Cosmos, Chapter 5. The inclusion or exclusion of stylistic influences. 2020 more >>.

[4] “Long live nationality! We march hand in hand with our ordinary house painters. […] Simple, uncorrupted people are closer to us than this artistic husk that clings to modern art, like flies to honey.” Goncharova, Natalia and Larionov, Mikhail. Rayonists and Futurists: A Manifesto, 1913 

in: John E. Bowlt (Ed. and translator): Russian Art of the Avant-Garde. Theory and Criticism 1902-1934, New York, 1976, p.90

See also: Fobo, Hannelore. The New Artists. Timur Novikov: Roots – E-E Kozlov: Cosmos Chapter 6. From Mayakovsky to Larionov and folk art: something of everything, 2020 more >>.

For a detailed discussion of narod and narodnost’ see Chapter 9 of the same article more >>.

[5] Among them are the two “poetic” Sintsovo paintings mentioned above. Strictly speaking, they are not part of the cycle.




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 3, 1 September? 1982 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 1, 1 September? 1982

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

Page 1

22/VIII/82. Петродворец.

Дорогая Катя,

Уже несколько дней я думаю над твоим письмом, оно мне нравится все больше и больше. Ты пишешь добрые и тёплые слова о себе и этих слов я ждал с начала зимы и волновался за тебя. Сейчас я полностью спокоен за твои поступки, ты пришла в себя, тебе остается увидеть плоды своих прожитых лет и учёбы тоже, появится время для радостей, спокойствия, наслаждений — истины, которые стоит помнить всегда, в любую минуту любого из дней они придут на помощь. Ты взрослая, уверена в том, что нельзя мучить себя вопросами решение которых должно лежать на плечах других людей.

Я вижу твоё отношение ко мне и дорожу им, оно совсем, особенное, хотя мои друзья хорошо относятся ко мне, но никто из них не говорит так откровенно, как это делаешь ты. Я всегда знал, что ты добрая и стремишься быть нежной со мной, как только можешь. Спасибо! Доверяю тебе во всём, твоему сердцу и уму, они становятся гармоничными в своих выражениях. В твоих чувствах я не нахожу ошибок. И хочу тоже сказать, что если бы я не получал твоих писем и не думал о тебе, то жизнь представилась бы моим глазам подобно прекрасному туману вокруг, но не более того, и это было бы заблуждением. Мне всегда не хватало

 




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 3, 1 September? 1982 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 3, 1 September? 1982

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

Page 2

качество быть практичным в делах, я никогда не знал что может сделать человек, но я всегда знал что он должен делать, если станет идеальным. Это нужно знать, чтобы лучше понимать меня и мою работу. За эти 3 года что-то изменилось. Уверен, что мне необходимо иметь спокойное место для работы и отдых после неё с дорогими и любимыми людьми. Сейчас я уже довольно твёрдо знаю свои минимальные желания, но никогда не хочу полностью узнать свои способности или возможности, т. к. от них зависит множество тайн, непройдённой дороги в будущее. На ней я должен найти человека своих идеалов и судьбы. Счастье состоит навстречу!

Мысли о твоём внутреннем расцвете и благополучии занимают более чем определённое место в моём времени, все остальное, уверен, будет в твоей жизни и без моей помощи. Через многие сотни километров мы способны быть рядом в трудных случаях, это придаёт нам дополнительные силы и эта способность даётся нам не легко. Наши отношения и всё что связано с ними —




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov  Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 3, 1 September? 1982  Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 3, 1 September? 1982

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

Page 3

драгоценны для меня. Благодаря им я свободен, мои поиски ведут вперёд к неожиданным результатам, а их открытия нужны и моему духу и телу.

Я заметил несколько совпадений в нашем летнем отдыхе. Этим летом ты, как и я, находилась несколько дней в деревянной избе. И после того, как я получил поздравительное письмо / большое тебе спасибо! / , я узнал, что ты тоже плавала по воде. Несколько дней мы ловили свежую рыбу в Финском заливе. Было очень ветрено, а рано утром надул штормовой ветер. Катер был не слишком большим, качался на волнах и набирал воду внутри себя, вольны накатывались нам на спины и риск утонуть был реален. Мой приятель, Виктор, управлял мотором и курил одну сигарету за другой, я думаю, что он чувствовал бóльшую ответственность за наши жизни, чем все остальные люди. Ветер и опасность преграждали пути к дому, всё ревело, гремело, трещало, бренчало и мы решили причалить к острову. Незнакомые матросы с других судов приветлив  

[In the brown box] Старый бумажный свиток




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 4, 1 September? 1982 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 4, 1 September? 1982

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

Page 4

встречались и обогрели нас. Потом мы сушили мокрую холодную одежду, выпили и согрелись водкой, гуляли по земле. Остров можно весь обойти за один час, много зелени, каналов с водой, лодок и кораблей разных размеров несметное количество. Пожилые люди сидят дома, пьют наливочки или чай, едят рыбу в разных вариантах приготовления или блины с икрой. Матросы пьют дешевые вина из магазина, потом каждый старается показать свою силу, обыграть друг друга в карты или найти женщину — всё идёт по правилам, как в кино. Вечером на улицах появляются гулять только модные парочки, а подростки стараются спрятаться среди деревьев и кустов в надежде чему-либо научиться. Через три дня ветер стих и наше приключение закончилось так же внезапно как началось. Назад мы плыли молча, каждый думал о своём, тянуло скорее вернуться домой, лечь в чистую мягкую постель, спать спать, спать…

Между прочим, эта открытка о волшебных ночах в моей деревне, где я отдыхал. Впечатления очень разно-




 (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 5, 1 September? 1982 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 5, 1 September? 1982

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

Page 5

образные и противоречивые. Люди слишком простые, приветливые, есть замкнутые и молчаливые, но большинство открытые. Рядом с нашим домом, 200 метров, начинался густой елевый лес с ягодами, грибами, болотистой речкой в середине, паутинами, которые всё время почему-то обволакивали только моё лицо и почти никогда не нападали на дядю. Конечно комары кушали только меня одного, когда я ночью спал на сеновале в душистом тёплом сене и думал о своей работе и тебе. Днём, если я не помогал дядям и тётям работать на сенокосе, то обычно занимался скульптурой, вырезал из дерева фигурки и раскрашивал их потом акварелью или гуашью. Одна из них получалась довольно привлекательной, напоминает образцы примитивных игрушек русских  народных умельцев начала ХХ века. Я сделал солдата с усами в большой треугольной шляпой на




(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 6, 1 September? 1982 Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov

Letter D to Catherine Mannick, page 6, 1 September? 1982

Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection, Harvard University

Page 6

голове, его грудь подобна колесу, а фалды мундира развиваются словно победные флаги.

Последние мои рисунки носят декоративный характер, некоторые из них подобны силуэтным вырезкам / делаю я их на старой, потрёпанной временем бумаге и чуть желтоватой, серебристыми чернилами, как в этом письме и отдельные куски для большей элегантности довожу чёрной темперой /, гравюрам на дереве или линолеуме. Думаю, что таким способом можно добиваться наиболее яркого выражения первичной шероховатости красоты мысли.

С удовольствием занялся бы декорациями к балетам, скажем подошёл бы стиль модерн, или занавесами. Хочу верить, что когда-нибудь это желание станет явью для нас обоих.

Обнимаю тебя, Женя.

Ленинград. 1 / I / 82 [Should be: X or IX, see above]



USA-CCCP. Points of Contact
Catherine Mannick – (E-E) Evgenij Kozlov
Correspondence 1979 – 1990
Part 1: Introduction
Synopsis • Chronology and Archival Numbers of Letters
Introduction • Sending Аrt and Оther Gifts
1. From Leningrad to Boston and Back
2. Let’s Talk About Art. New Wave, New Artists, and B(L)ack art
3. Perestroika Emissaries
4. The End of Censorship
5. “It Seems I Need a Manager.” The Impact of Getting Popular
6. Leningrad Artists and Musicians in E-E Kozlov's Pictures
7. Mail Art • E-E Style – Periodisation for the 1980s
8. Harvard Accession Numbers of Art and Photographs
— The River of Forgetfulness, 1988 —
Part 2: Letters
Letter A (1979) – Halloween
Letter B (1980) – To Be at Peace with Yourself
Letter C (1980 / 1981) – Mail Art
Pictures 1981 – Flat Exhibitions / Letopis ("Chronicle”)
Slides 1980-1983 – Towards Spiritual Realism
Letter D (1982) – The Sea and the Countryside
Letter E (1983) – Saigon
Letter F (1983) – Moscow
Letter G (1984) – New Wave
Letter H (1985) – New Composers
Letter I (1986) – Happy New Year at the Leningrad Rock Club
Letter J (1986) – CCCP-USA
Letter K (1986) – The Price of Art
Letter L (1986) – B (L)ack art • PoPs from the USSSR
Letter M (1986) – A Taste for Colours
Letter N (1987) – Part 1: Changes and Challenges
Letter N (1987) – Part 2: ASSA
Letter O (1988) – Joanna Stingray's Wedding
Letter P (1989) – Perestroika Hot News
Letter Q (1989) – Russkoee Polee • The Russian Field
Letter R (1990) – New Classicals
Epilogue: USA-CCCP. Points of Contact

see also
(E-E) Evgenij Kozlov, Catherine Mannick, and Hannelore Fobo papers, 1979-2022 (inclusive)
Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies Special Collection Harvard University >>

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Published 29 March 2023
Last updated 29 January 2025