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

Letter M (December 1986) – A Taste for Colours

Letter M, dated 25 December 1986, is Kozlov’s answer to Catherine Mannick’s first letter after her October visit (Letter 36, probably written at the end of November 1986), and it is also his fifth from 1986. Thus, in terms of Kozlov’s letters to Mannick that have been preserved, the year 1986 is particularly prolific, since on average, all other years come with a single letter or document.

Letter M is actually one of Kozlov’s letters of which the envelope has also been preserved. We therefore know that it was sent in one of the standard air mail envelopes sold at local post-offices: it carries, below the imprint АВИА / PAR AVION, a stylish image of an airplane flying up to the sky. The envelope is just large enough to insert two double art postcards that Kozlov chose for his text, displaying reproductions of Matisse’s paintings from the Pushkin Museum – “Still Life with Goldfish” (1911) from the Sergey Shchukin Collection and “Fruit and Bronze” (1909/1910) from the Ivan Morozov Collection, respectively.[1]

Kozlov writes that he hasn’t left home for a week because of a fever and a cough. His illness might have been the reason why, this time, he didn’t create his own “art postcards” for his friend. Instead, he selected from what was available to him in his small collection of art postcards.[2] In his letter, nothing explains why exactly he chose Matisse, but when asked he said that he enjoys the bright colours of these paintings: “The way Matisse combines colour and form reminds me of the visual effect produced by some precious tapestry. I wanted to send something that creates a positive feeling, something that lifts up your spirits in a special way.”

Kozlov’s own art had a different impact on his friend. In Letter 36 from the end of 1986, Mannick tells him how her impressions of her October visit came back to life when she looked at his pictures from the previous letter (Letter L):

When I saw these photographs, I immediately felt that I was in Leningrad again with you under those amazing Halloween conditions of our last meeting. It's so important to me to hold and preserve these memories and feelings.[…] This part, this “Russian part” if you can call it that, is so dear and important to me. I must concentrate my attention on it in order not to lose it here in practical business-like America. When I went to work after returning, I experienced such a big shock – am I truly wearing this business suit, working in this office, and spending my days this way? I always receive such perspectives when I’m abroad, in particular in Russia. But this time, the feeling of alienation hasn't passed yet.

Her visit made Mannick decide “once again to drop law and go to graduate school in Russian history and literature“. In his answer, Kozlov thanks her for the “real news from the street” (настоящие вести с улицы) and fully supports her decision. In fact, he also experiences a new state of being, but unlike that of his friend, it doesn’t call to action. Rather, he gives himself over to colourful, compellingly realistic dreams.

I listen to Christmas radio programmes and I dream fantastic dreams all the time, being either in the 25^th century or in the 30^th century or on the earth or not on the earth. Their style is reminiscent of the British film “BRASIL” [3], perhaps you watched it, only that it’s even more interesting because to me everything is real. I myself am living in this hot world (probably because of a high temperature), and I don't want to leave it at all and forget all these events and colours, this life, this new state of being. (pp 1/2)

Apparently, despite being stuck at home, Kozlov was feeling quite entertained and even acquired a taste for his fever. It might have lasted for some time. In a postscript signed “I’m waiting for you. Zhenya.” Kozlov adds that he is now feeling a little better. The postscript has been dated 28 and then corrected to 18. Considering that the letter was written on 25 December, this is quite odd – unless it took Kozlov another three weeks to recover and the date refers to 18 January 1987. Since the envelope was stamped 24 January 1987, this would make sense.

It remains an enigma how Kozlov knew of the movie “Brazil”, Terry Gilliam’s legendary “sci-fi dystopian dark comedy film” (Wikipedia) from 1985. The film was released in many countries, although not in the Soviet Union. But he must have watched it to compare it to his vivid dreams. It might have been screened at Leningrad’s Spartak cinema, which, at that time, was operated by the state film archive Gosfilmfond. The cinema, located in the former Lutheran St. Anne's Church (Annenkirche), presented western art-house movies with one or two screenings [4]

The source of the “Christmas radio programmes” Kozlov indulged in also remains somewhat diffuse. In the Soviet Union, which was officially an atheist state (although to a lesser degree an atheist society), New Year had taken over the function of Christmas as a main holiday and absorbed its secular customs – a lavishly decorated fir tree, an opulent meal and many presents. Instead, orthodox Christmas, shifted to 7 January in 1923, had become an ordinary working day.

Sending his friend Christmas and New Year wishes, Kozlov demonstrated that he valued both, with Christmas being his favourite holiday (мой любимый праздник).

It's like a fairy tale in life, isn't it? At some moments of this time, I feel harmony, happiness and hope.

Mentioning Christmas broadcasts, Kozlov must have referred to one of the popular western radio stations that played the latest international hits – BBC, the Voice of America or Radio Luxemburg – and probably offered special Christmas programmes with Christmas pop songs. They were broadcast on shortwave frequencies, and although the KGB regularly jammed its signals (less so in times of detente), they had a huge Soviet audience, including party members.[5] Kozlov was a regular listener, and, like many others, still remembers Seva Novgorodsev’s fabulous BBC music programmes.

His parents had bought an “Ural” radiola, a tube radio with a four speeds turntable built into the top of the cabinet, first produced in 1963 by the Sarapoul Orjonikidze Radio Works. The illuminated station scale offered a large number of city names, mostly cities from the Soviet Union (Omsk, Odessa, Novosibirsk, Moscow, Tallinn, Tashkent…)  and “eastern block” countries (Warsaw,  Budapest, Prague…), but also more exotic ones like Paris, Athens, Rome, Brussels, and Peking.[6]

The large and heavy radiogram stood near his desk so that when drawing or writing, he could easily press the push buttons to change the wavelength or turn the control knob to tune into a station. It was a bit like an imaginary travel, especially when trying to find one of the “enemy voices”, as the western radio stations were called.[7]

At the end of his letter, the artist mentions two current exhibitions that included his works, one in Moscow and another one in Leningrad:

At the beginning of this month, I participated in two exhibitions. One was held in Moscow, in the main exhibition hall. But I couldn't be there, although, according to what I was told, everything went very well. Another one opened in Leningrad and is still going on now — I will inform you in detail after my recovery. (pp. 5/6)

The Leningrad exhibition could not be identified, but the Moscow exhibition is listed in Ksenia Novikova’s “Chronicle” of New Artists events, published in the 2012 New Artists catalogue: “The Laboratory – Young Artists from Leningrad”. It opened on 4 December 1986 as part of the cultural programme of the 17^th exhibition of works by young artists.[8]  Because the Leningrad and Moscow non-conformist (“unofficial”) art-scenes existed separately from each other, at least to a large degree,[9] it was important to demonstrate that the New Artists were a powerful movement. Thus, the New Artists’ first Moscow group exhibition presented a “classical” line-up with eight artists: Sergei “Afrika” Bugaev, Vladislav Gutsevich, Oleg Kotelnikov, Evgenij Kozlov, Timur Novikov, Inal Savchenkov, Vadim Ovchinnikov, and Ivan Sotnikov. Unfortunately, there seems to be no visual documentation that could show what exactly was presented.

What Kozlov called “the main exhibition hall” were the Kuznetsky Most premises of the Moscow Union of Artists, the state organisation for artists officially recognised as professionals.[10] At the same time, the premises of its Leningrad counterpart, the Leningrad Union of Artists, remained closed to “unofficial” art groups like the New Artists. The group’s struggle to be recognised in their hometown continued until April 1988, when the first exhibition carrying the group’s name was opened at the Sverdlov House of Culture more >>.

Concerning the lack of Kozlov’s own art in his New Year letter: there is nevertheless a “real” 1987 New Year’s present to Catherine Mannick – his drawing “Women on the Sandy Beach” from the 1983 “Gulf of Finland” series, a delicate study of two relaxing women (see also Letter F). Created in a 29.5 x 41.5 cm format, it was too large to be sent in a letter, and Kozlov must have found someone to act as a courier.

Hannelore Fobo, 13 August 2023