Beyond the Frames of Convention: Sergei Parajanov’s Enduring Legacy at 100

The world of culture and art is widely celebrating the 100th anniversary of S. Paradzhanov’s birth this year. There are about 30 photographs in the exhibition. These are photos of an old Armenian family in Tbilisi, where S. Paradzhanov was born; photographs of his school, studies at the Institute of Cinematography; shots from filming sites or exhibition opening camp.

Liucija Armonaitė, curator of the exhibition, says: “S. Paradzhanov came into the displeasure of the authorities and the KGB in 1971, when he made a sharp statement at a meeting of Belarusian creative youth and young scientists in Minsk. The artist, frightening with his dissident behavior, was accused of homosexuality; he was imprisoned more than once.”

Photo of the Sergei Paradzhanov State Museum/Actress Sofika Ciaureli in S. Pradzhanov’s film “The Color of Pomegranate”, 1968

According to L. Armonaitė, even after he “created his unique, world-renowned cinematic masterpieces (“Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors”, “The Color of Garnet”, “The Legend of the Suram Fortress”, etc.), the apologists of the Soviet government did not calm down” – they blamed the artist formalism, ignoring socialist realism. And when Paradzhanov spoke out against the persecution of Ukrainian intellectuals, he was banned from making films, “sent to prison for five years.” The authorities were not affected even by the fact that the world film community, including the famous Federico Fellini and Robert De Niro, demanded Paradzhanov’s release.

In the camp, S. Paradzhanovas wrote scripts, drew, and started creating collages. And, being a prisoner himself, he taught art to criminals and organized an exhibition of the works of convicts. He also taught convicts to write scripts. When these were released, they were directed to famous directors, such as Andrei Tarkovsky.

Photographs of women close to S. Paradzhanov are worthy of special attention. This is his grandmother Liza, mother Siran. Among them is his first wife, a Tatar Nigyar, who was killed by her relatives because of her love for another believer, Sergei. His second wife is Svetlana Shcherbatiuk, the daughter of a Ukrainian diplomat, with whom they had a son, Suren.

Photo of the State Sergeius Paradzhanov Museum/Italian actor Marcelo Mastroianis visiting S. Paradzhanov. Tbilisi, 1988

A special role in the creator’s life was played by the poetess, bohemian “lioness”, muse of artists Lilya Brik. Through her sister, who is married to the famous French writer, member of the Goncourt Academy, Louis Aragon, she mediated so that the Frenchman would personally appeal to the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the USSR, Leonid Brezhnev, asking for the release of the defamed and innocently convicted S. Paradzhanov. The request was taken into account: the five-year sentence was shortened by a year.

“The exceptionally talented artist was famous for his sudden, hot and uncomfortable character, playful, “sharp” provocations that often harmed him,” the curator of the exhibition claims. He was also very fond of photography, he himself “laid out” the composition of photographs, but only allowed talented photographers. Among them are S. Paradzhanov’s friends, famous photo artists of the Caucasus – Zaven Sargsyan (Yerevan) and Yuri Mechitov (Tbilisi).

Photo of the Sergei Paradzhanov State Museum/Shot from S. Paradzhanov’s film The Color of Pomegranate, 1968

In the photographs, S. Paradzhanov is recorded on the set, communicating with fellow colleagues – Italian actor Marcello Mastroianni or Russian director Andrei Tarkovsky. As L. Armonaitė observes, the exhibition also gives an unexpected message about the friendship between S. Paradzhanov and our famous graphic artist Stasios Krasauskas; it is evidenced by the dedication work given to the filmmaker by S.Krasauskas.

In the history of world cinema, S. Paradžanov is considered as one of the ten most outstanding artists who created a unique cinematographic language unique to him. He left a bright mark in the cinema history of three countries – Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia. In Ukraine, he made the film “Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors” (1964), which marked the beginning of poetic cinema in Ukrainian cinematography, won many awards at international festivals.

Armėnfilme filmed his most famous cinematic masterpiece, “The Color of Garnet” (1968), which tells the story of Sajat Nova, a song of the medieval peoples of the Caucasus. Italian film legend Michelangelo Antonioni described this film as a benchmark of pure beauty, where you can admire a film even if you don’t understand it. The films “Legend of Suram Fortress” (1984) and “Ashik Kerib” (1988) – “Gurzijafilm” gold fund; these tapes influenced the cinematography of Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, and other states of this Eastern region.

S. Paradzhanov’s filmography includes eleven feature films and documentaries, many unrealized scripts. He was also famous as an unsurpassed master of playful, anecdote-like life situations.

The exhibition in the public library of Zarasai district municipality will be open until November 18.

The curator of the exhibition is Liucija Armonaitė.

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