Vladimir Nabokov

NABOKV-L post 0007856, Fri, 9 May 2003 11:15:56 -0700

Subject
Fw: Fw: An Odd Chair on VN Statue
Date
Body
----- Original Message -----
From: "Phillip Iannarelli" <iann88us@yahoo.com>
>
> ---------------- Message requiring your approval (101
lines) ------------------
> We are so used to seeing boring statues of important
> people sitting in chairs in public squares, but the VN
> statue is quite different and exciting. The VN statue
> will always convey a Nabokovian comic anxiety as the
> chair forever threatens to topple over backwards. Is
> this a Russian sense of humor thing?
>
> Phil Iannarelli
-----------------------------------
> --- "D. Barton Johnson" <chtodel@cox.net> wrote:
> > EDNOTE. Image of magical chair sent separately.
> >
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: Dmitri Nabokov
> >
> >
> > > Dear Don(please post),
> > >
> > > Phillip Iannarelli's observations about the
> > otherworldly physics of the
> > > chair are absolutely correct. I had decided not to
> > make a fuss about it,
> > > since I doubt if it could be fixed, but it is
> > curious. Let us just say
> > > it is something the Rukavishnikovs (old sailors)
> > have hidden.
> > >
> > > DN
> > ----------------------------------------
> >
> >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "Phillip Iannarelli" iann88us@yahoo.com
> > > <mailto:iann88us@yahoo.com>
> > >
> > >
> > > The photo of VN's statue from this angle shows on
> > odd
> > > looking chair. Only three legs? And is VN leaning
> > back
> > > into the chair, precariously tipped to topple
> > > backwards?
> > > Phil Iannarelli
> > > ---------------------------
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: Dmitri Nabokov
> > > >
> > > > To celebrate Father's 100th birthday the City
> > > > Council of Moscow presented to the city of
> > Montreux
> > > > a statue of VN, sculpted by the Rukavishnikovs,
> > a
> > > > father and son who believe they are distantly
> > > > related to my grandmother's family. The face and
> > > > figure are very good, considering that they were
> > > > done from photographs taken at various times. On
> > the
> > > > other hand, the waistcoat and plus fours were
> > not a
> > > > typical costume of Nabokov's. I saw them when
> > the
> > > > statue was already cast and it was too late to
> > make
> > > > changes. After a gala ceremony at which Moscow
> > and
> > > > Montreux dignitaries and I spoke, the statue was
> > > > placed temporarily inside the main (lake)
> > entrance
> > > > of the Montreux Palace. Now, an underground
> > garage,
> > > > facing the hotel between the Grand Rue and the
> > > > lakeside promenade, has been completed, and
> > topped
> > > > by a small park. It is there that the statue
> > found
> > > > its permanent home. A letter of presentation
> > from
> > > > Mayor Luzhkov is on display in the hotel's
> > Bridge
> > > > Salon.
> > > >
> > > > I thought that my friends at Nabokv-L might like
> > to
> > > > see this photograph, I believe the first one to
> > be
> > > > published. It appeared in the May, 2003, issue
> > of
> > > > the magazine Atmosfera together with other
> > > > Nabokov-and-Montreux-related materials.
> > > >
> > > > DN
> > > >
> > > > ATTACHMENT part 2 image/jpeg name=300ppi_a.jpg
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
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