russia in 1919(1919的俄国)-第12章
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Opera。 〃Selo Stepantchiko〃 and 〃Coppellia。〃
People's Palace。〃Dubrovsky〃 by Napravnik and 〃Demon〃 by
Rubinstein。
Zamoskvoretzky Theatre。〃Groza〃 by Ostrovsky and 〃Meshitchane〃
by Gorky。
Popular Theatre。〃 The Miracle of Saint； Anthony〃 by Maeterlinck。
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RUSSIA IN 1919
Komissarzhevskaya Theatre。〃A Christmas Carol〃 by Dickens and
〃The Accursed Prince〃 by Remizov。
Korsh Theatre。〃Much Ado about Nothing〃 by Shakespeare and 〃Le
Misanthrope〃 and 〃Georges Dandin〃 by Moli=8Are。
Dramatic Theatre。〃Alexander I〃 by Merezhkovsky。
Theatre of Drama and Comedy。 〃Little Dorrit〃 by Dickens and 〃The
King's Barber〃 by Lunacharsky。
Besides these； other theatres were playing K。 R。 （Konstantin
Romanov）； Ostrovsky； Potapenko； Vinitchenko； etc。 The two Studios of
the Moscow Art Theatre were playing 〃Rosmersholm〃 and a repertoire of
short plays。 They； like the Art Theatre Company； occasionally play in the
suburban theatres when their place at home is taken by other performers。
I went to the Great State Theatre to Saint…Saens' 〃Samson and
Delilah。〃 I had a seat in the box close above the orchestra； from which I
could obtain a view equally good of the stage and of the house。 Indeed； the
view was rather better of the house than of the stage。 But that was as I
had wished； for the house was what I had come to see。
It had certainly changed greatly since the pre…revolutionary period。
The Moscow plutocracy of bald merchants and bejewelled fat wives had
gone。 Gone with them were evening dresses and white shirt fronts。 The
whole audience was in the monotone of everyday clothes。 The only
contrast was given by a small group of Tartar women in the dress circle；
who were shawled in white over head and shoulders； in the Tartar fashion。
There were many soldiers； and numbers of men who had obviously come
straight from their work。 There were a good many grey and brown
woollen jerseys about； and people were sitting in overcoats of all kinds
and ages； for the theatre was very cold。 （This； of course； was due to lack of
fuel； which may in the long run lead to a temporary stoppage of the
theatres if electricity cannot be spared for lighting them。） The orchestra
was also variously dressed。 Most of the players of brass instruments had
evidently been in regimental bands during the war； and still retained their
khaki…green tunics with a very mixed collection of trousers and breeches。
Others were in every kind of everyday clothes。 The conductor alone
wore a frock coat； and sat in his place like a specimen from another age；
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RUSSIA IN 1919
isolated in fact by his smartness alike from his ragged orchestra and from
the stalls behind him。
I looked carefully to see the sort of people who fill the stalls under
the new regime； and decided that there has been a general transfer of
brains from the gallery to the floor of the house。 The same people who in
the old days scraped kopecks and waited to get a good place near the
ceiling now sat where formerly were the people who came here to digest
their dinners。 Looking from face to face that night I thought there were
very few people in the theatre who had had anything like a good dinner to
digest。 But； as for their keenness； I can imagine few audiences to which；
from the actor's point of view； it would be better worth while to play。
Applause； like brains； had come down from the galleries。
Of the actual performance I have little to say except that ragged
clothes and empty stomachs seemed to make very little difference to the
orchestra。 Helzer； the ballerina； danced as well before this audience as
ever before the bourgeoisie。 As I turned up the collar of my coat I
reflected that the actors deserved all the applause they got for their
heroism in playing in such cold。 Now and then during the evening I was
unusually conscious of the unreality of opera generally； perhaps because
of the contrast in magnificence between the stage and the shabby；
intelligent audience。 Now and then； on the other hand； stage and
audience seemed one and indivisible。 For 〃Samson and Delilah〃 is itself
a poem of revolution； and gained enormously by being played by people
every one of whom had seen something of the sort in real life。 Samson's
stirring up of the Israelites reminded me of many scenes in Petrograd in
1917； and when； at last； he brings the temple down in ruins on his
triumphant enemies； I was reminded of the words attributed to Trotsky：…
〃If we are； in the end； forced to go； we shall slam the door behind us in
such away that the echo shall be felt throughout the world。〃
Going home afterwards through the snow； I did not see a single
armed man。 A year ago the streets were deserted after ten in the evening
except by those who； like myself； had work which took them to meetings
and such things late at night。 They used to be empty except for the
military pickets round their log…fires。 Now they were full of foot…
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passengers going home from the theatres； utterly forgetful of the fact that
only twelve months before they had thought the streets of Moscow unsafe
after dark。 There could be no question about it。 The revolution is settling
down； and people now think of other matters than the old question； will it
last one week or two？
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RUSSIA IN 1919
THE COMMITTEE OF STATE
CONSTRUCTIONS
February 15th。
I went by appointment to see Pavlovitch； President of the Committee
of State Constructions。 It was a very jolly morning and the streets were
crowded。 As I walked through the gate into the Red Square I saw the
usual crowd of peasant women at the little chapel of the Iberian Virgin；
where there was a blaze of candles。 On the wall of what used； I think； to
be the old town hall； close by the gate； some fanatic agnostic has set a
white inscription on a tablet； 〃Religion is opium for the People。〃 The
tablet； which has been there a long time； is in shape not unlike the
customary frame for a sacred picture。 I saw an old peasant； evidently
unable to read； cross himself solemnly before the chapel； and then； turning
to the left； cross himself as solemnly before this anti…religious inscription。
It is perhaps worth while to remark in passing that the new Communist
programme； while insisting； as before； on the definite separation of church
and state； and church and school； now includes the particular statement
that 〃care should be taken in no way to hurt the feelings of the religious。〃
Churches and chapels are open； church processions take place as before；
and Moscow； as in the old days； is still a city of church bells。
A long line of sledges with welcome bags of flour was passing
through the square。 Soldiers of the Red Army were coming off parade；
laughing and talking； and very noticeably smarter than the men of six
months ago。 There was a bright clear sky behind the fantastic Cathedral
of St。 Basil； and the rough graves under the Kremlin wall； where those are
buried who died in the fighting at the time of the November Revolution；
have been tidied up。 There was scaffolding round the gate of the
Kremlin which was damaged at that time and is being carefully repaired。
The Committee of State Constructions was founded last spring to
coordinate the management of the various engineering and other
constructive works previously carried on by independent departments。 It
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RUSSIA IN 1919
became an independent organ with its own finances about the middle of
the summer。 Its headquarters are in the Nikolskaya； in the Chinese town；
next door to the old building of the Anglo…Russian Trading Company；
which still bears the Lion and the Unicorn sculptured above its green and
white fa=87ade some time early in the seventeenth century。
Pavlovitch is a little； fat； spectacled man with a bald head； fringed
with the remains of red hair； and a little reddish beard。 He was dressed in
a black leather coat and trousers。 He complained bitterly that all his plans
for engineering works to improve the productive possibilities of the
country were made impracticable by the imperious demands of war。 As an
old Siberian exile he had been living in France before the revolution and；
as he said； had seen there how France made war。 〃They sent her
locomotives； and rails for the locomotives to run on； everything she
needed they sent her from all parts of the world。 When they sent horses；
they sent also hay for their food； and shoes for their feet； and even nails
for the shoes。 If we were supplied like that； Russia would be at peace in
a week。 But we have nothing； and can get nothing； and are forced to be
at war against our will。
〃And war spoils everything；〃 he continued。 〃This committee should
be at work on affairs of peace； making Russia more useful to herself and to
the rest of the world。 You know our plans。 But with fighting on all our
fronts； and with all our best men away； we are compelled to use ninety per
cent。 of our energy and material for the immediate needs of the army。
Every day we get masses of telegrams from all fronts； asking for this or
that。 For example； Trotsky telegraphs here simply 〃We shall be in
Orenburg in two days；〃 leavin
