SBS Armenian: Tell me about your trip
Andrew: Thank you Vahe. When we talked last time, I described my relationship with a famous Russian painter, Ivan Aivazovsky. My grandmother was his great granddaughter and July 29th was the 200th anniversary of his birth in the Crimean town of Feodosia. About 2 years ago, my cousin Amanda contacted me after she heard about the Tretyakov Aivazovsky Exhibition. The Exhibition was commenced on July 29th last year so that Moscow could see his paintings without affecting the bicentennial celebrations of museums and galleries holding his works. The Exhibition was the 8th most visited in 2016 with more than 600,000 visitors. I said that I hadn’t planned to see the Exhibition, and whether I suggested it or Amanda, we decided that we should be in Feodosia for the anniversary.
This was a brave decision as the Crimea is listed as a dangerous place to visit by DFAT because it is a “disputed territory”. Speaking pragmatically, the only way to get to the Crimea today is to get a visa for Russia and travel via a Russian city with connections to the Crimea. We discovered that there are 240 flights a day into Simferopol from Russian cities.
Family in front of Aivazovsky paintings in Tretyakov Gallery [Moscow July 26] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
We contacted many in the family to see about whether they wanted to join us. Eventually there were 10 family members keen, and we started to navigate the unusual Russian visa process. The website is long but after filling it in 4-5 times it follows logically and is easy. The big difference is the requirement for an invitation to visit. And then where to put the various identifiers once you had found them.
My son Evan is a travel agent with FlightCentre and he arranged all of the flights, hotels and stop overs. The majority travelled through Tokyo to Moscow. This gave two 9-hour flights.
So, what I didn’t talk about last time was that when you broadcast the first interview we had just arrived in Russia. We spent 4 days in Moscow, 3 days in Feodosia and 4 days in St Petersburg.
SBS Armenian: How many members travelled from Australia?
Aivazovsky painting of boat near the Caucasus Mountains. Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Andrew: The trip was undertaken by three grandchildren of Varvara Lampsi. Vava had two children, an elder girl SULTANA and son DIMITRI. Two of Sultana's four children travelled - ANDREW (that’s me) and CELESTE. Celeste's two children - CLARE and LUKE – travelled with her. My wife ALLISON, eldest son EVAN and eldest daughter ALEXIS travelled with me. One of Dimitri's six children travelled – AMANDA along with her daughter GEORGIA and niece FREDERIKA. That’s 10 in total.
SBS Armenian: Talk about some of the highlights and memorable events.
The invitees at the Armenian Apostolic Cathedral luncheon to welcome the Aivazovsky family. [Moscow, July 25] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Andrew: The expectation of the senior family members in going to Russia was the minimum requirement that we stood by Aivazovsky's grave on July 29th and saw the paintings in the Gallery which was his home previously. We achieved that, but we also experienced so much more, and returned with a greater appreciation of and respect for our ancestor. Every institution we visited we were accorded respect as the family of Aivazovsky.
In Moscow, we attended a family do in Pushkina north of Moscow, visited the Armenian Cathedral, the Tretyakov Gallery, the Red Square, discovered Uzbekistani food and spent a little time at the "Creepy Markets". This is my son's name for the Russian Cultural Centre at Partizanskaya where you apparently can buy an AK47 if the market is in full swing.
We arrived in Simferopol to the highlights of the Simferopol Armenians, the Simferopol Memorial to the Aivazovsky brothers, driving Crimean Roads, the pleasure of Feodosia town, the excitement of visiting the Feodosia Gallery, the solemn memorial of St Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church, the unexpected Artseulov Museum, being able to purchase First Day covers, the day visit to Yalta including the Vorontsov Palace and Livadia Palace.
In St Petersburg, the highlights were the Russian Museum with its TV interviews, the exhibition at the Central Naval Museum, the experience of the Hermitage, the surprise Aivazovskys at the spectacular Faberge Museum, the calming experience of the Russian Cooking Lesson and finding replica Medal of St Alexander Nevsky.
SBS Armenian: Tell us about the meeting in Moscow with the Armenian Archbishop.
Outside the Tretyakov with the head of the Aivazovsky Exhibition team [Moscow July 26] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Livadia Palace [Crimea July 30] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Vorontsov Palace from the sea side [Crimea July 30] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Andrew: This meeting occurred on our second day in Russia. Our relative Irina, who works in Armenia, contacted the Armenian Apostolic Church and a visit was arranged in Moscow to meet His Eminence Archbishop Ezras Nersisyan, Primate of the New Nakhichevan and Russian Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church at the cathedral. The journey started with some frustration as we were supposed to leave at 10am. Since we were to finish our morning's touring in the Red Square, some made the decision to meet at Red Square and do their own thing beforehand. That was OK, except the Red Square meeting was delayed and lunch was skipped.
Irina had not been to the Cathedral before so there was a bit of stop and start to the journey which eventually required a moderate walk. If you weren't agitated by the seemingly unguided path we were following, the time was well used with talking. We arrived 30 minutes early which allowed a toilet stop and cool off. As promised at 2pm, Archbishop Ezras exited the building and started to meet people, including the family. He invited us to enter the cathedral and light a candle in Aivazovsky's memory and to hear of the construction of the cathedral which is new. The outside was made of Armenian tuff (a volcanic stone) and lined inside by stone from nations where Armenians are resident. The cathedral tour ended with a group photo at the altar.
Armenian Apostolic Cathedral reception (form left to right) Hrachya Boghosian, Archbishop Ezras, Irina Kazatskaya, Luke Rossetto (obscured). Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
We then progressed to his office where he showed us relics and art work donated to the cathedral. AND his Aivazovsky! Yes, he had one himself. It was a pretty 1858 water scene with sailboat.
We toured through the building stopping at murals that celebrate St Gregory, the genocide martyrs and the Battle of Avarayr in 451. The interpreter stumbled on translating the Archbishop's words which I have subsequently learnt were something like "death in battle becomes eternal life through service to Jesus".
Finally, as we were feeling weak from lack of food, Archbishop Ezras invited us to the Aivazovsky Room for some food. The room held 4 tables covered with food. I don't know what it is about the food, whether preparation or produce, but it tasted far better than what we have here in Australia! There was an adequate supply of Armenian Cognac and Grey Goose Vodka. We were given presents of pomegranates, mosaics and books.
This was the first view that we had about the status of Aivazovsky among the Armenian people. We came to learn of three views of Aivazovsky - the Armenian view, the Feodosia view and the Russian view. In each he is venerated for different reasons.
The Russian view stems from his art and his position in Russian society being of the Order of St Alexander Nevsky which was the highest civilian, non-Tsar position of nobility. The Feodosian view stems from the many philanthropic acts that he undertook, which incidentally were substantial. The Armenian view derives from a sense that one of our brothers did all this and more, he also supported his brother in service to Armenians, and I believe I have read that on one of his trips to Constantinople in the 1890s while visiting the palace, he confronted the Sultan about the ongoing Armenian genocide.
SBS Armenian: Did you meet any new relatives?
The Vorontsov Library [Crimea July 30] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Andrew: Ivan Aivazovsky had four daughters. It is easiest to consider the family by using the names of the four husbands - LAMPSI, LATTRI, HANZEN and ARTSEULOV.
We belong to the Lampsi line. Another relative, Tatiana, lived in Paris until 2003, but since her death, the remaining 27 living family are in Australia.
The Lattri family live in the UK and were not attending. This was disappointing as he has visited before and speaks Russian, but he is 90 years old and understandably will find travel difficult.
The Hanzen line was represented by IRINA Kazatskaya. Her ancestor OLYMPIADA, who was a widow with children, married Alexei Hanzen. They had no children together. Irina is descended from those children. But as I felt about my step-grandfather, she considers him as family.
As far as we knew, the Artseulov line continues in the USA. Irina mentioned that she had found someone else, but that was all we know.
So, when we arrived we finally met IRINA at Domedodova Airport. She brought a girl to interpret for her so that we could understand her excitement and her gifts to us. Gifts were to prove to be a nuisance and problem.
The first afternoon in Feodosia, we had to attend a book launch as the gallery had produced a new catalogue. I gave a short speech, and then a man presented me with an Aivazovsky calendar. It was the new relative. His grandmother was married to one of the Artseulov boys. He came with his wife to find a whole new family.
SBS Armenian: Did you visit Ivan’s resting place?
Andrew: On July 29th, the anniversary date, we attended St Sarkis Armenian Apostolic Church in Feodosia. The grounds of the church are well maintained though the church is old. In the grounds is the Aivazovsky grave. It looks pristine because Archbishop Ezras had committed funds to have the grave site renovated. This is measure of the Armenian pride for Aivazovsky. The grave is frequently visited by tourists.
There were three phases of people attending the grave on the 29th. The political group came first, then the Armenians and the family, and finally the townspeople. After we attended the grave and laid some carnations, we followed Archbishop Ezras into the church and attended the commemorative service. We learnt that Aivazovsky had been baptised here, sang her and buried here.
SBS Armenian: Did you meet locals who had personal stories about Aivazovsky?
Andrew: The locals did relate to us stories about Aivazovsky. We found out that he was a short man, perhaps not even 5 feet tall. Our grandmother Vava was this tall too. His self-portraits were painted “tall” so he could wear all his medals but the truth was that he didn’t have the chest acreage on his jackets to wear them all at one!
Vava had told us about a third brother Karambah, who she said was Aivazovsky’s brother and a Black Sea pirate. Aivazovsky did have 2 brothers AND two sisters. But it turns out that Karambah was Aivazovsky’s nephew and that he was no Black Sea pirate, he was just a very naughty boy!
Tatiana the Gallery Director is a local and told us about Aivazovsky’s estate called “Sheikh Mamai”. Khan Mamai was Golden Horde governor and military leader of the area who lost an important battle to the Russians, and fled to Feodosia. The Genoese who controlled Feodosia at the time were worried that the Golden Horde would exact revenge for accommodating him, so Mamai was beheaded by the Genoese and his head stored in salt for transportation to the rulers in the hope that there would be no ramifications for housing the defeated. Aivazovsky did the historical research and concluded that Mamai was buried on his property. He narrowed the burial site of the beheaded body and built a rotunda over the presumed spot.
In the 1920s, the pavilion was demolished and archaeologists dug up a beheaded body buried with jewels. So, his research was accurate. Sheikh Mamai was one of his estate which was engaged in agriculture. After 1860, Aivazovsky had no need to sell paintings as his properties and investments had made him rich independent of his painting income. He used his painting income for charity.
Aivazovsky conducted meals at home in a formal setting. There were three recognised meal types - family, visitors, and nobility. The meals were served in multiples of 30 courses. 30 for the family, 60 for the visitors and 90 for nobility! The notion of a course was different, of course, for instance Spanish olives and Italian olives constituted 2 courses.
We also learnt the scope of his generosity. Reading that he supplied water to the town does not tell the whole story. He supplied water from his estate to the town by building a ceramic water line to the town to interface with the existing pipes. A pumping station was required, and the flow rate was at least 25,000 pales a day. As we set out for Yalta, I asked where the estate was situated. Tatiana the Director of the Gallery and a local, said that she would show me. As we pulled into the next town, Staryi Krim, she indicated a road off to the right and said the estate was about 3-4 kilometres up that road. That was 30km from Feodosia. (That's like Shepparton to Numurkah). I suspect that such an endeavour today would cost a few million.
SBS Armenian: Did you travel outside of Crimea?
Oleg interviews Andrew Miller at the Feodosia Gallery during the book launch. [Crimea, July 28] Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
Andrew: We did not travel outside of the Crimea. But we have now travelled most of the southern coast of the Crimea. The Gallery Director, Tatiana Gayduk, arranged a day trip to Yalta to see some things associated with the family. At the Vorontsov Palace we saw the work of Julia Greives uncle, Alexander. Julia was Aivazovsky's first wife and mother of the four girls. He was the librarian who catalogued the holdings of the Vorontsov Palace. We also saw two properties owned by Helen, one of Aivazovsky's daughters.
She was married to the Governor of the Crimea, and ran a bathhouse on the Yalta promenade beside the hotels. The hotels had no bathing facilities, so she built them in a nearby building and apparently had a great business.
We also visited the Livadia Palace which was the summer home of the Tsar and the site of the WWII Yalta Conference where Stalin, Churchill and Roosevelt determined the shape of the post-WWII world. The conference area is still set up. The Italianate building was gorgeous in the sunshine sitting above the Yalta coast.
The house built by Helen Aivazovsky in Yalta. Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
The bath house built by Helen Aivazovsky in Yalta (has been renovated and expanded by Sofia, a Ukrainan singer) Source: Courtesy Andrew Miller
SBS Armenian: Are there any other topics you want to talk about?
Andrew: While in Feodosia, I awoke early on the Sunday morning and sat outside to watch the sunrise. I was blessed with a sunrise similar to some of Aivazovsky’s paintings. It was a good omen.
I was struck by the notion of fame, and particularly fame in Australia. We have some famous figures with comparable fame to Aivazovsky, like Ned Kelly, but the similarity ends there. His fame is not tarnished by any hint of infamy. If I could characterise his life, it is poor boy makes good and never forgets where he comes from. His time in cafes on Feodosia’s waterfront seems to have fit him for living with people, and almost to a man, people he met were on his side. The one that wasn’t, the painter Philippe Tanner, helped him get introduced to the Tsar and so projected his career into the stratosphere of painting. His first painting was bought by the Tsar for 1000 roubles, about 3 times the average middle-class wage of the time.
At all public meeting we were asked three questions - Do you have any Aivazovsky paintings? Does anyone in the family have the Aivazovsky painting ability? What do you think about the situation with Crimea?
Aivazovsky’s first painting sold to the Tsar for 1000 roubles. “A Study of Air over Water”, Tretyakov Gallery. Source: Andrew Miller
We don't have any Aivazovsky paintings in the Australian family. Dr Henry Sanford from the Lattri Family has 3 or 4 originals that were cut from their frames as the Bolsheviks were entering the family home. There are two people in the Australian family who have some artistic ability, though neither could be regarded as professional. My daughter Alexis draws well, and Frederika's mother, Lucy, paints watercolours for relaxation.
Amanda who travelled with us is keen on the idea of an Aivazovsky Exhibition in Australia. We understand that it is difficult, but we have had the Hermitage collection and a Turner Collection in recent times, so it is possible. If SBS would like to consider sponsorship of this, I’m sure that she would be grateful.
The issue of the Crimea is more vexatious. The view of the Crimeans that we met is that the matter was settled by the 2014 referendum. Crimean life seems settled and the only impositions are those associated with international interfacing (communications, flights, banks, etc.). The Tatars who are a minority didn't agree with the re-association with Russia. After visiting and reading about the local geopolitics, I have some sympathy for the Crimea. Seems that everyone but the Crimeans take a role in determining their outcomes. At some time, pragmatism may determine an outcome.
I would like to apologise to the Australian and Ukrainian governments for travelling to the Crimea. As family members, our aim was to be in Feodosia on July 29th, 2017, and so we had no choice but to travel via Russia. We had no intention of buying into geopolitical arguments about sovereignty and self-determination.
Lastly, I want to express my thanks and affection to Irina Kazatskaya. Our trip was such an experience because she put in the work to arrange the meetings. At these meetings, she stepped back to allow us the limelight. I think that she did this for no other benefit than to be with us and lead us into a better understanding of our family heritage. She is the glue that has bonded the Aivazovsky relatives, raised the knowledge, understanding and pride of the man, and given us an experience of a lifetime. She was the true hero of the trip in my eyes, and I hope that you have someone like her in your family.
