Outstanding Russian and Belorussian People Abroad.

Marc Chagall.

M.Ch. is a Belorussian-born artist (Vitebsk). Russian motifs are the basis of his creative work. The flight is the dominating theme of his canvas and they are full of scenes representing mode of life in small provincial town. He spent the major part of his life in Paris and he considered this city to be his spiritual motherland. M.Ch. was greatly influenced by avant-garde art and in his works there аre traces of cubism, primitivism and pre-surrealism (Аполлинер, Сандрар). His paintings are the point of admiration in many world museums. In Belarus, in Vitebsk, there is a museum of Chagall which is very popular with our and foreign tourists.

Mstislav Rastropovitch.

M.R. was born in 1927 in the USSR. He was a praised soviet cellist and in 1960 in Moscow he became a professor of music. He left the USSR in 1974. He became the conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra in Washington D.C. in 1977. Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Bendgamine Britten and other modern composers have written for his grand expressive playings. Now M.R. goes on tour very often and he is welcome in any country. Galina Vishnevskaya, his wife, is an outstanding talented singer and she is also known all over the world.

Vladimir Nabokov.

V.N. is a Russian-born author. In 1918 his family left for Western Europe because of the Bolshevik Revolution. V.N. preferred to live in Berlin and Paris. His novels are noted for their complicated plots and the complex attitude they express toward their subjects. Critics praised Nabokov's novels for their wit, intricate use of words, and rich language. He wrote his novels in Russian but his books are published in English, French, Italian and other languages. Sometimes he did translations himself. V.N. was the first author in the history of Russian and American literatures who was writing in Russian and in English as well. It was France where Nabokov's most famous book "Lolita" was printed far the first time. Now this book is well-known throughout the whole world. V.N. did a lot popularizing Russian culture abroad and he obtained general recognition of all people in art.

Michel Baryshnikov.

M.B. was born in Soviet Latvia. By he was 19, he had become a soloist with the famous Kirov Ballet of Leningrad. (Kirov Ballet gave birth to many bright dancers recognized all over the world) M.B. left for the West in 1974 and joined the American Ballet Theater in New-York City. He was artistic director of this theater from 1980 until he resigned in 1989. M.B. founded his own studio, gave up classical dancing technique and started developing a new modern one. He performs in a style called "bravura" which features brilliant daring dancing. Now M.B. is one of the world's leading ballet dancer. He was and is perfectly successful in his creative innovating and now every theater in the world considers it an honor to invite him on tour. He is known for his highly developed technique and his fine character interpretation. He has danced principal roles in all the standard classical ballets and in many modern works.

Мария Гулегина - Belorussian opera singer, now she is singing in "La Scala" (Italia);

Куклачев, Попов - russian clowns who live in Germany;

Рудольф Hypиев (Rudolf Nureyev)- the best outstanding brilliant ballet dancer, genius of an artist, courageous person who was the soloist of Kirov Ballet and who had a character to stay in France in 1960. He ruled the classical dancing world during 30 years;

Иосиф Бродский - one of the most outstanding persons in Russian and American literature; he was writing in Russian and in English as well;

Андрон Михалков-Кончаловский - the only one Russian film producer who makes films with European and American superstars in Hollywood ("Одиссея", "Tango and Cash").

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canvas - картин
mode of life - быт, стиль жизни
spiritual - духовный
praised - восхваляемый
to go on tour - ездить на гастроли
to be noted for - выделяться
intricate - замысловатый
to obtain general recognition - получить всеобщее признание
to praise - восхвалять
to resign - отказываться (от должности)
to feature - быть характерной чертой
innovating - новаторство
to consider it an honor - почитать за честь
to give up - оставлять, прекращать
daring - смелый

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