# Russian Ark, european heritage



## solkorset (May 26, 2011)

I was watching the russian film "Russian Ark" (Alexander Sokurov, 2002). It set me thinking and daydreaming. We are led through the hermitage museum in St Petersburg by a french traveller, Custine, who has been dead for centuries and is stinking formaldehyde, and his invisible russian companion. As we move from hall to hall and from century to century the two companions converse and try to take part in unfolding history and enjoy all the wonders of life. They are like aliens resurrected from the dead. Custine finds himself able to speak fluent russian and is amazed. He scoffs at russian culture initially while his russian companion patiently censures him. Most of the time they pass unnoticed by the russians of the age surrounding them in the halls, at other times they interact with them. They comment on the paintings, sculptures, talk to the people, dance with them. They are so hungry after life, they want to live again, in the past and in the future. The ending is so sad. All those noblemen and distinguished officers meander slowly out of the ballroom for the last time and leave the stage of history. We anticipate the revolution in the near future. Custine stands still and doesn't want to leave, while people stream past him. He is sad and says so. His companion tries to encourage him to go on, but he answers: whereto? Everything is over, there is nowhere to go. Then he disappears and the russian is alone. The door opens to the russian winter. He is surrounded by an icy sea. He talks to his lost french companion: "We shall sail forever, we shall live forever". A highly poetic end, even if you couldn't understand his words, just listening to his mesmerizing voice. 

Music plays an important part in the film. We hear Glinka and other russian music. The slow piano music that escorts us was composed for the film(?) and is new but sounds somewhat like Scriabin. 

What is Sokurov's message? That everything in the hermitage museum, which is european heritage pure and simple, including classical music, is now dead? It died with the first world war and the bolshevik revolution, leaving us with the materialist mass society of the 20th century? If so, is he right? Is art, beauty and high life forever dead in Europe and Russia? The film is like a nostalgic last tour of the splendors of a Europe gone by.


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## solkorset (May 26, 2011)

Here is a more accurate rendering of his last words:

"The sea is all around us. What a pity you are not here with me. You would understand everything. We are destined to sail for ever, to live forever."


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