THE PAGES OF HISTORY. T. I. LESCHENKO MEMORIES ABOUT SCULPTOR TSAPLIN

This publication represents selected pages from famous singer and literature translator Tatiana Ivanovna Leschenko-Sukhomlina's memoires. The memories about meeting and years of living together with an outstanding Russian sculptor D. F. Tsaplin are presented in the form of a private diary. This publication embraces a small period of the beginning of 30 years of the 20th century — the time of Tsaplin's stay in Paris. The articles from some Parisian periodicals “Le Journal”, “Tan”, “Le Figaro” about Tsaplin's exhibitions are quoted; the story about the preparation to the exhibition in the Sloden's gallery; the description of the sculptor's meeting with Picasso; comments on Tsaplin's creative method and artistic practice. In a short introduction T. Sukhomlina underlines the documentality of her account. Dmitriy Filippovich Tsaplin (1890–1967) was studied in Saratov Higher Art Studios (1919–1920) by sculptor, architect, designer Anton Mikhailovich Lavinskiy. Participant of the exhibitions of Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia, Society of Russian sculptors (SRS), United Arts (a group of artists “Union”), etc. He was sent on an assignment to work abroad. The sculptor worked in France, Spain and England during 1927–1935. He created many portraits, compositions, animalistic sculptures in wood and in stone. Tatiana Ivanovna Leschenko-Sukhomlina (1903–1998) studied at the School of Journalism at Columbia University. She was a member of the American Union of professional actors, D. F. Tsaplin's wife. She was deported in 1947 and rehabilitated in 1956. She devoted herself to concert activity, literary translations, scientific and research work in the archives. The manuscript is entitled “The notes about the sculptor Tsaplin” and it represents 94 typewritten pages. The manuscript goes back to 1978, and it was passed by the author in 1978 to the sculptor A. Burganov, in whose archive it is still located. The publication is dedicated to Dmitriy F. Tsaplin's 125th anniversary, which is celebrated in 2015.