Editing Sergei Diaghilev (section)

== Biography ==
[[File:Sergej Diaghilev (1872-1929) ritratto da Valentin Aleksandrovich Serov.jpg|thumb|Sergei Diaghilev by [[Valentin Serov]], 1904]]

Sergei Diaghilev was born in [[Chudovsky District|Selishchi]] to a noble officer {{ill|Pavel Diaghilev|ru|Дягилев, Павел Павлович}}. His mother died from [[childbed fever]] soon after his birth. In 1873, Pavel met and married Elena Panaeva, who loved Sergei and raised him as her own child. The {{ill|House of Diaghilev|ru|Дом Дягилева}} in [[Perm, Russia|Perm]] was a local cultural centre, and the Diaghilevs hosted a musical evening every second Thursday, [[Modest Mussorgsky]] being one of the most frequent guests. Sergei Diaghilev composed his first [[Romance (music)|romance]] at the age of 15. When he entered the [[Saint Petersburg Imperial University]], he also had private music lessons with [[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]. Instead of the usual four, it took him six years to graduate. By his own admission, Diaghilev used his student years ‘to look around’ and find his true interests in life. Seven months after graduation he opened his first exhibition.{{sfn|Scheijen|2009}}<ref>{{cite web
|author=Malivanova, N.
 |url         =https://pravo.ru/review/view/81386/
 |title       =Юрфак как эпизод и "маленький отдых"
|trans-title=Law Faculty as an Episode and Brief Vacation
|language=ru
 |publisher   = Pravo.ru
 |date        = 31 January 2013
|access-date  = 15 December 2020
}}</ref>

=== Life in Saint Petersburg ===
[[File:Дягилев, Сергей Павлович.jpg|thumb|Sergei Diaghilev with his nanny, 1905, [[Léon Bakst]]]]

During his years at University, Diaghilev's cousin [[Dmitry Filosofov]] introduced him to a circle of art-loving friends who called themselves [[Nevsky Pickwickians|The Nevsky Pickwickians]].<ref>Stephen Walsh. ''Stravinsky:  A Creative Spring.'' (New York:  Alfred A. Knopf, 1999). p.&nbsp;129.</ref> They included [[Alexandre Benois]], [[Walter Nouvel]], [[Konstantin Somov]], and [[Léon Bakst]]. Although not instantly received into the group, Diaghilev was aided by Benois in developing his knowledge of Russian and Western art. In two years, he had voraciously absorbed this new obsession (even travelling abroad to further his studies) and came to be respected as one of the most learned of the group.{{sfn|Scheijen|2009}}

In the late 1890s, Diaghilev created several art exhibitions that were intended to introduce the contemporary artists to the local public and, later, to the Europeans. The exposition of British and German watercolorists in 1897 at the [[Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts]] became a huge success—one which Diaghilev repeated in 1898 with the exhibition of the Russian and Finnish artists at the [[Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design|Stieglitz Academy]] with the works of those such as [[Mikhail Vrubel]], [[Valentin Serov]], and [[Isaac Levitan]].{{sfn|Levashev|2011|p=36}}{{sfn|Varakina|2008|p=29–31}} In the same year he opened an exhibition of young Russian painters in Germany. Though the young art connoisseur had no private fortune, he managed to gain the protection and support of such high nobility as the
[[Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich of Russia|Grand Duke Vladimir Alexandrovich]] and later even [[Nicholas II of Russia|Nicholas II]].{{sfn|Melnik|2020|p=50–51}}

The Russian-Finnish exhibition of 1898 became the first action of the recently formed society ‘[[Mir iskusstva]]’, established by Benois and Diaghilev earlier that year. The group also included Konstantin Somov, Dmitry Filosofov, Léon Bakst, and [[Eugene Lansere]]. Soon, with the help of [[Savva Mamontov]] (the director of the Russian Private Opera Company) and Princess Maria Tenisheva, the group founded the journal ''Mir iskusstva'' (World of Art). The magazine was intended to serve ‘the god Apollo’ and promote modern art. The first issue was released in February 1898. As recalled by Benois, Diaghilev, as the [[art director]], created the style and designed the publication, wrote critical essays, and, in 1904, published a monograph on [[Dmitry Levitzky]]. Nevertheless, Benois remembered him as the member of ''Mir iskusstva'' least interested in philosophy and literature, frequently revealing huge gaps in his knowledge of the classics.{{sfn|Benois|1980|p=345}}

On 6 March 1905, he opened an exhibition of the ‘Russian portraits of the 18th and 19th centuries’ at the [[Tauride Palace]] with more than 4000 paintings collected from 450 owners. Diaghilev himself travelled to acquire the portraits and wrote a catalogue of 2300 art works with information on the artists, models, and other relevant data. The exposition, designed by Benois, was an innovative example of art synthesis and greatly impressed the visitors. The paintings were combined into groups and accompanied with notes, and the interiors were decorated differently in order to emphasize their meanings and double the effect. The exhibition enjoyed enormous success and raised Diaghilev to the top of art and society elite.{{sfn|Scheijen|2009|p=132-134}}{{sfn|Luchkin|2013|p=31-40}}

Passionate to promote Russian art abroad, in 1906, Diaghilev organized and opened the ‘Two Centuries of the Russian art and Sculpture’ exposition at [[Salon d'Automne]]. It included 750 works from 103 authors, from modern artists to the ancient icons. The exhibition was designed by Léon Bakst and occupied 12 rooms in the [[Grand Palais]]. It, too, enjoyed enormous success and in many ways paved the way for the future success of the Ballet Russe. France was soon immersed in fashion à la russe.{{sfn|Luchkin|2013|p=39}} Diaghilev was offered the [[Legion of Honour]] award, but refused in honour of Bakst.{{sfn|Lifar|2013}}

=== Imperial Theaters ===

In 1899, Prince [[Serge Wolkonsky]] received directorship of all Imperial theaters. On 10 September 1899, he gave Diaghilev the post of officer on special duty. The post was usually a nominal one, but since Diaghilev managed to actively engage into the theatrical world, he was soon made responsible for the production of the Annual of the Imperial Theaters. As editor-in-chief, he reformed the edition and converted it into a full-scale luxurious magazine with critical essays, playbills, articles about artists and lots of pictures. Diaghilev even changed the paper to print the issues. He invited many of his fellow members in ''Mir iskusstva'' to work on the magazine, design fonts and create illustrations. He also showed himself as a successful promoter by finding sponsors, advertisers, and new distribution channels. As recalled by Benois, the success of the magazine went to Sergey’s head and very soon he was thinking about himself as ‘the only one, without whom nothing can be done.{{sfn|Lifar|2013}}{{sfn|Benois|1980}}

At that time Diaghilev started frequent visits to repetitions of the Imperial Ballet. His appearance as a [[dandy]] with a grey lock amazed the ballerinas, who soon nicknamed him ‘Chinchilla’. He was especially interested in young [[Mathilde Kschessinska]], who was flattered by the attention of an already famous art connoisseur. Even though they would fight later and temporarily break contact, the friendship would last through all their lives.{{sfn|Lifar|2013}}

Diaghilev brought the members of ''[[Mir iskusstva]]'' with him to the Imperial theatres. [[Apollinary Vasnetsov]], Alexandre Benois, Léon Bakst, Valentin Serov, Eugene Lansere and other contemporary artists began working on decorations and costumes. In 1900, Prince Serge Wolkonsky entrusted Diaghilev with the staging of [[Léo Delibes]]' ballet Sylvia, a favorite of Benois. The two collaborators concocted an elaborate production plan that startled the established personnel of the Imperial Theatres. After several increasingly antagonistic differences of opinion, Diaghilev refused to go on editing the Annual of the Imperial Theatres and was discharged by Volkonsky in 1901. However, the scandal also ruined Wolkonsky’s career; in a week, he was similarly fired. By that time, even the [[Nicholas II of Russia|Emperor]], persuaded by Kschessinska, took Diaghilev’s side. Sergei didn’t think much of a civil servant career, so he went abroad and immersed in his other plans.{{sfn|Levashev|2011|p=54}}{{sfn|Verveyko|2020}}