Editing Sergei Diaghilev (section)

=== 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}}