Rasputin of the East

＜ Episode 137 >

A crowd of people gathered in front of an old-fashioned building in a well-located location in St. Petersburg.

＜The Royal Academy of Arts and Culture>

From very young children to college age. It is literally the cradle of artists created for the promotion of culture and art.

Actor, film director, singer, anyone, whatever.

Tuition is completely free. They were tough to get in, but they were literally made up of figures the Ministry of the Interior had found and culled with all their might.

I, who came with Olga to attend the opening ceremony, rummaged through a bunch of paperwork. In the document were several records, including the list of these admitted students.

“The problem is that it’s hard to get in without a letter of recommendation, but it’s also a plus that there’s nothing you can’t get in by yourself.”

Then, Irina, who suddenly assumed the position of chairman, intervened.

“Actually, there were some people there who thought about whether or not to adopt it, because the person who wrote the letter of recommendation was the one who wrote it.”

“Well, did Lenin even recommend it?”

“There was a letter of recommendation from Kerensky.”

“who? I don’t know who recommended it here.”

“Sergei Yeisenstein, you have some experience in left-wing activities too. I have a background in studying at the Petrograd Institute of Civil Engineering, but I was thinking about whether or not to reject it…”

“I don’t know who you are, but the last time your neck didn’t fly off means you didn’t have an active career?”

“Actually, I was arrested once. On the charge of sedition. Originally, I feel like a Siberian type, but my father came to Ohrana and begged me, so it was a bit troublesome. It was also a little burdensome to publicly punish the son of a celebrity for participating in communism…”

“Is your father a celebrity?”

“Yeah, I got a lot of medals for being an outstanding architect.”

“It must have been a pain in the ass.”

“So I compromised on paying the fine and being on the track of Ohrana. Anyway… it’s difficult to spread useless knowledge on campus, and there’s really no way to monitor the thoughts of the students.”

In fact, a man like Maxim Gorky, who would have been a professor here, also fled to England on charges of dissident movement, and Anton Chekhov, who had already died, was expelled for his defense and was expelled in the same way as Ivan Turgenev, who was expelled in the same way. The process of entering this place for a young man with experience…. Perhaps it wasn’t his father’s back with a high probability.

“I don’t really like it. The father could not have influenced his son’s behavior at all…”

Let Stolipin say something bluntly. Irina immediately responded.

“His father is clearly loyal to Tsarina. This has been proven many times.”

“is it?”

“Yes.”

“Well, if you are sure. But the problem is that there is no law that says that a father and a child necessarily mean the same thing.”

When Konstantin Stanislavsky, the principal, who was in the middle of his speech, finished speaking, applause rang out.

“dismissal.”

“Is it my turn?”

“Yes.”

At Irina’s words, I stood on the podium.

A lot of people were looking up at me. I cleared my mind for a while.

What is good luck, or what should I say?

After thinking about it, I decided to just say what I thought.

“There are two kinds of people here.”

Everyone focused their attention on me at the words that sounded even out of the blue.

“The one who teaches, the one who is taught, but the two are not necessarily divided. Just as there is a saying that even the wisest seeks instruction from the most foolish, even a lion needs the help of a mouse, so everyone around you will become your teacher and a disciple to whom you can teach. It is possible.”

I was talking.

“What have you come to learn or teach? It will vary. Music, art, literature, film, what do you want to be? Poets, writers, painters, opera writers, actors, film directors, singers, composers.”

“I believe that those here are the future of man, the future of Russia, what makes man human? What is civilization? If the standard of civilization was to use tools, then sea otters would be human. If humans are humans just because they know how to follow the rules, then dogs trained to do business only in certain places are also humans.”

“I believe that human beings, furthermore, civilization can exist and be completed by having culture. Culture is the alpha and omega of civilization, and I believe that everyone here today will protect and further develop human culture.”

“Nothing is in vain for you to try, and it is worthwhile in itself. Imagine, talk to your heart’s content, write freely, draw, sing, sculpt, act, debate, critique, and that’s what this school was built for, as long as you’re here. As a great writer, actor, and film director, I sincerely hope that each and every one of you will leave a shining name in the world.”

It is not an infusion training. Where is artistry exhibited in a coercive environment?

It’s just that, in a fairly free and open environment, to awaken your talents to the best, that’s what I’ll do.

After the speech and before the applause came, I went down the podium to the place where the students and staff were gathered.

People were bewildered by the unexpected action, but before they could react, they held each person’s hand one by one and talked to each other.

The number of people isn’t that big, but it’s still quite a bit of trouble, but… it’s still worth the effort.

“What is your name?”

“This is Dmitry Shostakovich! Music… I’m making music!”

“Okay, Shostakovich-kun, I sincerely look forward to and support you for making this Russia shine. At this school, do whatever you want to do.”

The boy in front of me accepted my handshake with an expression of excitement that I, the husband of the monarch, the monarch and hero of another country, came down to shake hands with everyone.

They held my hands tightly, patted my shoulders, and gave me words of support, and seeing my tears brimming with tears, I also wondered if high-ranking people were doing this because of this taste.

On the other hand, Stolipin, who sat in the VIP seat at the back of the podium, had a very bad expression.

“You are doing well. Where do I leave the manuscript I wrote?”

“But, if people are moved by it, isn’t it enough?”

“It’s ridiculous that a human being who, even if I recommend reading a book written by Tolstoy, doesn’t read it properly on the excuse that he’s busy, and doesn’t go to the theatre, suddenly says he’s going to pursue a cultural project. And do you know how many traitors are out of those artists? I’d rather support scientists.”

Of course, if he had heard it, he would have been able to grab it by the throat saying he was talking nonsense, knowing that he was having a hard time even reading the newspaper when he was, but Stolipin was quite serious.

The now famous poet Vladimir Mayakovsky is still in prison for his last treason, and his younger poet Boris Pasternak has toiled in Ohrana.

From the standpoint of Stolipin, who had put him and several other artists in it, he thought that the purpose of culture and art was just to inspire loyalty to his country, and it did not require such a grand support and building. Isn’t it enough to just support composers and writers who can see buds?

“It’s something for the centenary of the country. And among the writers, there are also patriots like Dostoevsky and Gogol.”

And if you have to add it, it can be helpful when creating an overseas spy network. No, rather, this may be better than the attempts of international students who have tried it before.

The conciliation of international students, especially those from the colonies, was surprisingly effective.

In preparation for the great war that will one day, he is now educated in Russia, and when he returns, he convinces him that he will eventually face independence as a result of the inevitable war between the Russian Empire and Japan.

But whether they would return and rise to a position of meaningful help…. Frankly, she was skeptical.

Rather than using it as a simple spy, it would have been better to use the hardships suffered in Czechoslovakia as a major government factor when establishing a puppet government in the future. I made a suggestion to use it when erecting it, and I got permission.

“Artists have no borders. It’s just an idea, but it’s worth taking a little risk, how to get dirt on your clothes when you dig. And if you collect them in a place like this and organize them, monitoring is easy.”

Stolipin didn’t respond. Feeling something strange, Irina turned her head to look at Stolipin.

“Your Excellency? Are you okay?”

“…… I’m okay.”

Feeling something strange, the attendants rushed to Stolipin.

“Anything that makes you uncomfortable?”

“It’s just, it’s not a big deal, but all of a sudden I’m feeling a little dizzy. It happens often.”

“What does your doctor say?”

“It’s okay, you need a little rest, but can you rest?”

Stolipin muttered, grabbing his flabby hair.

“I have no intention of resting yet, no, I must not rest. Don’t be.”

“……”

“I still have a lot of work to do.”

No matter what obstacles come, now that I have succeeded in seizing the last chance, I cannot stop here. You must not sit down. never.

Until that day comes, until the day comes when he can close his eyes in peace.

In the world in his sight, the Russian Empire was always in a precarious state on the verge of collapse.

Now only 1905. Success in reverting to before Bloody Sunday, winning the war, and moving the country and the economy to some degree of stability, but that should not be the end of it.

What he wanted was the prosperity of his country, Russia. It was so in the past, so it is now, and it will be so, until the moment he takes his last breath and so will be forever.

So, surely, by any means, the Empire will be put on the rock.

Stolipin recounted that.

What he started, he had to finish.