Correspondence between L. Tcherniavsky (VOKS) and Jacques Lipchitz

Description

Contains two letters, one from Tcherniavsky and one from Lipchitz, and an envelope. This correspondance is related to the visit of Jacques and Berthe Lipchitz to the USSR in the autumn 1935. In his oficial letter L. Tcherniavsky (English spelling is 'Chernyavsky'), a president of the 'Societe pour les relations culturelles entre l'URSS et l'etranger' (VOKS) asks Lipchitz to fill up the attached questionnaire on the Soviet art and art in Europe and America (totally 2 pages).
Full text (in translation):
'Sir,
The society for cultural relations between the USSR and other countries would be grateful if you could answer the questions attached. This questionnaire has been sent to people who are important in the Science, Education and the Arts.
Bearing in mind that we will publish the answers received in the new year in special USSR publications. We would be grateful if you could reply to us by the 20th of December 1935.
With our sincere thanks for the future, please find our most sincere greetings.
President of the Society for the Cultural Relation between the U.R.S.S. and Abroad.
L.Tcherniavsky'.
Questionnaire attached to the letter

'For the personalities of the Beaux Arts:
1) How do you feel about the situation of the arts and the artists in Europe and America?
2) What do you think are the goals for 1936?
3) What attracts you mostly in the method of Soviet Arts and Soviet artists?
4) Do you think that the ideas from the Realist Socialists can influence the Arts in Europe and America?
5) What do you wish for the Soviet Arts in 1936?'


Includes a draft letter in response of the questionnaire sent to Jacques Lipchitz, with many sentences crossed and rewritten and some repetition.

'Comrade, President
I've rushed to send my reply to the questionnaire you sent me.
Knowing nothing of the situation regarding the Arts and artists in America, I can only discuss what I have found here after three months away. The crisis is certainly getting worse every day. It looks like this beautiful country, France, is being ravaged by a terrible fever that renders it uninterested in beautiful things, with the arts first. It's a misery for the artists, terrible misery, a misery worse than the norm. Unfortunately, I cannot foresee what the conditions of working artists will be in the coming year.
What particularly attracted me to the methods of Soviet Arts is the clarity with which people in charge as well as the artists are trying to put in this area of a humane activity. [meaning unclear in original french]
Your wonderful reality is helping, the youth and the passion that I can see everywhere, the brilliant conditions in which the artists live in your country makes me think that art must be shining in your country.
Therefore, no doubt, the ideas of the realist socialists will be able to influence art anywhere in the world with accomplished examples. It is still necessary for the Soviet Arts to be seen outside of the USSR.
My wishes for Plastic Art in 1936 would be to have full support for any artistic expression, something that is happening in the world of theatre and has had positive results.
Between the art of a Meyerkhold and a Stanislavsky there is a world which does not prevent both from being incredible artists and to amicably fill the roles that your society that has assigned to the art of the world of theater and has given you fantastic results. I have seen the same play in two different theatres, where neither the budgets or the methods of expression were the same and yet both theatres were filled with an enthused public.
Your reality is so extraordinary that to be able to find an adequate art in this reality requires a large and multitudinous effort.
[text that has been crossed over and probably removed from the final letter]
'I'll allow myself to bring to your attention men like Elie Faure and probably many others who have not received your questionnaire who would benefit from specialist Soviet Artists' authorised opinions.
Dear President, believe in my sincere wishes.'


Envelope holds a letterhead in Russian and French. It Russian it is 'Vsesoyuznoe Obschestvo Kulturnoi Sviazi s zagranitsei' and the address: MOscow, 56, B[olshaia] Gruzinskaia, d. 17.

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