Пионерские чтения: вне времени
Pioneer readings of “Ruskiy pioner” (Russian pioneer) magazine, devoted to the theme “The Time” took place at the “Sovremennik” theatre the day before. The columnists of the magazine were trying to answer the eternal questions – what does time mean, how to deal with it and if it really exists. The responses turned out to be timeless. The editor of ruspioner.ru Elena Zhikhareva was present at the event.
- Do you feel that the time is going by? Let’s start! – Pioneer readings’ host Diana Arbenina couldn’t let herself to be unpunctual that evening.
Andrei Averyanov, the leading actor of “Sovremennik”the
Vladimir Churov, the head of CEC, who had published the part of his historical novel in the October issue of the magazine, was the first to appear on the stage. To save the time he read not all the novel but the column, written especially for the event, about three women who influenced his life greatly.
- Sometimes it seems to me that ‘Ruskiy pioner” magazine clearly demonstrates its liberal views and unites totally different people, columns and that thing what I would like to call – creed, - in such way Diana announced the next columnist to perform.
After these words Andrei Makarevich, the regular columnist of the magazine, appeared on the stage. The host compared his sincere, exact and fine-drawn column with a Swiss watch. Andrei Makarevich gave a very simple answer to the question, disturbing the kids as well as the adults in all the times: why half an hour in the childhood seems to be the whole eternity but when you grow up even the year seems to be just a moment for you.
TV presenter Maya Tavkhelidze attempted in her column to turn off the furious timer of her life and, at last, to take a break, not to hurry and not to try all the time to give the dust to someone. At least for a few minutes, while she was reading her column, she managed to do it.
Unfortunately, Valentin Gaft couldn’t be present at the readings and delegated Andrei Averyanov to read Gaft’s poem “The black square”, published in “Ruskiy pioner”. The author says that this poem is his cross to bear. He writes this poem all his life long and if God forbids much more than one pantoum will be written in future.
Diana Arbenina presented the next participant in a very modest manner:
- I didn’t expect that we would be so lucky today: we will listen to a person, who has already taken his place in the great classic of Russian literature. Dima Bykov. Hooray!
- So, I don’t have to read my column in such case at all, - answered Dmitry Bykov, laughing. But still, he started to read.
The recognition would not be complete without a gift from the CEO «In city catering» company Olga Timokhina. As Dmitry Bykov came to the readings before the very beginning, he missed the reception in the lobby of “Sovremennik” theatre. Before the gift was announced, Dmitry Bykov managed to say into the microphone:
- I accept money.
The representative of «In city catering» company Olga Timokhina confessed that when the time to choose the columnist to be presented with a gift had came, she chose Dmitry Bykov without any hesitation, because he is the favourite writer of her father.
- I noticed long ago that the most people find it a little bit indecent to declare their love to me. So, they usually say that I am a favourite writer of their mother or father, - Bykov told the audience, which greeted him with applause. He took the package with present with himself and it remained a secret what kind of present was in it.
Having appeared on the stage “a little-known” actress Olga Anichkova (who was presented to the audience as wanton redhead) started for some unknown reason to move the rack with a microphone. The explanation followed almost immediately:
- As an actress I have always been dreaming to do some permutation on the stage. I have done it. Gestalt is completed.
The time for Olga Anichkova is “he” but not “it”. And as a result - that leads to a very difficult relationship with time.
Another commercial break turned out to be an “out of programme performance” on the theme “The truest lottery”. “Ugra” bank decided to raffle off the premium gold card. Before the start of Pioneer readings everyone, who wanted to take part in the lottery, had to give their business cards for the lottery. Then, there was a glass container with all the business cards in it. Vladimir Churov got the right to got out the business card with a name of the winner. To make sure that everything was going on truly, the head of the Central Election Commission didn’t start to count all the cards but he poured out it on the chair in the middle of the stage
- Are there any children here? One kid id needed here.
To everyone surprise, there was a kid in the auditorium. The boy got out a business card. Roman Goncharov won the prize.
- Let him show his documents, - said Vladimir Churov, who was not going to give the golden card of “Ugra” bank so easily.
After several attempts to check the winner’s phone number, calling him, the prize was presented.
Diana Arbenina suggested Alena Sviridova, who appeared on the stage after the lottery performance, to write the book at lastt. Each Alena’s column in the magazine is inevitably makes Sviridova to do it. Before reading of her column, Alena Sviridova told an anecdote about Brezhnev, imitating his voice quite well. The anecdote was about the time, of course.
After the joke it seemed that there was no necessity to read the column but the column was very good and worthy to be read.
Diana Arbenina, the host of the readings didn’t manage to write her column in time to be published in the magazine but she managed to finish it to the readings:
-Once my daughter Marta and I were walking along the railway station and she asked me: “Why will I never meet the people I am seeing here now again?” Her words impressed me greatly. I told her quite mediocre thing that there are so many people on the planet…But I think it is a very good child’s answer to the question – what does the time mean. The thing is simple. There is no time and there is plenty of time. And it is a trap. Each of us gets stuck in it like a fly into a jelly.
At the end of the event Andrei Averyanov appeared on the stage once again to perform one more song about the time. The circle is closed. The time of Pioneer readings came to the end. The following theme is “The Vanity”
Author: Elena Zhikhareva
Translation: Victoria Riznyk