The real Pushkin: how the descendant of a famous Russian poet lives in the USA

The city of Santa Fe in New Mexico is one of Pushkin’s centers in the United States. There is the Pushkin Foundation, there is the Pushkin Art Gallery. There is an explanation for this too. Here, in one of the oldest and exotic cities in the United States, founded by the Spaniards back in 1610, lives its own American Pushkin - Kenneth Alan Pushkin. Writes about this "Voice of America".

Photo: Shutterstock

Kenneth says that he has a very distant relationship with the Russian writer Alexander Pushkin, but he still has it.

“In short, I am not a direct descendant of Alexander Sergeevich, but we have common paternal ancestors since the 18th century. They were brothers. And my family is directly related to the noble family of the Rzhevskys, who were directly related to the Pushkins,” said Kenneth.

He even knows that in Russia Lieutenant Rzhevsky is a folk character, jokes are still circulating about him.

“Yes, I've heard a lot about it. But this fictional character in literature, cinema, theater, and folklore had a real historical prototype,” says Kenneth. — My own grandfather, Isaac Pushkin, who left Russia after the revolution. He fought in the White Army, then came to the USA through China. I was born in Baltimore. In the 20th century, my family lost ties with Russia and lost the Russian language. True, as a child I was told that the Russian poet Pushkin is our distant relative. But I must admit, I was little interested in this. In the States, the surname Pushkin will not surprise anyone, few people know it, and then during the Cold War, relations with Russia in the United States were wary.”

The first Rzhevsky, who bore the rank of lieutenant, was Yuri Alexandrovich, who studied maritime affairs in Italy by decree of Peter the Great. Rzhevsky was one of Pushkin’s great-great-grandfathers.

And Kenneth's interest in the personality of Alexander Sergeyevich was manifested due to his interest in the culture of the Eskimos.

“I am an ethnographer by profession. For many years I lived in Alaska, studied the culture of the Eskimos and other peoples of the Arctic. A couple of times I even had to accidentally cross the Soviet border. Once it happened during our sea hunting for whales, another time on a plane - in terrible bad weather, when we went astray. These were unintentional border violations. But now I understand that this could end very tragically - because the Cold War was going on.

He discovered Russia and Pushkin through the Bering Strait and Chukotka.

“In 1992, when the Cold War ended, I officially visited Chukotka, Providence Bay. There I met Russian scientists. They were amazed to learn my family history. They began to say that every person in Russia knows Pushkin. One of the scientists, an excellent specialist in Eskimo culture, Mikhail Bronstein, invited me to visit him in Moscow. And already there I met Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, with whom we became friends,” says Kenneth.

On the subject: 7 books by American writers that have become more popular in Russia than in the USA

“I’m talking about the modern Russian rear admiral, unfortunately the already deceased submarine commander, Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin, the founder of the international Pushkin Society,” recalls Pushkin. — He was a wonderful person: smart, educated, sincere. He sang, drew, wrote poetry, spoke excellent English and French. When I got into his Moscow apartment, at first glance he recognized his own in me: “Here is the real Pushkin!”

“The admiral became for me a kind of “godfather” in a completely unfamiliar and incomprehensible Russia. Thanks to him, I visited many Pushkin places: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Mikhailovsky, Boldino. The admiral also inspired me to become a collector of modern Russian painting. And now I have the Pushkin Gallery in Santa Fe, a magnificent collection of paintings by Russian artists of the 20th century,” says Kenneth.

In the Pushkin family, you can meet talented people in various fields of art. Kenneth's hobby is painting and more.

“I compose music in the style of jazz, blues, pop, and write songs. I record my CDs. But this, as they say, is for the soul, not for sale and not for fame,” says Kenneth.

Kenneth calls “Eugene Onegin” his favorite work of Pushkin.

“True, I only read it in English. But in a variety of translations. For example, in translations by Walter Arndt and Vladimir Nabokov,” says Kenneth, adding that he does not know Russian. — I don’t read and hardly speak, but sometimes I sing and still remember some of Pushkin’s lines. These, for example: “I remember a wonderful moment...”.

In addition to poetry, Kenneth also read Pushkin's prose.

“I read The Captain's Daughter. And my Pushkin Foundation produced a musical based on this story to the music of the very popular Russian composer Andrei Petrov. Famous Broadway actors took part in the musical. We staged our musical in Boston and then at the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg. The US Ambassador to Russia at that time, Alexander Vershbow, specially came from Moscow to our premiere in St. Petersburg,” recalls Pushkin.

On the subject: Lockdown, isolation and the Internet: how a science fiction writer predicted the future 100 years ago

According to Kenneth, the activities of his foundation in Russia had to be curtailed.

“After restrictive measures were taken in Russia against Western non-profit organizations, the so-called foreign agents, I realized that I was unlikely to be able to work normally, I would be forced to do only reporting. You know, bureaucracy in any country is a problem. But in Russia this could turn into a big problem. Especially if politics is added to this,” says Kenneth. — But in the USA my foundation continues to operate. I do a lot of archival work. From time to time I organize exhibitions in my Pushkin Gallery, and we also organize events together with the Russian-speaking community of New Mexico and with the local university.”

“My most recent and important initiative on the topic “Pushkin’s Legacy” is participation in the UN Human Rights Project, which promotes international goodwill through art. Every December in Geneva, as part of this project, a concert is held in the Great Hall of the UN Palace. Unfortunately, now, due to the pandemic, many cultural projects are being postponed, but we remain optimistic,” added Kenneth.

Kenneth also does not forget to celebrate the birthday of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin - June 6. In 2020, it was already the 221st birthday of the writer.

“Restrictions related to the coronavirus outbreak are still in effect. On this Saturday afternoon I was working in my garden, working on my Pushkin archive. There is still a lot of material that needs to be digitized. - says Kenneth. — Yes, on this day I usually try to call my Pushkin scholar friends in other countries, especially in Russia. Now the relations between our two countries are not the best. But I would like to do something else important, useful for preserving Pushkin’s heritage. I think the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin deserves this in the 21st century.”

Read also on ForumDaily:

Our in exile: how a Russian-speaking designer succeeded in IKEA

Overlap the streets and alter the buttons: how the Chernobyl series was filmed in Ukraine

Lockdown, isolation and the Internet: how a science fiction writer predicted the future 100 years ago

A cult Russian restaurant: where to eat 'our way' in downtown New York

7 books by American writers that have become more popular in Russia than in the USA

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.