199 / 200
199
newspaper and appeared on the local television.
At last, in 1985, on the occasion of the 100th Anni-
versary of the poet, N. Travushkin, Professor of the
Astrakhan Pedagogical Institute, arranged the First
Khlebnikov Readings, which became traditional
nowadays. But all got moving only in December
1994, when the poet’s nephew, a well-known artist
May Miturich-Khlebnikov donated the poet’s mus-
eum established in October 1993 a unique Khleb-
nikov collection kept in the family which formed
the basis for the museum collection.
The first acquaintanceship with the museum,
the poet’s house, should start from the catalogue.
All the poet’s personals, items, books and pain-
tings formerly owned by the Khlebnikovs and the
Miturich family, are now all systematized and in-
ventoried, and most importantly – they all found
their place in the Museum exposition.
The Catalogue is, at first sight, a dull list of the
stuff, artifacts, exhibits, books and documents. It
seems to be a soulless directory and a kind of ske-
leton, but it has the life and creative fate of Khleb-
nikov behind. The Catalogue is a prelude to the
theme, it is the very beginning, it is some next ‘ap-
proaches’ to the creative work of, perhaps, the
most complicated poet of the XXth century. The
Catalogue is an introduction to the science of
Khlebnikov and a kind of right key to reading the
hermetic texts of the great poet.
We, the researchers and admirers of Khlebni-
kov, must be so grateful to Aleksandr Mamayev for
his hard work, for his long service and selfless labor
on collecting and studying the materials of Khleb-
nikov. The Museum headed by A. Mamayev, with
its propaganda efforts and scientific activity not
only deny and destroy many legends of Khlebnikov,
but, first of all, is an important scientific center for
studying the poet’s life and creative work. Not only
the personals and books of the poet are available
here, here is the place where the unique library of
the scientific works dedicated to his creative work
and published in many languages is collected. Not
only many scholars’ paths lead here, but the same
of the fledgling poets and just poetry lovers.
I congratulate you with the Museum’s Jubilee,
my dear Sasha Mamayev! Many Years!
A. Parnis
КАТАЛОГ. Послесловие