"As long as we remember our own, no one will steal them from us." Hurnievič explained why Parfyonov's opinion on Chagall means "to the 'lilac moon'" for us

"Belarus has nothing to do with it," says Parfyonov in an otherwise good interview, "He is a French and Russian artist of Jewish origin."

And at that moment, the cameraman shows a small stone from Chagall's grave, with an inscription in Belarusian: "Greetings from the Homeland, with Love, Alexandra."

A curious thing happens next. Parfyonov says that Nabokov was a Russian patriot. To which the journalist replies, how is that possible, he called himself an American writer? Neither Chagall nor Nabokov can participate in this discussion anymore. So, we will.

The artist grew up in the Belarusian province, where the elements spoke the Belarusian language. Belarusian folk culture was all around. Parfyonov mentions Yiddishland. And which other European country can boast that Yiddish was its state language? Of course, Belarus. Clearly, Chagall was not Belarusian. But Belarus was his Homeland.

In the 1990s, centenarian grandmothers in my village spoke pure Belarusian, but were surprised when I called their language Belarusian. They called it "simple language" and didn't know it was Belarusian. But that didn't stop it from being Belarusian. And Belarusian lands as part of the Russian Empire didn't stop being the land of Belarusians. And the land of the genius Chagall.

As long as we consider him a son of our land (to which we have every right), then he will be such for us. And what the Parfyonovs think means "to the 'lilac moon'" for us. It's funny that over the grave, Parfyonov quoted Voznesensky's poem about Chagall, where the main motif is cornflowers. We, however, know that this is our magical flower.

Why, however, is it good that we paid attention to his words… The reason is trivial. Against this contrast, we received another occasion to remember our Chagall. Days ago, there was an announcement of the translation of his memoirs into Belarusian by Siarhiej Šupa. Don't be lazy to order it. An episode from the book:

"But is this really Russia? I haven't really seen Russia. Where is Novgorod, where is Rostov, where is Kyiv, where, where?

In all my life until today, I have only seen Petrograd, Moscow, the town of Lyozna, and Vitebsk. Vitebsk is a separate country altogether. A special city, an unfortunate city. A melancholic city. A city full of young girls whom I didn't get a chance (or didn't have the sense) to approach. A city of dozens, or perhaps hundreds, of synagogues, market stalls, and passersby… Is this Russia? This is my city, the city I found for myself…"

As long as we remember our own, no one will steal them from us. And thanks to Alexandra, whose small stone with the inscription in Belarusian mystically showed what Chagall's true homeland is and whose artist he is.

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