David Sargsyan - Russian physiologist, documentary filmmaker, art critic: biography

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:47

David Ashotovich Sargsyan was a versatile person. Started with success in biology, graduated in the field of culture. Everyone who knew him claimed that they had never met a more enthusiastic, wise, sympathetic person. He excelled in everything he did.

The start of the journey

David Ashotovich Sargsyan was born in Yerevan on September 23, 1947. His father was a military man, his mother taught Russian at school. David Ashotovich spent his childhood and school years in Yerevan. After school, he entered the biological faculty of Moscow State University, where he chose the specialization "Human Physiology". After that, he defended his Ph. D. thesis and worked for more than ten years in the scientific center of Russia. Created the drug amyridine, which helps with Alzheimer's disease.

Working in movies

In the mid-80s of the last century, the Mosfilm film studio hired David Ashotovich as a second director. At the same time, he worked as a film critic for the Russian Thought newspaper. After that, he became the author and directed many programs and documentaries for the World Russian Television studio. He helped create aboutthree dozen excellent documentaries.

He was one of the directors and creators of the masterpiece "Anna Karamazoff" (film of 1991), which starred the magnificent Jeanne Moreau. This film was presented at the Cannes Film Festival, but due to a conflict between the director and producer in the Soviet Union, it was never shown. He was also one of the creators of the film "Vocal Parallels", which starred the famous Russian actress Renata Litvinova and opera diva Araksia Davtyan.

Defender of cultural heritage

David Sargsyan, whose biography is vague and diverse, was an ardent defender of cultural heritage. He was interested in everything - from ancient monuments to new architectural projects, he put all his strength and passion into the protection of historical buildings. He fought against the uncivilized methods of cleaning up the Moscow center, he did not like how the territory was being built up on the site of the demolished Intourist Hotel and he criticized it, opposed the demolition of the Moskva Hotel, saying that at such a pace Moscow would turn into a cross between Disneyland, Las Vegas and Turkish resorts.

Became one of the founders of the Nashchekin House museum.

Organized the Arkhnadzor movement, which brought together people fighting for the preservation of the cultural heritage and historical monuments of the capital. They fought for the preservation of architectural buildings, tried to prevent the introduction of a new style in the architecture of Moscow, which, in their opinion, only spoiled everything.

Museum Director

In 2000, David Sargsyan was appointed director of the Shchusev State Museum of Architecture (GNIMA). Despite the fact that earlier David Sarkisyan had no connection with architecture, he set to work with extraordinary zeal, the museum became his favorite brainchild, the main business of his life.

He did not try to extract any benefit from his appointment, on the contrary, he invested everything he had in its development. Everyone who had previously rented rooms in the museum building was dispersed, the director dreamed of returning the interior, which was originally. If earlier the museum was gradually dying, chah, then under David Ashotovich it quickly became the center of the cultural life of the capital. Many rooms have been restored, ceilings, walls restored. Now the museum was attracting visitors, profits began to appear, and those who were initially skeptical about the appointment of a new director changed their minds.

David Sargsyan himself perceived the museum as his brainchild, as his little house, even the little world in which he was comfortable, which he managed to love with all his heart. He changed the abbreviation of the museum's name from "GNIMA" to the beautiful "MUAR". After David Ashotovich restored the museum in all its glory, all talented newcomers in architecture, stars of architecture, directors of famous European museums began to gather there.

Death of David Sargsyan

David Ashotovich was seriously ill for a long time. In mid-December, he was sent to one of the best clinics in Germany, to the city of Munich, but the doctors shrugged their shoulders - nothing was possibleto do, they could only reduce the suffering of the patient.

The legendary director of the museum died on the night of January 7, on holidays. Since it was a public holiday, there was no one to officially announce his death.

One of David Ashotovich's friends said how hard it was to realize this, because only three days had passed since they talked.

The Moscow authorities did not allow David Sargsyan to be buried in the Armenian cemetery in Moscow, because during his lifetime he put spokes in their wheels many times. As a result, he was buried at the Troekurovsky cemetery. Those who were his friends and colleagues tried to keep his memory alive for a long time, so they made a documentary film about his life and accomplishments.

What friends say about David Sargsyan

All friends and acquaintances of Ashot Davidovich remember him as a wonderful, enthusiastic person who made a great contribution to the architecture of Moscow. Some admit that without David, she would not be what she looks like now. People say that he was able to unite people, convince, establish the necessary connections, and thanks to his assertiveness, he managed to create a lot of new things.

Besides this, David Sargsyan managed to help everyone who turned to him for help, whether they were friends, acquaintances, elderly architects or various medical funds.

“An astonishing man who started as a chemist, pharmacist, then went to the cinema, then headed the Museum of Architecture with the same vehemence, became a significant figure, as well as wherever he isappeared. That's the kind of energy he had, the path, the mission. And I don’t know what pulled him away from us like that, it’s some kind of great sadness,”recalls Renata Litvinova.

Interesting facts from life

As a child, he was nicknamed "Dave" by his English teacher.

David Ashotovich admitted that he is a fan of five-story buildings, even specially moved to live in a five-story building.

He said that Stalinist architecture initially made him feel sad, as if it mocked the old, beautiful architecture. However, in the future, David Ashotovich fell in love with the Stalinists and began to admire them.

He did not like to travel, having seen almost the whole world, he said that Moscow is still the most amazing architectural project, thanks to Stalinist architecture. At the same time, he dreamed of visiting Istanbul, which he called the “Second Rome.”

Since December 2008, David Sargsyan has been a member of the Snob project.

At 61, he admitted that for the first time in a long time he fell in love with a 31-year-old beauty from Venice. He had a large collection of paintings and drawings, he admitted that collecting was his passion. The director's office in the museum became part of the exposition after his death. During the ten years of Sargsyan's leadership, the office was filled with various items, papers, everything that attracted the owner. In the office, David Ashotovich slept, ate, received visitors.

“Foreigners told each other that there are several sights in Moscow: the Kremlin,Mausoleum, St. Basil's Cathedral and David Sargsyan's office. There were hundreds of things, such that they could not be at all. Metronomes, barometer, porcelain obelisk, puzzles, magnetic balls, mobiles with and without motors, beads, rosaries, a transparent umbrella, sculptures, paintings, drawings, moiré shawls, whistles, wind-up swings, painted plates, vases, cards, birds, flowers, clocks - this was the interior of the wizard's shop. And he was sitting in the very center, and around was his museum. Somehow very quickly it turned out that this museum was transformed, and it already became self-evident, as if it had not done anything. And he made a revolution,” said Grigory Revzin.

Grigory Revzin was originally an enemy of David Sargsyan, he took the news that Sargsyan was appointed director of the museum very badly, he even came to him to expose him, to throw him out of his post.

However, later, he became a wonderful, close friend to David Ashotovich, always spoke warmly about him, defended him in front of those who tried to discredit, stating that some biologist could not head the museum in any way.