Kennet Pushkeen
USA- Biography of Kenneth Pushkin
- Genealogy and Family Connection
- Discovering His Connection to Russia
- Meeting Admiral Pushkin
- Creating the International Pushkin Center
- Promoting Pushkin's Legacy
- Personal Passions
Biography of Kenneth Pushkin
Kenneth Pushkin, an American descendant of the famous Russian poet, announced the organization of "Russian Summer 2004" in the city of Santa Fe. This summer event, starting in late May and lasting until the beginning of September, includes performances by Russian and American ballet, art exhibitions, a concert by the Russian group "Bering Strait" playing American country music, and much more. Kenneth Pushkin, who founded a foundation in America bearing his famous ancestor's name, recently met with correspondent Evgeny Bay from "Izvestia" to discuss his genealogy and his interest in Russia.
Genealogy and Family Connection
When asked about his place on the Pushkin family tree, Kenneth Pushkin explained that while he carries the renowned surname, he is not a direct descendant of the poet. His branch of the family comes from the Rzhevsky family, not Pushkin himself. He also mentioned that he has created some of the popular jokes about Lieutenant Rzhevsky, a character in Russian anecdotes.
Discovering His Connection to Russia
Kenneth Pushkin shared that he was aware of his family connection to Pushkin from a young age. However, growing up in America during the Cold War, he did not attach much significance to it. His family had become Americanized, losing the Russian language and breaking ties with their historical homeland and culture. Kenneth's interest in Russia developed as a result of his profession as an ethnographer and his research on the lifestyle of American Eskimos. During his expeditions, he accidentally crossed the border with Russia a couple of times.
Meeting Admiral Pushkin
In 1992, Kenneth Pushkin visited Russia legally and met renowned Russian explorer of Eskimo culture, Misha Bronshtein, in Provideniya Bay, Chukotka. Misha invited Kenneth to see his collection of Eskimo artifacts in Moscow. Although Kenneth could not accept the invitation at that time, fate intervened when a woman named Rita Van Lundsdorf contacted him and asked him to deliver a small package to Moscow. Rita turned out to be the granddaughter of Admiral Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin, a well-known Russian naval officer. Upon arrival in Moscow, Kenneth called Admiral Pushkin, who warmly welcomed him into his modest apartment in Taganka. The Admiral, recognizing him as a true Pushkin, introduced him to many relatives, and Kenneth embarked on a pilgrimage, traveling to significant Pushkin-related locations such as Boldino and Mikhailovskoye. Before his passing in 1997, Admiral Pushkin asked Kenneth to continue his mission. In the same year, Kenneth established the Pushkin Foundation in America.
Creating the International Pushkin Center
Kenneth Pushkin recently visited the Tver region in Russia, where he founded the International Pushkin Center. Initially, they had wanted to establish a massive Pushkin Center in Moscow or St. Petersburg, but bureaucracy in those cities made it difficult. Tver, with its "Pushkin Ring" comprised of eight or nine places connected to the great poet, proved to be a viable option. The energetic young governor of the region, along with American investors, was supportive of the project. The center, a complex of buildings including a theater, conference hall, hotel, research center, museum, library, and more, aims to promote Pushkin's heritage worldwide.
Promoting Pushkin's Legacy
Besides his endeavors in Russia, Kenneth Pushkin has also established the "Pushkin Heritage" foundation in Santa Fe, New Mexico, associated with Stanford University. He has a Pushkin Gallery in Santa Fe and is an art collector and dealer. Kenneth has organized auctions featuring Soviet-era cultural artifacts, primarily paintings that he acquired in Russia. He has also produced musical adaptations of Pushkin's works, such as "The Captain's Daughter," composed by Andrei Petrov from St. Petersburg and with lyrics by Adel Erenstein from New York. Kenneth's Pushkin Foundation serves as the producer, with the Boston Conservatory as a significant partner. They have already staged "The Captain's Daughter" in Boston and performed in the Hermitage Theater in St. Petersburg. Their goal is to eventually bring the musical to Broadway.
Personal Passions
Kenneth Pushkin, who has written around 100 songs in jazz, blues, and pop genres, enjoys singing in Russian, using Russian lyrics and poems. He appreciates the Russian rock band "Marksheder Kunst" from St. Petersburg but does not have a fondness for mainstream pop music, even groups like "Tatu." As someone with the Pushkin surname, Kenneth believes he should have a high aesthetic taste.
Kenneth Pushkin's dedication to promoting Pushkin's legacy and fostering cultural exchange between Russia and America has made him an influential figure in the world of arts and heritage preservation.
