The musical “Juno and Avos” is eternal love. The story of Juno and maybe

For more than 30 years, the rock opera “Juno and Avos” continues to excite hearts, immersing viewers in the romantic world of two lovers: Count Rezanov and young Conchita. However, not everyone knows that this story is based on real events that happened in early XIX century.

One of the main characters of the opera, Nikolai Rezanov, was born into an impoverished noble family. He got good home education and showed brilliant abilities for learning languages. In a fairly short period of time, Rezanov rose to the rank of manager of the office under the secretary of Catherine II, Gavriil Romanovich Derzhavin.

Rezanov and Conchita on a fresco in Post Interfaith Chapel (San Francisco)

However, the appearance of a new young, tall, handsome man at court aroused fears among the Empress's favorite, Count Zubov, and Rezanov was sent to Irkutsk. He inspected the activities of the traveler Grigory Shelikhov, who founded the first Russian settlements in America, and after some time married his daughter.

To stimulate the development of Alaska, by order of Paul I, the private-state Russian-American Company (RAC) was created in 1899, and Rezanov became its authorized representative. He sought to establish sea communications with Russian settlers in America, since due to the irregular and long delivery of food from Russia, they often received it expired and no longer fit for consumption. A plan was developed to inspect settlements in Alaska and establish ties with Japan.

However, at this time the count's wife dies. Rezanov wanted to resign and start raising children, but was stopped by the order of the emperor. In 1803, the expedition he led set off on the ships Nadezhda and Neva. Negotiations with the Japanese were unsuccessful; Nadezhda and Neva continued on their way to Alaska. Arriving at the place, Rezanov was amazed by the living conditions of the settlers: they lived on the verge of starvation, in devastation, and suffered from scurvy.

Rezanov uses his own funds to purchase the frigate “Juno” with a cargo of food. But this was only a partial solution to the problem. Winter was approaching, and the settlers would not have enough food from the Juno until spring. Then the count orders the construction of another ship - the tender "Avos". He goes to San Francisco for supplies, hoping to establish trade relations with the Spaniards.

In 6 weeks, Rezanov managed to impress the Californians. He completely conquered the governor of Upper California, José Arillaga, and the commandant of the fortress, José Dario Arguello. The latter’s daughter was 15-year-old Donna Maria de la Concepcion Marcella Arguello, simply called Conchita.

One of the participants in Rezanov’s expedition, the ship’s doctor Georg Langsdorff, wrote in his diary: “She stands out with her majestic posture, her facial features are beautiful and expressive, her eyes are captivating. Add here a graceful figure, wonderful natural curls, wonderful teeth and thousands of other charms. Such beautiful women can only be found in Italy, Portugal or Spain, but even then very rarely.” And one more thing: “One would think that Rezanov immediately fell in love with this young Spanish beauty. However, in view of the prudence inherent in this cold man, I would rather admit that he simply had some kind of diplomatic designs on her.”

Maybe the doctor was just wrong? But Rezanov himself, in his reports to Russia, does not look like a man lost in love. Despite the fact that Rezanov was already 42 years old, he had not lost any of his attractiveness; in addition, he was famous, rich and moved in the highest circles of society. Contemporaries claimed that Conchita’s desire to marry a Russian count contained as much love as calculation; she supposedly dreamed of luxurious life at the court in St. Petersburg, but subsequent events proved the sincerity of her feelings for Rezanov.

The relationship between Rezanov and Conchita developed quickly, and soon the engagement ceremony took place. Then, the groom left the bride to return to St. Petersburg and ask the emperor to petition the Pope for consent to the marriage. Nikolai Petrovich calculated that two years would be enough for this. Conchita assured him that she would be waiting...

Having set off, Rezanov was in a terrible hurry. The autumn thaw was approaching, but the count still stubbornly continued his movement through Siberia. As a result, Nikolai Petrovich caught a terrible cold and lay in a fever and unconsciousness for 12 days. And as soon as he woke up, he moved forward again, not sparing himself at all. One frosty day, Rezanov lost consciousness, fell from his horse and hit his head hard on the ground. He was taken to Krasnoyarsk, where Nikolai Petrovich died on March 1, 1807. He was 42 years old.

After 60 years, Russia sold Alaska to America for next to nothing, along with all the possessions of the Russian-American Company. Rezanov's plans were not allowed to come true. But he still gained fame throughout the centuries - thanks to Conchita. True, she did not wait for him for 35 years, as stated in the famous rock opera. No. Just a little more than a year Every morning I went out to the cape, sat on the rocks and looked at the ocean. And then, in 1808, Conchita learned about the death of her groom: a relative of Nikolai Petrovich wrote to her brother. Adding that Signorita de Arguello is free and can marry whomever she wishes. But she rejected this freedom she did not need. Who should she marry, what dreams should she cherish? Twenty years after this, Conchita lived with her parents. She was involved in charity work and taught literacy to Indians. Then she went to the monastery of St. Dominic under the name Maria Dominga. Together with the monastery she moved to the city of Monterrey, where she died on December 23, 1857. Having thus survived Rezanov for half a century...

Not so long ago, in 2000, in Krasnoyarsk, a monument was erected on Rezanov’s grave - a white cross, on one side of which it was written: “Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov. 1764-1807. I will never forget you,” and on the other - “Maria Concepcion de Arguello. 1791-1857. I'll never see you again." The sheriff of Monterrey came to the opening - specifically to scatter a handful of earth from Conchita's grave there. He took back a handful of Krasnoyarsk soil - Conchite.

“Juno and Avos” is the most famous and still popular Russian rock opera. The play premiered in 1981 at the Moscow Lenin Komsomol Theater, on whose stage it continues to this day.

Composer

The author of the music for the play is A. L. Rybnikov. He was born in Moscow on July 17, 1945. His parents were people creative professions: mother is an artist-designer, and father is a violinist. Alexey Lvovich began writing music at the age of 8. His first compositions were pieces for piano, and at the age of 11 he wrote the ballet “Puss in Boots.” A. L. Rybnikov graduated from the conservatory in composition class, his teacher was Aram Khachaturian.

In addition to the work “Juno and Avos,” Alexey Lvovich wrote another legendary rock opera, “The Star and Death of Joaquin Murrieta.” He is the author of music for the mystery play “Liturgy of the Catechumens”, for the musical drama “Maestro Massimo”, for the modern opera “War and Peace”, for such films as: “Treasure Island”, “That Same Munchausen”, “The Tale of the Star Boy” ", "Andersen - Life without Love", "The Adventures of Pinocchio", "Little Red Riding Hood", "The Brothers Karamazov", etc., as well as cartoons: "The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats on new way", "Black chicken", the Moomin Troll series, etc. In addition, A. L. Rybnikov writes symphonic, chamber and choral music. And there is no doubt that giving him the title People's Artist in 1999 quite fair.

Plot

The most famous work The rock opera “Juno and Avos” was and remains by composer A.L. Rybnikov. Summary the performance will be presented in this article. The plot is based on the poem of the same name written by Andrei Voznesensky. She introduces us to true history which happened at the beginning of the 19th century. Russian statesman Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov in 1806 took a trip to California, where he met Conchita, the daughter of the commandant of San Francisco.

So, “Juno and Avos” (a summary of the opera will be described in detail later) is a story about how Nikolai Rezanov, as part of the expedition he led, stops in California on the way to Alaska. At the ball, he meets sixteen-year-old Conchita, who falls in love with him. After getting engaged to her, Nikolai Rezanov is forced to continue the expedition and leave his bride in California. On the way to St. Petersburg, where he was going to apply for permission to marry Conchita, since she is a Catholic, Nikolai Petrovich falls ill and dies. Conchita waited for him for many years and did not believe that he was dead, and having received confirmation of his death, she became a nun and took a vow of silence.

Prologue

The rock opera “Juno and Avos” (the summary goes hand in hand with the work itself) begins with a prologue. Nikolai Petrovich prays, calling on the Lord and the Motherland. After which a prophet appears on stage and predicts to Russia that the difficult year 1812 is coming soon.

The first act of the rock opera "Juno and Avos"

The summary of the first part is as follows: after the funeral service in the church of his wife, Rezanov submits a petition to Count Rumyantsev to support his project - the first round-the-world trip in the history of Russia, which he intends to lead in order to establish friendly relations with America, which promises great benefits for Russia . Having received the go-ahead from Rumyantsev, N.P. Rezanov sets sail.

Second act

Rock opera “Juno and Avos” summary (second part) tells about what is happening to the heroes already in America. The scene begins with Nikolai Petrovich writing a letter to A.N. Rumyantsev about the state in which his expedition arrived on the shores of California, and how they were greeted by local residents. Next, the action moves to the ballroom. This is where N.P. Rezanov met Conchita, in honor of whose 16th birthday a ball was given. Nikolai Petrovich presents the commandant's daughter with a gift - a golden diadem from the collection of Empress Catherine. After the ball, Rezanov enters Conchita's bedroom and seduces her. The girl falls in love with him, and he only feels remorse. During confession, the girl tells everything to her confessor, which he reports to her father, who insists on an engagement in order to hide his daughter’s dishonor. Rezanov and Conchita get engaged, after which he sails away, but he is never destined to return to her. For thirty years Conchita waited for the return of N.P. Rezanov, not believing the rumors about his death.

There is no sadder story in the world than the story of the love of the 42-year-old Russian navigator Count Rezanov and the 15-year-old Californian girl Conchita - for almost 30 years now (since the rock opera “Juno and Avos” appeared on the stage of the Moscow theater "Lenkom") all Russians are confident. Meanwhile, in reality everything was not quite like that...

Report from the inspector of Russian America Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov to the Minister of Commerce Count Rumyantsev, sent from San Francisco on June 17, 1806: “Here I must make a confession to Your Excellency of my private adventures. Daily courting the Spanish beauty, I noticed her enterprising character, unlimited ambition, which, at the age of fifteen, was already the only one in the whole family that made her homeland unpleasant. She always joked about it: “Beautiful land, warm climate. There is a lot of grain and livestock, and nothing more.” I imagined the Russian climate as harsher and more abundant in everything, she was ready to live in it, and finally, insensitively, I instilled in her impatience to hear something more serious from me, to the point that I just offered her my hand and received consent.” In Petersburg
They were not particularly surprised by the report: this overseas matchmaking of Nikolai Petrovich fit into the logic of his whole life...

Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov was not a count. He was born into an impoverished noble family in St. Petersburg on March 28, 1764. Soon his father was appointed chairman of the civil chamber of the provincial court in Irkutsk, and the family moved to Eastern Siberia.

Nikolai received a home education - apparently very good, because he knew, among other things, five foreign languages. At the age of 14 he entered military service first to the artillery. Then for his stateliness, dexterity and beauty

Transferred to the Izmailovsky Life Guards Regiment. Apparently, this could not have happened without the patronage of Catherine II - otherwise it would be difficult to explain the sharp rise of his career. During the Empress’s trip to Crimea in 1780, Nicholas was personally responsible for her safety, and he was only 16 years old (so it is unlikely that the matter was explained by his great experience in ensuring the safety of the reigning persons). Inseparably, day and night, he was then with Mother the Queen, and then something happened. Apparently, for some reason the Empress was dissatisfied with Nicholas. In any case, he left military service and disappeared from the empress’s entourage for a long time.

Young Rezanov entered the most boring service in the Pskov civil court. And then - a new sharp leap in his career. He was summoned to the capital and given a position as head of the chancellery under Count Chernyshov, and was soon transferred to the same position to Gabriel Romanovich Derzhavin himself, the Empress’s secretary, for a report on the “Senate memorials.” Thus, after 11 years, Rezanov again came into Catherine’s field of vision. And her then favorite Zubov considered Nikolai dangerous competitor. It was rumored that it was Zubov’s jealousy that Nikolai Petrovich was obliged to send on a business trip to Irkutsk, where he had to resolve the issue with the merchant Shelikhov, who asked the empress to grant him a monopoly on fur fishing off the Pacific coast of Russia. And that Zubov allegedly hinted to Nikolai Petrovich that if he decided to return to St. Petersburg, he would not remain free for long...

And here is Rezanov in Irkutsk. Grigory Ivanovich Shelikhov, whom he had to inspect for an indefinite period of time, was nicknamed the “Russian Columbus” because in 1783, having built three ships at his own expense, he sailed to America and established Russian settlements and fur trade there. In a word, Grigory Ivanovich was an enterprising man. And the St. Petersburg inspector took over instantly, with his hands... eldest daughter, 15-year-old Anna: a girl with a tight brown braid and bulging blue serious eyes. Rezanov was already thirty then...

The wedding took place in Irkutsk on January 24, 1795. Rezanov, who was not too rich, took a good dowry for his bride, and Anna received noble title. And six months later, strong, strong, and still quite young, Grigory Ivanovich died suddenly, and

Nikolai became a co-owner of his capital.

Nikolai Petrovich dared to return to the capital immediately after the death of the Empress and, accordingly, the fall of Count Zubov. New Emperor Pavel accepted him graciously and granted the request to create a single Russian-American company based on the trades of Shelikhov and other Siberian merchants, a representative office of which was established in St. Petersburg, and Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov himself was appointed head. Even members of the imperial family became shareholders of the company. Around the same time, he was also made Chief Secretary of the Governing Senate. A great career, a very great one. Especially for a poor nobleman from a seedy family...
Happiness and prosperity came to an end when his wife died of childbed fever, leaving Nikolai Petrovich with a one-year-old son, Peter, and a 12-day-old daughter, Olga. In Voznesensky’s poems, Rezanov speaks of his wife as something secondary in his life. In reality, Nikolai Petrovich loved his wife very much and grieved for her. He wrote: “Eight years of our marriage gave me a taste of all the happiness of this life, as if in order to finally poison the rest of my days with the loss of it.”

Out of sadness, he thought of moving away from people, huddling with his children somewhere in the wilderness... But the emperor intervened (by this time it was no longer Paul, but his son, Alexander I). Not wanting to let Rezanov retire, he appointed him ambassador to Japan in order to establish trade: Russia wanted to sell Japan fur goods, mammoth and walrus ivory, fish, leather, cloth, and

Buy millet, bayonet copper and silk (an extremely problematic task, considering that the Japanese have been pursuing a policy of strict isolationism for more than a century and a half, with Western countries they didn’t trade, didn’t maintain any relations, didn’t let anyone in)… It was decided to combine this embassy with trip around the world, to which the ships “Nadezhda” and “Neva” under the command of captains Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky were about to sail. By decree of the sovereign, Rezanov was appointed “full owner during the voyage,” that is, the head of the expedition...

“IN THE SEA OF SALT AND SO TO THE HELL, THE SEA DOESN’T NEED TEARS”

This expedition has been in preparation for a year. Ivan Fedorovich Krusenstern was rightfully considered its leader. He owned the idea, the development of the route, and the organization. Moreover, for the sake of the expedition, he left his young wife in labor. In general, the appointment of a civilian official as a “full owner” was a complete surprise for Krusenstern. However, he did not take this seriously, relying on the naval regulations adopted by Peter I, where it was clearly stated: there is only one owner on the ship - the captain, and everyone on board, regardless of their position, rank and position, is in his complete submission...

Misunderstandings began already during loading. There was not much space on the compact Nadezhda (a sailing sloop 35 meters long), and the retinue entrusted to the ambassador made the expedition extremely cramped. As for Rezanov and Kruzenshtern themselves, in the absence of a second command cabin

They had to live in one (very small - only six square meters and with a low ceiling).

On July 26, 1803, at 10 o’clock in the morning, “Nadezhda” and “Neva” left Kronstadt. In November, Russian ships crossed the equator for the first time. Captains Kruzenshtern and Lisyansky brought their sloops closer together, the crews were lined up in parade order on the decks, and a thunderous Russian “Hurray!” rang out over the equator. Then a sailor dressed as Neptune shook his trident, welcoming the first Russians in the Southern Hemisphere. Then they swam in the Atlantic themselves and bathed... livestock: pigs, goats, a cow and a calf - they were thrown overboard, and then caught from the water (this was done more for sanitary reasons, because in the cramped ship stalls the livestock got pretty lousy).
Christmas was celebrated off the coast of Brazil. Both ships required thorough repairs: part of the plating on the Neva had rotted, and the main and foremasts on the Nadezhda were damaged. For the expedition they were bought in England as new, but they turned out to be used. When cleaning the bottoms, even the previous names were revealed: “Leander” and “Thames”. While they were standing at the dock, a scandal broke out with the local authorities. The culprit is the enfant terrible of the expedition, a member of Rezanov’s embassy retinue, young Count Fyodor Tolstoy (he was mistaken for a smuggler, and instead of explaining himself, he opened fire on the police).

He was an extremely bright and restless man who loved dangerous pranks. He became famous for daring to climb hot-air balloon very imperfect design. There was a breter (that is, without

Kontsa fought duels and got into quarrels specifically for this purpose). They rushed to add him to the expedition when he challenged the colonel of his own regiment to a duel (unheard of insolence). And now on the ship Fyodor Ivanovich was doing all sorts of things. Once he gave the old ship’s priest a drink and, while he was sleeping right on the deck, sealed his beard to the floor with a government wax seal. And when the priest woke up, Tolstoy tsked at him: “Lie down, don’t you dare get up!” You see, the government seal!” And the old man eventually, crying, cut off his beard with scissors down to his chin. Another time, Tolstoy dragged an orangutan into the captain’s cabin (there was a small zoo on board, replenished at all stops) and taught him how to pour ink on a sheet of paper. But Count Tolstoy used Blank sheet. And the orangutan is Krusenstern’s captain’s diary, which was lying on the table.

On the island of Nukagiwa, Fyodor Ivanovich went to a native tattoo artist and returned covered from head to toe with intricate designs. Later in Russia, when Kruzenshtern, who had lost patience, dropped Tolstoy ashore, and he finally took off on some turn-up ship to the Aleutian Islands and only after that returned to St. Petersburg, Fyodor Ivanovich frapped the ladies in social drawing rooms, taking off his tailcoat, vest, shirt and showing off tattoos. In St. Petersburg they called him the American. By the way, Fyodor Tolstoy the American became the prototype of Silvio in Pushkin’s “The Shot” and Dolokhov in “War and Peace.” And in “Woe from Wit” he is described as follows: “A night robber, a duelist, he was exiled to Kamchatka, but returned as an Aleut.”

It is not surprising that this man almost immediately, with two or three jokes, managed to quarrel with the leaders of the expedition: Rezanov and Kruzenshtern. It got to the point that they, living in the same cabin, stopped talking and communicated with each other only through correspondence, and very sarcastic ones at that. The "explosion" occurred in the Marquesas Islands, nine months after sailing from Russia.

There it was necessary to replenish food supplies, and Kruzenshtern, noticing respect local residents to European iron axes, he forbade exchanging these axes for anything other than pigs, so as not to reduce the price. And Rezanov, not knowing anything, sent his servant ashore to exchange several axes for ethnographic rarities (clay bowls, beads, wooden sculptures - he was collecting a collection for the emperor). Everything that the servant managed to exchange, the captain ordered to be taken away and dumped on the deck as a warning to others.

Rezanov recalled: “Feeling such impudence, the next day I saw Kruzenshtern on the quarterdeck, I said to him: “Aren’t you ashamed to be so childish and console yourself with the fact that you do not give me ways to fulfill what is entrusted to me?” Suddenly he shouted at me: “How dare you tell me that I’m childish!” “So, my sir,” I said, “I dare very much, as your boss.”

Unfortunately, the altercation did not happen anywhere, but, as Rezanov mentioned, it was on the quarterdeck - the captain’s most sacred place for any sailor. According to the maritime regulations, any altercations with the captain on the quarterdeck are doubly punished. And here - such audacity! In a word, Rezanov, due to his inexperience in

Naval affairs did not attach much importance to this circumstance, but Kruzenshtern was incredibly offended...

“After some time, Lieutenant-Commander Lisyansky and Midshipman Berg arrived from the Neva,” continues Rezanov. “They called the crew, announced that I was an impostor, and many insulted me, which, finally, with my exhausted strength, knocked me unconscious. Suddenly it’s time to drag me out onto the quarterdeck for trial.” He was pulled out of the cabin completely ill. They demanded to see the royal rescript. Nikolai Petrovich obeyed. The naval officers read the paper and asked, “Who signed?” “Our Sovereign Alexander,” replied Rezanov. “Who wrote it?” - they asked. “I don’t know,” the ambassador answered honestly. “That’s it,” the officers concluded. “We want to know who wrote this.” The Emperor may have signed it without even looking. And while we don’t know this, we have no boss except Krusenstern.” And immediately the shouts of the sailors were heard: “Kill him, the beast, into the cabin!” The offended Rezanov himself went down there and did not leave the cabin again until his arrival in Petropavlovsk.

There Rezanov wrote a complaint to the Governor-General of Kamchatka: they say that the crew of the expedition led by Kruzenshtern rebelled. Krusenstern had something to think about: “His Excellency Mr. Rezanov, in the presence of the regional commandant and more than ten officers, called me a rebel, a robber, determined my execution on the scaffold, and threatened others with eternal exile. I admit, I was afraid. No matter how fair the Emperor may be, being 13,000 miles away from him, you can expect anything...” With force, the Governor-General managed to reconcile them. On August 8, 1804, the commander of the ship “Nadezhda” Ivan Fedorovich Kruzenshtern and all the officers came to Rezanov’s apartment in full uniform and apologized for their misconduct. Rezanov agreed to continue the journey in the same composition. Having taken two non-commissioned officers, a drummer and five soldiers (the ambassador's honor guard) from the Governor-General of Kamchatka, Nadezhda moved to Japan (in the meantime, Lisyansky took the Neva to Alaska).

“UNDER THE RUSSIAN CROSS FLAG AND THE MOTTO “AVOS”

On September 26, 1804, the Nadezhda arrived in Nagasaki. At the entrance to the bay, Kruzenshtern ordered the cannons to be fired, as it should be on such solemn occasions. And then the bay blossomed with colorful lanterns and sails: a whole flotilla of Japanese junk boats moved towards the Russian

To the ship. And so translators and officials boarded the Nadezhda. They greeted the Russians by crouching and holding their knees, according to local custom. But they asked not to fire the cannon anymore and generally hand over all gunpowder and weapons (except for Rezanov’s own officer’s sword) and not enter the bay. Well! Kruzenshtern dropped anchor where he was shown. I had to stand there... for more than six months.

All these six months, the Japanese behaved extremely politely: everyone squatted, holding their knees with their hands, smiled, nodded happily. They delivered everything to the Russians at the slightest request: fresh water, the freshest food, ship materials for repairing the ship... But they did not take payment for all this and the ship was not allowed into the harbor.

Rezanov himself was allowed to go ashore and wait for an answer from the capital, from the Japanese emperor, to whom they brought a letter from the Russian Tsar and gifts. The ambassador was given a luxurious palace, but he was not allowed to go beyond it and no one was allowed in to see Nikolai Petrovich. Finally, in March, a dignitary arrived from Ieddo (as Tokyo was called in those days). He brought a disappointing answer: the emperor was extremely surprised by the arrival of the Russian embassy, ​​he could not accept it and did not want to trade and asked that the Russian ship leave Japan. They say that it has been decided for 200 years that there is no benefit for the Japanese to leave their country or allow anyone to come to them. Even the gifts were not accepted, and the dignitary returned them to Rezanov with a respectful bow. Perhaps the Japanese emperor simply didn’t like them because they were poorly chosen: porcelain dishes (and it was worth transporting them from Europe to Japan!), fabrics (inferior quality to local

Silk), finally, furs, among which there were too many silver foxes, but in Japan the fox is considered an unclean, devilish animal.

Rezanov did not refrain and spoke insolently to the dignitary: they say that our emperor will be more helpful than yours, and on his part this is a great mercy, which “from a single love of humanity followed to alleviate your shortcomings” (that’s what he said!). The translators were frightened, sighed, fidgeted, but Nikolai Petrovich still insisted on translating. The matter was completely failed. Perhaps, this embassy not only did not bring the moment of establishing diplomatic relations between Japan and Russia any closer, but rather delayed it. But at the same time, Rezanov entered Japanese history textbooks as a very worthy and respectable person. Returning to Petropavlovsk, Nikolai Petrovich learned that the emperor, having awarded Kruzenshtern with the Order of St. Anna, II degree, only granted him a snuff box sprinkled with diamonds. This meant that the highest authorities took the captain’s side in the conflict. From participating in the first Russian round the world expedition Nikolai Petrovich was released - he was now offered to go with an inspection to Russian settlements in Alaska. And Kruzenshtern rushed to catch up with Lisyansky in the Atlantic Ocean.

And here is Rezanov in Novo-Arkhangelsk, on the island of Sitkha. The situation in which he found the Russian colony was terrible. Products were delivered to them exclusively from Russia - across all of Siberia to Okhotsk, and from there by sea... For this

Months passed, everything came spoiled. Contacts with the “Bostonians” - American merchants - did not work out. In short, the settlers simply starved to death. Rezanov developed the most vigorous activity there: he bargained with the merchant John Wolf for the ship “Juno,” loaded to the brim with food, so that he did not have time to come to his senses. Not to mention the fact that Wolf had absolutely no intention of selling Juno at all.

But this was only a partial solution to the problem. Winter was approaching, and the settlers would not have enough food from the Juno until spring. Rezanov ordered to build another ship with speaking name“Maybe” and thus equipped a small expedition of two ships to the south, to California. By this time, half the team was already dying from scurvy. “Let's save the colonies from starvation. Or we'll die. Maybe we’ll save you after all!” - this is the motto with which they set off.

In March 1806, Juno and Avos moored in San Francisco Bay. California at that time belonged to Spain, and Spain was an ally of Napoleon, therefore an enemy of Russia. War could break out at any moment. In a word, the commandant of San Francisco, in theory, simply should not have hosted Russians. In addition, any relations between colonists and foreigners bypassing the Madrid court were not welcomed. And yet Rezanov managed to break through to the Californians! Moreover, during his six weeks there, he completely conquered the governor of Upper California, Jose Arillaga, and the commandant of the fortress, Jose Dario Arguello. The latter’s daughter was 15-year-old Donna Maria de la Concepción Marcella Arguello. Conchita...

One of the participants in Rezanov’s expedition, the ship’s doctor Georg Langsdorff, wrote in his diary: “She stands out with her majestic posture, her facial features are beautiful and expressive, her eyes are captivating. Add here a graceful figure, wonderful natural curls, wonderful teeth and thousands of other charms. Such beautiful women can only be found in Italy, Portugal or Spain, and even then very rarely.” And one more thing: “One would think that Rezanov immediately fell in love with this young Spanish beauty. However, in view of the prudence inherent in this cold man, I would rather admit that he simply had some kind of diplomatic designs on her.” Maybe the doctor was just wrong? But Rezanov himself, in his reports to Russia, did not

He looks like a man who has lost his head in love.

He writes to Count Rumyantsev: “My proposal (of Conchita’s hand and heart) struck down her parents, who were raised in fanaticism. The difference of religions and the upcoming separation from their daughter were a thunderclap for them. They resorted to missionaries, they did not know what to decide on, they took poor Concepsia to church, confessed her, convinced her to refuse, but her determination finally calmed everyone down. The Holy Fathers left the permission behind the Roman throne, but agreed to engage us by agreement, which would be a secret until the permission of the Pope. From that time on, placing myself as close relative Commandant, I was already managing the port of His Catholic Majesty as the benefit of Russia required, and the Governor was extremely amazed to see that, so to speak, he

He himself found himself visiting me. They began to bring bread to the Juno, and in such quantities that I already asked to stop the supply, because my ship could not take more.” And to his brother-in-law and co-owner of the Russian-American company, Nikolai Petrovich completely admitted: “From my California report, do not consider me an anemone. My love is in Nevsky under a piece of marble, but here is the result of enthusiasm and a new sacrifice for the Fatherland. Concepsia is sweet as an angel, beautiful, kind-hearted, loves me; I love her and cry because there is no place for her in my heart, here I, my friend, as a sinner in spirit, repent, but you, as my shepherd, keep the secret.” ambition, tried to instill in this girl the idea of exciting life in the capital of Russia, the luxury of the imperial court and so on. He brought her to the point that the desire to become the wife of a Russian chamberlain soon became her favorite dream. One hint that the implementation of her vision depended on her was enough for Rezanov to force her to act according to his desires.”

And immediately after the engagement, the groom left the bride in order to return to St. Petersburg and ask the emperor to petition the Pope for consent to the marriage. Nikolai Petrovich calculated that two years would be enough for this. Conchita assured him that she would be waiting...

On June 11, 1806, the heavy “Juno” and “Avos” left the Californian soil, taking away 2,156 pounds of wheat, 351 pounds of barley, and 560 pounds of legumes that would save the Russian colony in Alaska. A month later we were already in Novo-Arkhangelsk. Here Nikolai Petrovich managed to make one extremely interesting order: he sent detachments of his people to California to look for appropriate place for the organization of Southern settlements in America. Such a settlement in a Californian bay: a fortress, several houses and 95 inhabitants was even organized. But the place was chosen poorly: the bay was constantly flooded, and after 13 years the Russians left there. Perhaps, if Rezanov had returned to them, he would have found a way out and secured the California lands for Russia; in any case, the American admiral Van Ders argued: “If Rezanov lived ten years longer, and what we call California and the American

British Columbia would be Russian territory."...

Having hastily completed his business in Alaska, Rezanov rushed headlong to St. Petersburg. He was impatient to quickly realize his “American” ambitious plans... Or maybe he was still impatient to return to Conchita (whether Rezanov was completely sincere in his letters to his relatives and superiors - who knows?). Be that as it may, he was in a hurry. In September he was already in Okhotsk. The autumn thaw was approaching, and there was no way to go further, but Nikolai Petrovich did not want to listen to anything. I went on horseback. Along the way, crossing rivers, he fell into the water several times - the ice was too thin and broke. We had to spend several nights right in the snow. In a word, Nikolai

Petrovich caught a terrible cold and lay in a fever and unconsciousness for 12 days. And as soon as he woke up, he set off on the road again, not sparing himself at all...

One frosty day, Rezanov lost consciousness, fell from his horse and hit his head hard on the ground. He was taken to Krasnoyarsk, where Nikolai Petrovich died on March 1, 1807. He was 42 years old...

After 60 years, Russia sold Alaska to America for next to nothing, along with all the possessions of the Russian-American Company. Rezanov's plans were not allowed to come true. But he still gained fame throughout the centuries - thanks to Conchita.

True, she did not wait for him for 35 years, as stated in the famous rock opera. No. For just over a year, every morning I went out to the cape, sat on the rocks and looked at the ocean. Exactly in the place where the support of the famous Californian Golden Gate Bridge is now...

And then, in 1808, Conchita learned about the death of her groom: a relative of Nikolai Petrovich wrote to her brother. Adding that Signorita de Arguello is free and can marry whomever she wishes. But she rejected this freedom she did not need. Who should she marry, what dreams should she cherish? For twenty years after that, Conchita lived with her parents. She was involved in charity work and taught literacy to Indians. Then she went to the monastery of St. Dominic under the name Maria Dominga. Together with the monastery she moved to the city of Monterrey, where she died on December 23, 1857. Having thus survived Rezanov for half a century...

Not so long ago, in 2000, in Krasnoyarsk, a monument was erected on Rezanov’s grave - a white cross, on one side of which it was written: “Nikolai Petrovich Rezanov. 1764-1807. I will never forget you,” and on the other - “Maria Concepcion de Arguello. 1791-1857. I'll never see you again." The sheriff of Monterrey came to the opening - specifically to scatter a handful of earth from Conchita’s grave there. He took back a handful of Krasnoyarsk soil - Conchite.

The rock opera "Juno and Avos" is based on real events. Initially, it was the poem “Maybe,” which Andrei Voznesensky created, impressed by the love story of the traveler Nikolai Rezanov and Conchita Arguello.

After a meeting with composer Alexei Rybnikov, the poet writes a libretto. After processing which the rock opera “Juno and Avos” appears. It was a new trend in art - prayer songs with modern musical accompaniment. And for almost 37 years now, the rock opera, staged by director Mark Zakharov, has been successfully performed on the stage of the Lenin Komsomol Theater.

The plot of the poem is about Great love, for which there are no barriers or distances, no age restrictions, the theme of faith and service to the Fatherland, the theme of sacrifice in the name of Russia is also very prominent.

Voznesensky shows us the main character of the libretto with a high sense of patriotism, devotion to the Motherland, a man searching for meaning, the truth of life. Rezanov considers himself to be a restless generation, for whom it is hard both at home and abroad.

Nikolai Rezanov does not find joy in everyday life, his soul is in eternal search pipe dreams. In his youth, he dreamed of the Mother of God and since then she has taken possession of his thoughts. As the years passed, the image of the Holy Virgin became more familiar. The young man thinks of her as his cherry-eyed lover. His heart is in constant turmoil.

And now he is 40 years old, and he rushes about like a lost man in search of illusory freedom, a new life path. Finding no joy in anything, Nikolai Petrovich decides to devote his life to serving the Fatherland, to bring his plan to life - to find new lands.

He writes numerous petitions, believing only in the Russian “maybe,” to Tsar Alexei Nikolaevich with a request to support his idea and send ships to the shores of California to carry out a Russian-American trading company, to strengthen the glory and power of Russia.

Out of despair, Rezanov prays to the Mother of God and bashfully confesses his secret love for her, as for an ordinary woman. In response, he hears a voice that blesses him for his deeds. And unexpectedly the chamberlain receives a positive response to the trip. The Emperor entrusts Rezanov with a responsible mission - to establish Russian-American and Spanish trade relations.

In response, Rumyantsev graciously, in view former exploits Rezanov and grief after the loss of his wife, as well as due to difficult external environment, supports the graph project.

Rezantsev goes to sea under the St. Andrew's flag on the ships "Juno" and "Avos". Already approaching the shores of California, the team had no food left, many fell ill with scurvy.

Travelers stop on the Spanish coast. The commandant of the fort was so impressed by the greatness of Rezanov's mission that he gave a ball in honor of the Russian peacekeeper. This was a fatal decision.

A Russian traveler gives the daughter of the commandant of San Francisco a gold diadem with precious stones as a sign of friendship between the two great powers. The Russian navigator invites the daughter of José Dario Argueyo to dance, who immediately fell in love with him. This crucial moment in a rock opera.

Emotions overwhelm the main characters. The governor's daughter was only 16 years old; Senor Federico was considered her fiancé. But Rezantsev can no longer refuse the young beauty and comes to Conchita at night with words of tenderness. They become close.

They have to make a secret engagement, which had no force. Different religions did not allow them to be together - Conchita had to obtain the consent of the Pope, Rezanov - the Russian Emperor.

Society condemns the actions of the Russian, a scandal is brewing. Rezanov sadly leaves his bride; on his way to St. Petersburg to obtain permission to marry Conchita. In addition, Rezanov needs to continue the mission he has begun for the good of the Fatherland.

The way back was sad. Rezanov writes to the sovereign that he wanted to glorify his homeland, but his dreams were shattered. Returning to St. Petersburg, the traveler falls ill with a fever and dies without realizing his plan.

Conchita remains to wait for Rezanov. When she is informed about the death of her loved one, she rejects these rumors. And he continues to wait. Many eligible suitors approached the governor's daughter, but she turned them down again and again. Her heart belonged only to the distant Russian. Mother and father grew old, Conchita took care of them. And she waited.

Time passed and my parents passed away. Thirty years have passed. And only when Conchita saw the official papers about the death of Rezanov, she became a nun, spending the rest of her days in a Dominican monastery.

“Juno and Avos” is about fidelity, the power of love, which Conchita proudly carried throughout her life. At the end of the rock opera, “Hallelujah” sounds - as a symbol great love, something worth living for.

“...Rivers merge into the common sea,

Picture or drawing by Rybnikov - Juno and Avos

Other retellings for the reader's diary

• Summary of Undertaker Pushkin

  Undertaker moved in new house. His neighbor, a shoemaker, invited him to visit him for a family holiday. The undertaker got drunk at the shoemaker's, and when the guests drank to the health of their clients, the undertaker was jokingly asked to drink to the dead

• Summary: Good attitude towards Mayakovsky’s horses

  The work is in a poetic style, at the beginning it describes a cold and icy street. This street is well blown by frosty winds, with a lot of people.

• Summary of Ekimov Night of Healing

  A grandson comes to visit his grandmother for skiing. The ski trip captivated him so much that it was too late to go home - he needed to spend the night. A portrait of a classic caring and kind grandmother is drawn. She's constantly fussing around the house

• Summary of Lermontov Taman

  Pechorin is a very mysterious nature, who can be impetuous or coldly calculating. But it is far from simple, but in this case - in Taman, he was fooled. It is there that Pechorin stops at the house of an old woman

• Brief summary of Veresaev Mother

Based on poems by the poet Andrei Voznesensky. The premiere took place on July 9 on the stage of the Moscow Lenin Komsomol Theater (director Mark Zakharov, dance choreography by Vladimir Vasiliev, artist Oleg Sheintsis), whose repertoire the performance is still included in.

The title of the play uses the names of two sailing ships, “Juno” and “Avos”, on which Nikolai Rezanov’s expedition sailed.

History of creation

However, after some time, thanks to Pierre Cardin, the theater toured in Paris and on Broadway in New York, then in Germany, the Netherlands and other countries. Subsequently, the opera was staged in Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Germany, and South Korea.

Original story source

According to the memoirs of Andrei Voznesensky, he began writing the poem “Maybe” in Vancouver, when he was “swallowing... flattering pages about Rezanov from J. Lensen’s thick volume, following the fate of our brave compatriot.” In addition, Rezanov’s travel diary, which was also used by Voznesensky, has been preserved and partially published.

And after another two centuries, a symbolic act of reunion of lovers took place. In the fall of 2000, the sheriff of the Californian city of Benisha, where Conchita Arguello is buried, brought a handful of earth from her grave and a rose to Krasnoyarsk to lay at the white cross, on one side of which the words are engraved I will never forget you, and on the other - I'll never see you again.

Naturally, both the poem and the opera are not documentary chronicles. As Voznesensky himself puts it:

The author is not so consumed by conceit and frivolity as to portray real persons based on scanty information about them and insult them with approximateness. Their images, like their names, are only a capricious echo of known destinies. And the tragedy of the evangelical woman, trampled by the highest dogma, is unprovable, although undoubted. Because the idea that has been corrected is wrong living life and feeling.

Plot

Anniversary performances

Performance in numismatics

Notes

see also

Links

• "Rezanov and Conchita - a love story in the memory of generations" by O. Nikolaev