(12 February 2016) Italy and Russia take a step closer in the name of culture and art. The Facebook profile of the Italian Embassy in Moscow has just announced the birth of a new section on the artistic connections between the two countries: “Every week – explains the Embassy on its social network page – we will present a book, a film or a piece of art that particularly mark the cultural ties between our two countries.” The new column will be called “Caffettiere e Самовар” (a samovar is a metal container traditionally used in Russia to heat water for the preparation of tea). Yesterday, the first review of the social initiative focused on the book “The Master and Margarita,” a novel by Mikhail Bulgakov published between 1966 and 1967, one of the most famous works, brilliant but also discussed pieces of Russian literature. “Caffettiere e Самовар” invited Facebook fans to discover the curiosities that bind this text to Italy: “The book was defined by Eugenio Montale as ‘a miracle that everyone should greet with emotion’.” But even more, “in 1972 it was made into a film directed by Alexandar Petrovic, and the Master was played by famous Italian actor Ugo Tognazzi, while the original score was by Maestro Ennio Morricone”. The initiative, week after week, will discover how Italy is tied to the great Russian classics and beyond. (Red)
