To my dear parents
“Nel mezzo del cammin di nostra vita
mi ritrovai per una selva oscura
che’ la diritta via era smarrita”
(Dante. “La Divina Commedia”). 1
“Puesto nombre, y tan a su gusto, a su caballo, quiso ponérsele a sí mismo, y en este pensamiento duró otros ocho días, y al cabo se vino a llamar “don Quijote”; de donde, como queda dicho, tomaron ocasión los autores desta tan verdadera historia que, sin duda, se debía de llamar “Quijada”, y no “Quesada”, como otros quisieron decir”. (Miguel de Cervantes. “El ingenioso hidalgo don Quijote de la Mancha”).2
‘“Must I show you a place to sleep? Are you not at home here?”. “I understand that you take me for one of the tiny folk,” said the midget, “but I’m a human being, like yourself, although I have been transformed by an elf.” “That is the most remarkable thing I have ever heard! Wouldn’t you like to tell me how you happened to get into such a plight?” The boy did not mind telling her of his adventures, and, as the narrative proceeded, she who listened to him grew more and more astonished and happy. “What luck to run across one who has travelled all over Sweden on the back of a goose!” thought she. “Just this which he is relating I shall write down in my book. Now I need worry no more over that matter. It was well that I came home. To think that I should find such help as soon as I came to the old place!” Instantly another thought flashed into her mind. She had sent word to her father by the doves that she longed for home, and almost immediately she had received help in the matter she had pondered so long. Might not this be the father’s answer to her prayer?”’. (Selma Lagerlöf. “The Wonderful Adventures of Nils”).
It is generally accepted that there are Turning Points in our lives that Change Us Forever. So, let me tell you My Story.
I remember my mother sitting at the piano and playing the “Swan Lake”. It was then that I decided to become a Musician. I had no fear of performing in front of the audience and I could play the piano without even looking at the keyboard.
When I was studying at the Music College in Smolensk, fate, once again, intervened on my behalf – one of the professors recommended me to read a book about Alexander Scriabin. And from that time on, the creativity of this composer has captured my imagination.
In Minsk I have met with Dr. Elena Polyakova – my Master’s supervisor who has eventually become my best friend ever. She taught me how to write articles and we used to talk a lot about Art and Education.
We attended conferences in Vitebsk, Mogilev, Moscow and, finally, we visited Saint Petersburg where I have made an acquaintance with another professor – Dr. Alexander Klujev – who has also played a significant part in my scientific career. He has never interfered with my Ph.D. research, on the contrary, he encouraged me to develop my own creativity.
And last but not least, I strongly believe that it is absolutely impossible to study Art without Travelling. You can read a lot about the Sistine Chapel or the Sainte-Chapelle, and yet, not until you see them will you realize the real Power of Art. Among the masterpieces that have impressed me most are Claud Monet’s “Waterloo Bridge”, Dürer’s “Self Portrait”, Raphael’s Lodges, Van Gogh’s “Sunflowers”, the Gates of Paradise by Lorenzo Ghiberti, etc. That is why my research is complemented by the so-called “Impressions of the Cities”.