Musorgsky's Gravestone

[Olga Meerson]

Да ведают потомки православных земли родной минувшую судьбу = "so that the
posterity of the Orthodox [Christians] would know the past [destiny] of
their native land,' not "And thus the future generations/Will of their
faith and people learn the past."  The presence of Mussirgsky's Christian
Orthodox identity, at least insofar as his task parallels Pimen's (as a
co-chronicler with, say, Pushkin), is ensured by these words. The star of
David may reflect the fact that Mussorgsky had many sources for his music
in Jewish pubs, or that the motifs interested him at least as much as the
native Russian themes and motifs (cf. Pictures at an Exhibition), as later
they would interest Shostakovich. On the other hand, the star may mean the
same thing it does in the portal of the Florentine Church dedicated to the
Holy Cross (the Santa Croce)---namely, be at least as Christian in its
symbolism as it would be Jewish for the Modern times. This happens to many
other symbols and notions---virtually all of them in the Old Testament :)


On Mon, Jan 21, 2013 at 2:31 PM, Patricia A. Krafcik <krafcikp at evergreen.edu
> wrote:

> Dear SEELANGERS:
>
> Might anyone know why the composer Modest Musorgsky's gravestone does not
> sport a cross or any evident Christian or Orthodox Christian symbol, but
> instead what appears a Star of David above the engraving of his head?
> Gravestones
> of other Russian composers routinely included Christian symbols, but not
> his (unless there is something I cannot discern in the photos). The
> monument, according to biographers, was designed by an architect by the
> name Bogomolov, and the bust by a young sculptor by the name of Ginzburg.
> On the stone is an inscription of two lines from Pimen's narrative (from
> "Boris Godunov"): "And thus the future generations/Will of their faith and
> people learn the past."
>
> Thanks in advance for your thoughts and perhaps specific information about
> this issue.
> --Patricia Krafcik
> The Evergreen State College
> krafcikp at evergreen.edu
>
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