D. Versace
“When working, you need to be patient and show equal respect to everyone you encounter. Regardless of what level of the social ladder this or that person is on.”
Genius has no limits and people endowed with natural talent do not limit the flight of their creative imagination to established standards. But talent is only a starting point. True mastery is nothing more than the fruit of long and dedicated work.
The genius of Gianni Versace made him a legend during his lifetime, and tragic death the great fashion designer was a shock to the whole world. But the star of the outstanding couturier did not fade after his death. She continues to illuminate the path for masters who have chosen as their path the creation of new trends in high fashion, and the soul of Versace continues to live in the works of the master and the creations of his followers.
Boyhood of a genius
Gianni (12/02/1946 – 07/15/1997) was born in the small Italian city of Reggio di Calabria and was the middle child in the family of Antonio and Francesca Versace. His father was an economist, and his mother owned a small studio. It was largely thanks to her work that the family was able to survive difficult times. post-war years and subsequently achieve material well-being.
In his interviews, the fashion designer has repeatedly said that as a child he was not spoiled by his mother’s love, since his older brother Santo received all the attention. However the lion's share Versace attributed his success to her, because Gianni spent most of his childhood and youth in his mother’s workshop: first watching her work, then helping to purchase materials, and then taking a direct part in creating dress models.
The range of interests of young Versace was not limited to tailoring. He was interested in music, history, various types art, architecture. However, he quickly became bored with the path of an architect, chosen after graduating from school, and Gianni, quitting his studies, returned to his mother’s atelier. In an effort to learn as much as possible about the world of high fashion, the aspiring couturier attended all the fashion shows held in Florence, Paris and other cities.
Meanwhile, the demand for Donna Versace’s products was steadily growing, the clientele was expanding, and representatives of high society began to prevail among customers. And the reason for the growing popularity of the Francesca Versace Elle atelier was precisely Gianni’s active participation in the creation of his mother’s models.
Forward to success by leaps and bounds
The promising fashion designer attracted the attention of the owner of a prestigious Milanese atelier, Enzo Nicosia, who in 1972 invited Gianni to create for him new collection knitted clothes. Increased interest in his creations and favorable reviews from critics opened the cherished doors for Versace to the world of Italian fashion. modeling industry. For some time he worked with famous Milan fashion houses, but the collaboration did not last long - the master strived for isolation.
The dizzying rise of the young couturier’s career occurred in the second half of the 70s of the last century. Versace creates his first collections: first for women, then for men. In 1978, he opened the Gianni Versace Fashion House, whose sign became the head of the Gorgon Medusa. Further, the couturier’s career developed in geometric progression: collaboration with famous photographers, choreographers, choreographers, artists, models and show business representatives, release of new product lines of the Versace brand, expansion of the scope of activities.
Behind a short time Gianni Versace not only acquired the status of a trendsetter, but also formed his own empire. Combining incongruous things, experimenting with contrasts, making bold accents on natural sexuality, controlling color - all this was subject to the king of fashion. His indomitable activity and inexhaustible creative imagination brought Versace to the top of Olympus modeling business. The commercial success of any of his enterprises was guaranteed.
Tragedy on Ocean Drive
In addition to clothing, the world-famous brand produced perfumes, accessories, dishes, furniture, bed linen, interior items, jewelry and so on. The fortune of the famous fashion designer was in the millions. Versace's companion for 11 years was his close friend and lover Antonio de Amico. Glitter and luxury accompanied the charismatic couturier everywhere, although there were some excesses.
A well-known English weekly published an article in which Versace was credited with a connection with the Italian mafia. The master could not tolerate such an insult and filed a claim for compensation for moral damages for libel, which he won. The gossip subsided for a while, but the tragedy that happened to the fashion designer later stirred up a new wave of speculation.
In July 1997, the great couturier was killed on the threshold of his villa in Miami Beach with two shots to the head. His body was found by De Amico. The investigation established that the killer was a certain Andrew Cunanan, nicknamed de Silva, who already had several victims. There was no motive for the murder of the fashion designer, so he was written off as a whim serial maniac, which Cunanan was.
The version of the private detective who investigated this case boiled down to the fact that the great couturier crossed the path of influential representatives of the Italian underworld, for which he was mercilessly eliminated. Many of the couturier’s close friends adhered to it.
Gianni Versace's body was buried in the Italian commune of Moltrasio near Lake Como. After his death, the life work of the outstanding designer passed into the hands of his younger sister Donatella, and most of The master's fabulous fortune, according to his will, went to his beloved niece, Donatella's daughter Allegra. To this day, the legendary Versace Fashion House continues to delight connoisseurs of design art with new collections, and the name Versace still remains synonymous with impeccable taste, grace and luxury.
Gianni Versace, Donatella Versace
December 2 marks the 72nd birthday of one of the most famous Italian designers, Gianni Versace. His name became synonymous with the fashion of the eighties and it was to him that the world owed the emergence of the phenomenon of supermodels. the site rereads one of the most famous biographies designer "The Versace Myth", written by journalist Mini Castel, and recalls what Gianni Versace said about family, the fashion industry and himself.
"I am a tailor. When I came from Reggio Calabria to Milan, I had to forget everything I had learned from my mother, because here everything was different - both the environment and the sewing technology."
"In the seventies, I unleashed my rebellious spirit, I tried to find a way to connect completely various shapes and materials in a way that no one has ever done before. At this time, contrasts first appeared in my fashion; later this would become the key to all my collections."
"Why doesn't Milan love me? I work so hard, I try to make women even more beautiful and feminine, but there is no enthusiasm in the press."
“I remember how at the beginning of my career I was full of enthusiasm and it seemed to me that everything was possible: breaking the usual patterns, using different types cuts, unimaginable materials, mixing everything."
"I'm firmly on the side of short skirts - it's young, dynamic, free and modern. You don't have to go far: look what's happening this winter. Last season, only 30% of my Italian clients (traders) accepted my proposal. The rest were not so bold , but now they are forced to shorten their skirts, because women demand it.”
"We Italians are a restless people. We produce the most beautiful fabrics in the world and do not want to stop there."
"I like to be in contact with rock musicians; they carry the energy of time, with which they charge you. I am convinced that a designer’s creativity can have a huge impact positive influence the electricity of Springsteen's music or the tenderness of Sting's music."
"Vulgar? Perhaps I'm just bold. And bold people usually achieve excellent results."
Gianni Versace and models backstage at the Versace Couture 1992 show
About Versace and the fashion industry
“It’s funny to me when some fashion designers say that a fashion designer is not a tailor. It seems to me that everything is just the opposite: a real artist is one who creates everything with his own hands.”
“When it came time to choose a symbol, I remembered one ancient myth: whoever loves Medusa, there is no salvation for him. So why not assume that if Versace conquers someone, there will be no way back for him?”
"Why trousers? Because they're more modern, they're more 1980s. I wear them on everyone, even under women's skirts."
“The woman I dress is beautiful and seductive. I adore women. Armani’s clothes, on the contrary, create a less vibrant type of woman, a somewhat muted style. What is usually called “chic”. For my part, I don’t see any “chic” here ".
“When drawing this or that dress, never forget that it will be worn, it will be put on, it should be useful - the combination of usefulness and beauty is inseparable.”
“We all understand that a lot has to be sacrificed for that sparkle of sequins.”
"The idea for Atelier Versace was born out of a desire for freedom. In addition, I am driven by passion, the desire to direct my efforts in a new direction. It will be a laboratory of ideas, a place also open to new technological research."
“Stop calling my fashion sexy. I do not abandon the decorative period of my work, the “neo-baroque” stage, but I have turned the page. My work is truly Italian at its core, it grows from the brightness of colors and folk art. But in fashion you always have to go Go ahead, you shouldn’t be afraid to experiment.”
"For the most part, fashion designers live in an ivory tower. I, on the contrary, from my vantage point, closely monitor what is happening in the world. I try to get used to the role modern woman. I work and am constantly in a flow that either lifts me up or lowers me."
“Fashion will survive only if it strives beyond the limits of reality. Of all my dresses, the one that sells best is the most unusual one, the one that was said not to be worn.”
"I have talked many times about distant episodes of my childhood, which today may seem invented, fictitious, unreal. I remember an unusually elegant black velvet dress, my mother tried it on one of her clients, Signora Ippolito. My mother’s every move is still before my eyes. I see how a woman changes under her hands as if by magic."
Gianni Versace in childhood
“He was my victim,” Gianni said about brother Santo. “I played with him as I wanted, took his pocket money, I knew that dad would give him more.”
"After the death of my mother, my father looked lost, abandoned, aged a hundred years. We could not improve our relationship for a long time. Our reconciliation took place in the church. We stood hugging each other and were silent. Everyone had tears in their eyes. Ours returned past life, mom returned, the South returned, its sun and its pain. Then we headed home. It was a day filled with tenderness."
“I’m lucky, I have a wonderful family. Sometimes we argue desperately, but it’s always in the interests of the business we’re doing. And we really love getting together. Whatever it is.”
Versace Family, 1976
How one of the most famous fashion empires was built.
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The site's observer studied the history of the Gianni Versace fashion house, founded in 1978. famous fashion designer Gianni Versace and has gone from a small local brand to one of the most famous in the world. Gianni Versace survived the death of its founder with great difficulty, but eventually regained its position in the market and is now planning an IPO.
Today, the Versace brand produces a wide range of products, ranging from women's and men's clothing and ending with towels and kitchen tiles. The fashion house was created by one of the most influential fashion designers - Gianni Versace - and owes its initial success and worldwide fame solely to its founder.
Santo, Gianni and Donatella Versace
Gianni Versace. Creation of the fashion house Gianni Versace
According to Versace, fashion should be capricious and extravagant. He embodied his views in collections that violated canons and foundations. Versace was a supporter of the Italian neo-baroque style. His collections combined a passion for contrasts and excesses, a combination of different styles and kitsch.
Versace's style has often been criticized. In London he was considered vulgar, and Armani accused the designer of turning high fashion into a porn show. He also claimed that Gianni creates clothes for girls of easy virtue. Contrary to public opinion, Versace was able to find his audience, and by the end of the 80s, his outfits were worn by celebrities from all over the world.
Gianni Versace in the 80s and 90s. The Assassination of Gianni Versace
In 2012, the company invested in development in China, Malaysia, the USA, Brazil, Europe, and Hong Kong. New beach and lingerie collections, couture Atelier Versace and Young Versace, intended for children, were presented.
One of the main innovations was the launch of the e-commerce site versace.com. Plans were then announced for further development directions, including launching in most countries of the world, creating specialized microsites and launching applications.
In 2015, e-commerce accounted for only 2% of the company's direct sales. However, Versace also works in partnership with others trading platforms, so this figure is slightly higher. The same year, the Atelier Versace Haute Joaillerie collection of exclusive jewelry was launched. The items included in it are made by hand and exclusively to order. The collection is produced by the company's partners in Dubai.
In 2013, the company continued to open stores, of which there were 137 by 2014. The company's profit grew by 27.6%, and sales reached €479.2 million. The company's fastest growing market was the United States.
At the same time, Ferraris decided that the company needed to raise funds from outside. To search for a potential partner, he turned to Intesa and Goldman Sachs. The best option It turned out to be Blackstone Group, which bought 20% of the company for €210 million. The deal was completed in 2014.
In the same year, the company opened 40 boutiques. Versace presented several successful collections and ended the year with the usual growth in financial performance. The company's profit increased by 27% to €26.3 million.
Versace's success allowed its shareholders and management to think about a previously planned IPO. The Versace family has long been striving for Versace to go public, but considers it mandatory to maintain full control over the company.
WriteName: Gianni Versace
Age: 50 years
Activity: fashion designer, designer, founder of the Gianni Versace fashion house
Family status: wasn't married
Gianni Versace: biography
Biography of Gianni Versace, outstanding fashion designer from Italy, similar to fairy tale story. A boy from a poor family turned out to be capable of a miracle: Versace became not only one of the most famous couturiers, but also a real trendsetter of fashion and style. Unfortunately, not everything in the master’s fate was as easy and cloudless as his career.
Childhood and youth
The future fashion designer was born on December 2, 1946 in the small town of Reggio de Calibria, in southern Italy. The boy's parents owned a clothing store, which brought income to the family. WITH early years It was little Versace who helped the mother hang out the outfits and select accessories for them. Gianni was delighted to see how seemingly insignificant details changed the look of an entire outfit.
There were three children in the Versace family: Gianni had a brother, Santo, and a sister, Donatella. The mother's adoration was given to the eldest son, but Gianni constantly suffered due to lack of maternal attention. The boy tried to fill this emptiness with the minutes spent with his mother in the family shop. Soon Gianni knew how not only to hang clothes neatly, but also began to understand the peculiarities of cut and fabrics.
In addition to dresses, young Gianni Versace was attracted to drawing. Parents even predicted a career as an architect for their son. The young man, after graduating from school, entered college, the Faculty of Architecture, but soon realized that this specialty would not bring creative satisfaction. In addition, Gianni's mother insisted that her son help work in the family store. So Gianni dropped out of college and focused on helping his mother.
Fashion and design
Until the age of 25, Gianni Versace worked in the family store. The young man constantly came up with new images, helped customers select sets of clothes and learned the intricacies of a fashion designer’s craft. It is not surprising that the name of the young designer soon became known to the city's fashionistas.
Feeling confident in his own abilities, Gianni Versace goes to Milan, the capital of Italian fashion. There, Versace was lucky enough to get a job with three famous fashion designers at once. Soon Gianni becomes indispensable fashion shows: a young man travels around Italy, organizes shows and helps employers prepare collections.
Gaining experience, Gianni began to dream of opening his own fashion house, and also to think over a collection of clothes, which he decided to present to the world in the spring of 1978. This debut instantly made the designer famous: the collection was received with delight by both the capital's fashionistas and biased critics.
In the same year, Gianni Versace registered trademark in his own name and solemnly opened the first store. Santo and . came to help his brother.
Fashion house
The emblem of the Versace fashion house is the head of the Gorgon Medusa. The fact is that Gianni was interested in ancient mythology, and considered the Gorgon a symbol of bewitching, unconditional beauty. Now this emblem is recognizable even by people far from the world of fashion.
Already in 1979, immediately following the debut women's collection, Versace released a line of clothing for men. The premiere show was brilliant, the designer gained many fans, as well as interest and respect from his fashion colleagues.
In the 1980s, shows of the Versace fashion house took place one after another. Each collection became a sensation: Gianni was not afraid to experiment with cut, preferring revealing and bright outfits that did not hide the beauty of the female and male body.
Soon Versace brand clothing becomes a cult. The brilliant master's clients include many other celebrities.
At the same time, Gianni Versace opens his own brand stores in different countries peace. Success, like the designer’s income, endlessly strives upward, and photos from the artist’s shows capture the covers of fashion magazines.
Gianni Versace decides not to stop there, and after some time the first fragrance is released under a recognizable label. It was Gianni Versace women's perfume. Following them, the men's perfume “L ̛ Homme” appeared. Since then, the fashion house of Gianni Versace has released many fragrances, but these first perfumes still remain relevant.
In the 1990s, the fashion designer again expanded the horizons of his own company. Under the Gianni Versace brand, dishes, furniture, jewelry and even cars begin to be produced. Each new product is greeted with a bang by fans of the master, each time confirming the proverb that talented people able to show themselves in any activity.
Personal life
There is an opinion that Gianni Versace's personal life was influenced by childhood trauma. The fact is that on the way to school the boy had to pass by a brothel. The strict mother constantly scolded Gianni if he accidentally turned his head towards this establishment. Since then, the fear of seeing a naked woman has been ingrained in Gianni's head. And even though Versace later connected his life with creating clothes for women, relationships with ladies frightened the fashion designer.
Be that as it may, the personal life of Gianni Versace, despite gay great master, it turned out happily.
The fashion designer's first serious romance, however, ended in a breakup. A young fashion model named Paul Black chose his own sister Donatella over his lover. After this incident, the brother and sister did not communicate more than a year, and Paul soon became Donatella's husband.
Gianni Versace and Antonio d'Amico The second love story lasted until the end of Gianni Versace's life. The designer's chosen one was Antonio d'Amico, head of the sportswear department of the Versace fashion house. It is also known that Gianni and Antonio periodically rested together, choosing one of their favorite models. However, such bold entertainment did not affect the relationship of the lovers.
Death
It seemed happy life The fashion designer's career will last for many more years, but fate decreed otherwise. On July 15, 1997, Gianni Versace was assassinated on his porch own home, in Miami.
The murder was committed by serial killer Andrew Cunanan. It is known that the criminal turned out to be homosexual and made his living by prostitution. The cause of death of Gianni Versace was called a gunshot wound: the fashion designer died due to two accurate shots in the head.
On this day, only Antonio d'Amico was in the house with Gianni, who called the police. The killer, or rather his body, was found eight days later: the man shot himself. suicide note Andrew Cunanan wrote that he killed Gianni Versace "as a banner of homosexuality."
The death of the fashion designer was immediately surrounded by rumors and speculation. According to one version, members of the Gianni Versace family ordered the murder. According to another, the Italian mafia had a hand in the crime. There were even suggestions that the emblem of the Versace fashion house, the Gorgon Medusa, which allegedly brought trouble, was to blame for what happened.
Not a single guess has received official confirmation, and the murder of Gianni Versace is still called one of the mysteries of the 20th century.
After the master's funeral, Donatella Versace became the head of the fashion house. Gianni's companion, Antonio, according to the will, received the right to live in any of the villas owned by Versace, as well as a generous monthly allowance.
Memory
- 1997 - Elton John's album “The Big Picture”, dedicated to Gianni Versace
- 2001 - documentary“Victim of fashion. The Assassination of Gianni Versace"
- 2013 - film “The House of Versace”
Biography
Began career in hometown, in the shop fashionable clothes Francesca Versace Elle which his mother owned. Here he helped her hem clothes, select accessories, and also supply fabrics from Milan, Paris and London. At the age of 25 he went to Milan, where he began working as a designer in several fashion houses - Callaghan And Istante. In 1973 he became a designer Byblos, youth line of the fashion house Genny
For the first time presented clothes under own name March 28, 1978 in Milan, at the Art Museum Palazzo della Permanente. In September of the same year, the first collection was shown women's clothing under the Gianni Versace brand. The chief administrator of the fashion house was the fashion designer's older brother Santo Versace, his sister Donatella was responsible for photo shoots.
In the 1980s, Gianni designed clothes for his own brand, while simultaneously working for other companies. In 1981, he released a women's perfume under his own name, and in 1986, a men's fragrance. L'Homme. Together with Lagerfeld, he intensively cultivates the cult of top models, paying fabulous fees to his favorite models. In 1989, he declared himself in the world of high fashion, starting to create haute couture collections under the brand Atelier Versace and organizing shows at the Ritz Hotel in Paris.
Gianni Versace reached the peak of his fame in the early 1990s, among his famous clients are Madonna and Diana, Princess of Wales. He expands his business by starting the production of porcelain and glassware(together with the company Rosenthal) and furniture and household goods (under the brand Versace Home).
Had apartments in Milan and New York, house V resort town Miami Beach and a villa on Lake Como in Italy, loved to spend time in the company of his friends - Elton John, Madonna, George Michael. He did not hide his homosexual orientation, having lived for 11 years with his life partner, a stylist. Antonio D'Amico .
Gianni Versace was shot and killed on the morning of July 15, 1997 Ocean Drive in Miami Beach, on the steps of his own house, serial killer Andrew Cunanan for no apparent reason. A version of involvement in the murder immediately appeared in the media. Italian mafia, and some newspapers accused the Versace family of the crime. A few days later, his killer, surrounded by a ring of police, committed suicide. According to some evidence, the killer was wearing Versace underwear. Gianni was buried near Lake Como, in the garden of Villa Fontanella, but after the sale of the latter to the Russian oligarch and restaurateur Arkady Novikov, the couturier’s ashes were transferred to Milan.
After Versace's death, his company was headed by younger sister, Donatella Versace.
Style Features
Gianni Versace combined lush baroque elements and meandering classicism with pop art and elements of punk culture, combined leopard print with lush acanthus and used bright contrasting colors and shiny surfaces. His provocative, overtly sexual clothing often bordered on kitsch. Versace created evening dresses based on patterns of women's underwear, brought into fashion the combination black leather and gold fittings and leggings, which were required high heels. Counts [by whom?] , that for the first time he brought a man without a tie and a man in jeans to the podium.
In the theatre
Gianni Versace collaborated fruitfully with Maurice Bejart - he designed several of the choreographer’s ballets, their last working together became the ballet “The Priest’s House” (). In turn, the artists of Bejart's ballet troupe participated in the fashion designer's shows. In particular, during one of Versace's last theatrical shows, fashion model Naomi Campbell pointed a gun at the fashion designer, which was later regarded as an omen.
Versace's other works include provocative costumes for William Forsythe's ballet Herman Schmerman.
Bibliography
Filmography
- About the brand Versace The film "The House of Versace" was made. House of Versace).
Recognition and awards
- Commander of the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (1986).
- Big Golden medal city of Paris.
Memory
- Musician Elton John, on whose album Versace worked in 1991-1994, dedicated his album to him The Big Picture (1997).
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Literature
M. Castel. The Myth of Versace: Biography / Trans. with it. A. Borisova. St. Petersburg: ABC-classics, 2008. 352 p. + insert (32 pp.), 15,000 copies, ISBN 978-5-395-00095-8
Links
- Agassi Topchyan.. "New Look" No. 19 (July 26, 1998). - Andrew Philip Cunanan checked into The Normandy Plaza Hotel on May 12th. And I checked out of this hotel on July 14, the day before that fateful day.... Retrieved April 9, 2012. .
Notes
Excerpt characterizing Versace, Gianni
All guns fired in the direction of the fire without orders. As if urging them on, the soldiers shouted to each shot: “Dexterously! That's it! Look, you... It’s important!” The fire, carried by the wind, spread quickly. The French columns that had marched for the village retreated, but, as if in punishment for this failure, the enemy placed ten guns to the right of the village and began firing at Tushin with them.Because of the childish joy excited by the fire, and the excitement of successful shooting at the French, our artillerymen noticed this battery only when two cannonballs, followed by four more, struck between the guns and one knocked down two horses, and the other tore off the leg of the box leader. The revival, once established, however, did not weaken, but only changed the mood. The horses were replaced by others from the spare carriage, the wounded were removed, and four guns were turned against the ten-gun battery. The officer, Tushin's comrade, was killed at the beginning of the case, and within an hour, out of forty servants, seventeen dropped out, but the artillerymen were still cheerful and animated. Twice they noticed that the French appeared below, close to them, and then they hit them with grapeshot.
The little man, with weak, awkward movements, constantly demanded another pipe from the orderly for this, as he said, and, scattering fire from it, ran forward and looked at the French from under his small hand.
- Crash it, guys! - he said and he himself grabbed the guns by the wheels and unscrewed the screws.
In the smoke, deafened by continuous shots that made him flinch every time, Tushin, without letting go of his nose warmer, ran from one gun to another, now taking aim, now counting the charges, now ordering the change and re-harnessing of dead and wounded horses, and shouted in his weak, thin voice, in a hesitant voice. His face became more and more animated. Only when people were killed or wounded did he wince and, turning away from the dead man, shout angrily at the people, as always, who were slow to raise the wounded man or the body. The soldiers, for the most part handsome fellows (as always in a battery company, two heads taller than their officer and twice as wide as him), all, like children in a difficult situation, looked at their commander, and the expression that was on his face remained unchanged reflected on their faces.
As a result of this terrible hum, noise, need for attention and activity, Tushin did not experience the slightest unpleasant feeling of fear, and the thought that he could be killed or painfully wounded did not occur to him. On the contrary, he became more and more cheerful. It seemed to him that a very long time ago, almost yesterday, there was that minute when he saw the enemy and fired the first shot, and that the patch of field on which he stood was a long-familiar, familiar place to him. Despite the fact that he remembered everything, understood everything, did everything that the best officer in his position could do, he was in a state similar to feverish delirium or the state of a drunken person.
Because of the deafening sounds of their guns from all sides, because of the whistle and blows of the enemy’s shells, because of the sight of the sweaty, flushed servants hurrying around the guns, because of the sight of the blood of people and horses, because of the sight of the enemy’s smoke on the other side (after which everyone once a cannonball flew in and hit the ground, a person, a gun, or a horse), because of the appearance of these objects, his own fantasy world, which was his pleasure at that moment. The enemy cannons in his imagination were not cannons, but pipes, from which an invisible smoker released smoke in rare puffs.
“Look, he puffed again,” Tushin said in a whisper to himself, while a puff of smoke jumped out of the mountain and was blown to the left by the wind in a stripe, “now wait for the ball and send it back.”
-What do you order, your honor? - asked the fireworksman, who stood close to him and heard him muttering something.
“Nothing, a grenade...” he answered.
“Come on, our Matvevna,” he said to himself. Matvevna imagined in his imagination a large, extreme, antique cast cannon. The French appeared to him like ants near their guns. The handsome and drunkard number two of the second gun in his world was his uncle; Tushin looked at him more often than others and rejoiced at his every move. The sound of the gunfire, which either died down or intensified again under the mountain, seemed to him like someone’s breathing. He listened to the fading and flaring up of these sounds.
“Look, I’m breathing again, I’m breathing,” he said to himself.
He himself imagined himself to be of enormous stature, a powerful man who threw cannonballs at the French with both hands.
- Well, Matvevna, mother, don’t give it away! - he said, moving away from the gun, when an alien, unfamiliar voice was heard above his head:
- Captain Tushin! Captain!
Tushin looked around in fear. It was the staff officer who kicked him out of Grunt. He shouted to him in a breathless voice:
- What, are you crazy? You were ordered to retreat twice, and you...
“Well, why did they give me this?...” Tushin thought to himself, looking at the boss with fear.
“I... nothing...” he said, putting two fingers to the visor. - I…
But the colonel did not say everything he wanted. A cannonball flying close caused him to dive and bend over on his horse. He fell silent and was just about to say something else when another core stopped him. He turned his horse and galloped away.
- Retreat! Everyone retreat! – he shouted from afar. The soldiers laughed. A minute later the adjutant arrived with the same order.
It was Prince Andrei. The first thing he saw, riding out into the space occupied by Tushin’s guns, was an unharnessed horse with a broken leg, neighing near the harnessed horses. Blood flowed from her leg like from a key. Between the limbers lay several dead. One cannonball after another flew over him as he approached, and he felt a nervous shiver run down his spine. But the very thought that he was afraid raised him up again. “I cannot be afraid,” he thought and slowly dismounted from his horse between the guns. He conveyed the order and did not leave the battery. He decided that he would remove the guns from the position with him and withdraw them. Together with Tushin, walking over the bodies and under terrible fire from the French, he began cleaning up the guns.
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