From Russia, with surprise

Press, 24 February 1987, Page 19

From Russia, with surprise

Ken Strongman

on television

Do watch “Peter Ustinov’s Russia.” It is a programme of genuine culture and abiding interest

Peter Ustinov lectures gently but delightfully against a background of settings so beautiful as to dispel all but the most deeply held prejudices against Russia. It looks to be a splendid place with an abundance of architecture of an elegance so surpassing that although it is obviously foreign it feels exactly right The production is first rate, particularly in the intricacies of the camerawork. In the first programme of the series the result was impressively subtle. It somehow conveyed the emotional side of the U.S.S.R. as well as presenting it from an intellectual and cultural standpoint With an emphasis on antecedents shreed with the Western world, it was easy, even inevitable, to feel an afinity with the people, unlikely though this might seem. With his idiosyncratic style and superbly creative intelligence, Peter Ustinov turned this first episode into a history lesson. In the time, it could be no more than

superficial, and yet it was penetrating. It was no more than a summary but it made hundreds of years of history come alive and sparkle with interest Nearly everything came as a surprise, which in itself is rare enough as a television event There was snow everywhere, which of course did fit with preconceptions, but not so the man from prehistory preserved in the Siberian permafrost The place is full of buildings with spiked

onions on their roofs and the heads are full of hats that would warm a yeti. The buildings have an amazing majesty of architecture and the faces below the heads are a little more beautiful than those of the average politbureau leader we have come to know.

It was also a surprise to learn that, like England, Russia was also once dominated by the Vikings, and that the influence of Greek culture was felt And that there are 11 time zones in Russia. And that Novgorod is a mixture of Florence and Venice. And that the only reason that the Russians are not Moslems is that

“The Russian winter is impossible without the help of vodka,” at least in the Ustinovian view. Somehow it did not matter that there were so many shots of Peter Ustinov filling the screen and talking, in front of buildings that look a little like him but with a better design. Yes, the series is biased; there cannot be such sumptuous churches, cathedrals and monasteries around evey corner. But it doesn’t matter. It is Ustinov’s personal view and it is worth having. He began the entire series as he is certain to go on, with “My cards are on the table.” His great voice makes the commentary sound like a verbal orchestra. His mouth moves like a mobile letter box, seeming to act in sort of counterpoint to a stomach of some profundity. He has what might be termed a flexible line in shirts with matching ties, from eau-de-nil to puce, and a decidedly innovative manner of deploying

long scarves. The commentary is a perfect foil for the commentator, as, in passing, he takes a swipe at everything, from journalism to politicians. Of a circus, his point was, “How nice to see a fox which isn’t part of a coat” Eartier there was, “The precision of drill sounds a little anomolous in a nuclear age.” And later, “It is 30 degrees below zero ... These wretched children appear to be enjoying the brisk weather.”

Do watch it, or at least give one episode a try. If you cannot stand the idea of Russia, your beliefs might be dented. If you do not like documentaries, you might change your mind. If you think that Canadian television is not much good, you will certainly change your mind. If you are interested in Russia, like documentaries, admire Peter Ustinov, and would like an extra nibble of culture on a Thursday, this series will be a feast