English Summary
Editor’s letter
This issue of AD is dedicated to French style and design. Russians love France irrevocably and almost irrationally even since 18th century. Tatiana, heroine of the famous poem “Eugene Onegin”, addressed her passionate teenage love-letter to the hero in French. Even war with Napoléon didn’t cure Russians of our francophilia— we have taken Paris, that’s true, but we used the occasion toexplore the city better.
French decorative styles appeal to Russian taste — whenever we are talking of palatial classicism, avant-garde architecture such as Le Corbusier’s or vintage chic. Yet French furniture makers are rather a closed community and they are not too friendly towards the outside world. The French market is narrow; unlike their neighbours from Apennines French furniture makers don’t want international expansion. There are factories that today produce the same amount of fabric as in the 19th century — they work for the descendants of the same families that commissioned them drapes and upholstery 200 years ago. But this closed and deeply traditional community is paradoxically full of vibrant stylistic ideas. When I go to Paris, I always know that I will come back enlightened with fresh interior design trends and knowledge of where the decorating world is going. I advice you, our dear readers, to follow suit. And if you don’t have time and leisure to actually travel to France, then at least you can leaf through our French issue.
Ice palace