Nostitz Ivan G.

Count Ivan G. Nostitz was born in a noble and wealthy noble family. His path was straight from birth and is known. Brought up in His Imperial Majesty the case among the offspring of the best and oldest Russian deliveries. Was clever, do not act meanly, brave, beloved comrade. Seventeen years old he has already served in the cavalry regiment of the Life Guards with the rank of cornet.
He served the young prince Ivan G. well, fought bravely. And to war he got a lot - and war expeditions followed continuously. But he was awarded many orders and medals, as Russia's and foreign, and quite quickly - almost every three years - received a promotion in rank. He was thirty-four years, when he was appointed commander of the Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment.
. Not only was it in Russia's glorious army officers, not less than Count Nostitz brave and successful in military enterprises! But their names have sunk in the history of the State of the immense Rossiyskogo, and the name Nostitz remember and will remember for a long time
. And all because it was the Count craving for new and unusual that suggested progress in the second half of the rapid and rich at the opening of the XIX century. From a young age Nostitz carried away, as then expressed, "photographic process" cumbersome camera always carried with him and took off, take off ... He was a true amateur photographer - an ardent, tireless, tiresome sometimes to others, even cloying. First he took off out of curiosity to the process itself, and then, possessed by a thirst to capture the movement of history and its most important moments in the picture for certain. And especially the faces of those who this story, in his understanding, creating ...

Nizhny Novgorod Dragoon Regiment, whose commander was appointed a thirty-Count Nostitz, stood in the Caucasus in the Chir-Yurt. September 16, 1858 Nostitz arrived in the regiment. A little later the regiment went to see the French writer Alexandre Dumas, which is about familiarity with the Count in his memoirs as follows:
. "This evening the count Nostitz showed my friend a whole album of Main species of the Caucasus, and in particular Tiflis, he made himself through photography
. The next morning, to our utter dismay, we had to part with dear masters. Main took with him five or six of photographic pictures, and I - a portrait of Hadji Murad. "
Military concerns did not detract from his enthusiasm Count. But in the Caucasus is at war, and the famous Shamil, who led the multi-year struggle of the Caucasian mountaineers against the king's troops, and along with local princes, had not yet surrendered to a Russian village Gunib.

. However, before his capture remained a little, and in early September 1859 a prisoner Shamil - lord of the mountains, the Imam of Chechnya and Dagestan - was a guest of the Chir-Yurt
. Here he lived for three days, and a Russian officer Count Nostitz tried as best he could deliver all kinds of entertainment celebrity guests. That is, visitors and Kunakov, a friend, not a military prisoner, convicted in the deaths of many Russian soldiers and Cossacks, and civilians perceived Earl famous rebel. Noticing, for example, that Shamil loves listening to music every day during breakfast, lunch and dinner ordered to play trumpet.

. By the way, . and then, . Shamil determine where to live in Kaluga, . Russia's high society and the intelligentsia will treat him with such reverence, . that one of his contemporaries said: "Looking at it, . not know, . Who is the winner and who fought for Russia ... ",

. Of course, Nostitz showed Shamil their photographic work in the release, explained the details of their stories
. Picturesque views of the native of Dagestan, Chechnya, the Caucasus, as described later count, of little interest to Shamil - he wanted to see it, what he would have to look to the north, where he rode. Kind of a European city, the church, some multistory building, and in particular the "Shaitan-the road" as he called the pot and its locomotives, rolling stock and the landing-stage, forcing him to think seriously. He carefully examined these photographs for a long time, though he tried to grasp their images. Apparently, then to nothing surprising, subtly remarked the count, already well acquainted with mountain customs and codes of conduct Caucasian horseman.

. But the original recording of Ivan Grigorievich about how he took off - well, of course, could not true fotoletopisets miss a moment! - A photographic portrait of Shamil in the Chir-Yurt:
. "I will not let Shamil out of my house without taking off with his portrait, but two days of raging Chir-Yurt wind, and it was impossible to go to work finally, on the day of departure, the wind died down and I asked Shamil, if he wants to have his portrait
. The Imam did not understand what was going on, but, wanting to please kunaks, who treated him for three days, agreed and went into the garden, where my lab. With him was the son of Kazi-magician and interpreter. I am an imam seated in a chair, asking him to sit still for ten seconds - then the instant of photography did not yet know - and pointed the camera at him with a large lens, which, in its brass rim shone in the sun like a small cannon.
. To my considerable chagrin, Shamil sat restlessly, anxiously looking around, frantically tossing a chair, every now and then took up the handle of a dagger
. Work did not go. Several times I returned to my laboratory, to procure a new window, and the time passed, dormez Prince Baryatinsky sent from Tiflis, was laid, the convoy had expected, and I was in a hurry, saying that the move, appointed on this day, far away.

. All this kept me more, . but I had already decided, . that the imam did not leave my HQ, . leaving the glass of his image, . and did not notice at all, . Shamil that the person depicted is not a friendly attitude toward me, and that the dagger he was dragged half,
. He brought me the glass - another failure! It was necessary to procure a new record.

. But this time, . going to the lab, . I accidentally turned back and saw the picture is far from peaceful nature: in the bushes and the stone wall of my tiny garden Chir-Yurt were dragoons and rifles were kept in readiness, . bayonets were to join,
. The regimental adjutant, knowing that I will be in the garden of one on one with Shamil, but still armed, imagined that I could be jeopardized, and ran into the first barracks, called choke. They put the part behind the fence, and the parts in the bushes with orders not to stick out, but be ready if anything happened rat. Dragoons were starosluzhivye, many of them spent a dozen years or more in the Caucasus, but never saw Shamil, but now the case provided such a comfortable, they gradually nachadi crawl out of their hiding place, but the guns were kept in readiness. Here is a picture, not at all reassuring, and embarrassed Shamil.

. I immediately removed them and apologized to the Imam, who, realizing that it was some misunderstanding, sat quietly and gave a lift to the portrait.
. Then I introduced him to the lab and showed them to a plate that is struck by Shamil, but he tried to hide his surprise
. But his son could not stand it and began to dance a sort Lezginka in my little laboratory, with upraised arms. At every movement of the enthusiast I thought, . that he had long sleeves of his coat surely overthrow the head of his father, some nitric acid, or black and that Shamil, . taken unharmed at altitudes Gunib, . be corrupted in my laboratory,
. In the dark I was searching for the door to pop Qazi Magomu, but, as always in a hurry, I have not found the handle and break the door.

. Shamil thanked me and took me by the arm, led him aside:
. - I have a request to you, do a portrait of my favorite Shuanety
. It will probably pass your fortress, but I sense that her relatives in Mozdok stop and I do not see her again.
. - It will probably spend the night at my house, but it is veiled, and her face I see.
. - I'll give her a letter - said Shamil.
. And the autograph Imam for a long time remained in my papers. "

.
. There must be an explanation
. Shuaneta - an Armenian, a former pupil of Stavropol Institute - was abducted near Mozdok Chechens, when riding with her sister from the Institute for their parents. Her sister later bought out, and fell in love Shuaneta in captivity Shamil, converted to Islam and became the wife of Imam. After Shamil surrendered to Russian forces, Shuaneta also went into exile on the same route as Shamil. When she was resting in the Chir-Yurt, Nostitz did her portrait, which asked him to Shamil.

. When the wife of Imam continued his way, not far from Mozdok to the guards who accompanied Shuanetu attacked her family, rescued and returned to her parents' home
. But Shuaneta dreamed of returning to her husband, her parents' house became a stranger. He helped her all the same indefatigable photographer. At a gala dinner completely by chance, were invited and Shuaneta, and Count Nostitz, who immediately recognized the young woman, who is now a prisoner of his own parents. She begged the count to help her go to her husband. Nostitz sympathetic attitude to its requests and clicked on her relatives. He was influential, and Shuaneta returned to Shamil.

Getting Nostitz with Shamil had continued. Here's how he described himself Count:
"Then, several years later, I met Shamil with his family near Kiev on the Dnieper ship - he was going to Mecca. We met like old friends, and during the voyage to Kremenchug remembered his stay in the Chir-Yurt and my photos.
. - I was sure, . - Told me Shamil, . - That would deprive me of life, . and thought, . that you have orders to shoot me, . yes and who could better fulfill, . as commander of Shaitan-dragoons "N Besides, you did me some new clothes, . and so did we with naib, . I have ordered the execution, . - They are always dressed in all the best and the new,
. You have put me on a chair, brought me a small gun and ordered him to sit still: I thought that if you do not get, then I will achieve standing ten paces your Shaitan-dragoons. God saved you the time: my hand was still strong, and I was ready to plunge a dagger in your chest. Would have killed me, but you are dead would not stay "
In January 1863 Nostitz was promoted to Major-General on his appointment to the Sweet by His Imperial Majesty Alexander II. From that time to the photographic camera of the graph poses a lot of the royal family.

At many Russian exhibitions end of last century could see his photographic work for which he was awarded medals. In the lack of mentions, too, was. The word "amateur" in regard to his excellency will certainly take in quotes - call graph from the retinue of the emperor was improper for professional photographers, amateur and he has long since not been. This is so he had a position in the photographic society.

. After retiring to resign in 1874 with the rank of lieutenant-general, early widowed Ivan G. bringing up her son, wrote memoirs of the Polish uprising of 1863, which was involved in the suppression
. He is a full member of Division V of the Imperial Russian Technical Society (IRTO) Party Anniversary Photographic Exhibition 1889 in St. Petersburg. Often he brought gratitude for the tireless, for many years, works on photos ". Ignatiev writer recalled: "He was known to be involved in photography is not only a luxurious palace in the Crimea, but also, for example, the beauty of distant India, where he performed for this special journey."

. In 1890 Odessa Imperial Technical Society arranged in Odessa, a photographic exhibition on the achievements of photography and its Applications
. More than thirty works presented in this exhibition Nostitz. As it can be judged on his taste in photography. The sea, the navy, views of Moscow, Sevastopol, Yalta. In the index of the Odessa exhibition wrote about him: "All Photographs Exhibited without retouch, . as negative, . and on positive, . removed lens Dalmeyera on bromo-gelatin plates Obernetera and Felix (in Petersburg) and "American film" Eastman, . with the film with a paper that had not been removed, . and covered with vaseline for transparency ",
. That is, the graph and in old age has kept interest in the latest in photos, to the most modern technologies.
In 1896, Ivan G. issued album "Photographs of Count Nostitz". Yalta city, portraits of Prince, the future Emperor Alexander III and Nicholas II. Today, this album - a unique historical monument of a bygone era.
The best representatives of Russia's officers were able not only to fight. Among them were great poets, writers, musicians, scientists. They caught the glory of the Fatherland not only on the battlefield. Count Ivan G. Nostitz - among them. Photographing first was his youthful enthusiasm, and then it became a matter of life. And thanks to his devotion to this cause today we can see in his pictures lively eyes of people of that era, . which will never return, . but without regard to which we feel forgetful and ungrateful creatures, . oblivious of his kinship,
. And for the sake of the camera picked up a brilliant general Suites His Imperial Majesty photographer Nostitz.