Boris Yeltsin, Portrait of Confusion

When a new portrait titled "Boris Yeltsin, Symbol of Democracy" was unveiled at the House of Artists on Thursday night, the audience seemed more shellshocked than aroused: Some applauded, but just as many gaped at the artists in astonishment and wondered aloud just what kind of event it was they were attending.


"Why are they playing Tchaikovsky music?" asked a confused Anatoly Babich, who wandered over to the exhibition after watching his daughter perform in a different children's event down the hall. "And why are Yeltsin's teeth so brown?"


The portrait was the collective work of seven artists calling themselves "System ON" who worked on the painting, each drawing a different part of the president's face.


Artist Igor Kontrabass, who was standing in a rigid pose for the cameras, explained their techniques in drawing this second of eight portraits of great figures of democracy.


The first was George Washington, who was taken down yesterday; the next will be Charles De Gaulle, and after that the schedule is a secret, although it will probably include Mahatma Gandhi.


"I drew the lips, the teeth, and the right eye," said Kontrabass."I was trying to capture the spirit of a man who became a symbol of democracy in his own time, and Boris Nikolayevich is definitely such a symbol."


"Whatever you may think of him," added Andrei Kanunov, who was forced to paint Yeltsin's left eye when Kontrabass ran out of paint, "Boris Yeltsin ushered in democracy in this country, and he will always be remembered for that."


System ON is financing the project with its own money, and the exhibition at the House of Artists was held at its own initiative.


Apart from the arrival of Kremlin official Sergei Krasavschenko, who immediately after the unveiling that he liked the portrait, there was no government involvement in the project.


The portrait itself -- despite the ensemble method of its production -- was an excellent likeness. Apart from the conspicuously poor dentistry and a seemingly decaying left ear, the painting generally met with a positive reception from the crowd.


But it was the premise of the event itself which caused some trepidation among the spectators.


"Sure, Yeltsin was a symbol of democracy for us in the beginning," said Yevegenia Morozova, an art student. "But with the Chechen war, and some of the decrees he's put into law in the last few years, he's less and less of a symbol all the time."


"It's strange," added Babich. "I like Boris Nikolayevich, but it's strange all the same." The artists, however, said that the spirit of cooperation, necessary to complete the project, would not have been possible without the inspiration of leaders like Yeltsin.


"Artists are usually known for envy, spite, and competition," said Irina Sidorina, who, as the creator of the president's nose, was a much sought-after interview. "But for this project, we came together, had fun, and produced a work of art. That's what democracy is all about."