Bakst : The story of Leon Bakst's life

A vivid portrait unfolds of a young artist whose imagination was sparked amid the bustling streets of early‑20th‑century Petrograd. Growing up on Sadovaia, Bakst’s childhood was framed by the city’s contrasting worlds—grand galleries and gritty market lanes, the echo of Dostoevsky’s novels, and the quiet influence of a Parisian grandfather who cherished beauty above all. These early impressions, described through the author’s own memories, reveal how a modest, well‑to‑do household nurtured a secret garden of colour and drama within the boy who would later redefine theatrical spectacle.

Written by a contemporary who witnessed Bakst’s first creations, the biography weaves together personal anecdotes and the cultural currents that shaped his emerging style. It offers listeners a sense of the artistic atmosphere that propelled him from provincial sketches to the grand pageants that dazzled Parisian stages, while remaining grounded in the formative struggles and inspirations of his adolescence. The result is an intimate, richly detailed journey into the making of a revolutionary visual storyteller.