The new Soviet Ambassador to France, Vladimir Abrassimov, paid a visit to the studio of the Jewish artist, Marc Chagall, who was born in Russia. It was the Soviet Ambassador’s first visit to a French artist and many here tried to read political implications in the envoy’s visit to the man whose paintings include views of Jewish life in the small Russian city of Vitebsk. It seems, however, that Abrassimov just wanted to pay homage to the world renowned artist. The fact that the Ambassador himself, according to Who’s Who, was also born in Vitebsk may have further motivated this visit. Though now a French citizen, Chagall is still close to traditional Jewish life in Russia and continues to use Jewish folklore as one of his main artistic subjects.
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The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.