In creation there is no pedestal for the first, second and third winner as in sport. Speaking of the commercial demand for pictures, Alfia Ponomarenko is ,undoubtedly, the most successful Saratov painter. The portraits by her brush were presented to President Putin, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Aleksi II, Dalai Lama ХIV. Prince of Monaco Renier III and direct descendants of Ludovich ХIV commissioned the artist from the Volga banks to paint their portraits.

I made friends with Alfia on the eve of perestroika. Fifteen years passed and we met again in one of the shops in Moskovskaya street. We got on friendly terms at once and exchanged our visiting cards. Alfia had returned from Monaco and that notable event brought me to the idea of interviewing that successful beautiful woman-artist, who made her living by painting without any support from high authorities.

- That was my second visit to Monaco. I was invited to the festival “Russian Evening” on the occasion of 8 March. The festival was organized by the Russian consulate in Monaco in the head of Consul Claude Polanka. Among the guests were residents of Monaco, businessmen, collectors and governmental officials of Monaco. The hall was decorated with the pictures from the collection of a famous collector Rene Gera, and some pictures by Zinaida Serebryakova. But that exhibition didn’t suppose any sales. The festival was held in the Golden hall of the hotel “Fermont”. The friendly atmosphere of that evening was unforgettable. My pictures “The Winter” and “The Spring” in female images were highly appreciated by the public. I was awarded a Diploma and numerous gifts. In response I made a thanksgiving speech. Dances at the end of the festival added to the impressions of that evening. By the way, my next personal exhibition in Monaco will be held at the end of 2009. I have already begun preparations.

- You are a Lomonosov Prize Laureate. You were awarded this prize together with the Gold Medal for notable contribution in the development of national culture . You are Professor, but you are not a member of the Russian Artists Union. Why?

- At the beginning of my creative activity I attempted to join the Russian Artists Union. I was refused under the pretext of being too young. I made another attempt and received the refusal again. And now I don’t need this membership.

- Great Velaskes’s career as a court painter began from the portrait of King Philip IV. How did you make your start?

- After I graduated from the Art School I was employed as a decorator in the Military School of Chemical Defense. Shortly afterwards I understood that painting posters will ruin my professional skills.

With great difficulty, having no money or connections with influential people I managed to get employment in the Artistic Fund workshops .But I wasn’t one of the staff… One day the Artistic council took the portrait of Mikhail Gorbachev by my brush for the work of my teacher Eugeni Zhelnov. When the mistake was discovered, Eugeni Vasilievich was very glad and proud of me. As for the members of the Art council, they all addressed the administration with the request: ”Please, take the girl on the staff. We need the portraitist of this rank”. So, my career as a portrait painter began with the portrait of the first and the last President of the USSR. I’d like to say a few words about Eugeni Vasilievich. He combined in himself many talents. He taught me to paint portraits with enormous attention to detail, to lay emphasis on a person’s character. He was very kind and understanding. He gave me strong baking in hard periods of my life.

- It is said that vanity is the best loved feature of the Prince of the Dark, you can’t make a career and big money without being vain. How vain are you? Do you want your name to remain in history or it is enough for you to be just a popular and demanded painter?

- My vanity is doing my work the best possible way .Better than others. Time will show what will come out of it.

- Once Nikas Safronov told about his very gifted mate who took to drinking and completely degraded 15 years after he graduated from High school. In our country, as in no other, artists, writers, poets need have firm psychics. In some cases this feature cannot go together with talent. Do you have firm psychics?

- I’d rather say “not”, but support from my family and contact with nature give me strength and balance. I do love swimming in the river, in the lake. Water washes away evil looks, makes you feel relaxed. My husband and I have a common hobby - fishing. We go fishing both in summer and winter.

- Envy always goes side by side with success. Does other people’s envy often hurt you?

- Of course! But only stupid people are envious, because they see only bright results. They never see the hardest work behind these results. In my opinion Russian society today is unfriendly. An individual is restricted in many things. That’s what hurts me most, but not my colleagues. Everyone is equally endowed with talent, but not everyone can work sixteen hours a day. Artists know what it means. For example, I am keen on painting irises when they are in blossom. I work day and night. No time for friends. They know this passion of mine and do not disturb me with calls.

- What is a well-to-do person in your opinion?

- It means having a big comfortable house on the ground where you can plant trees and flowers, residence in a country with warm climate, an opportunity to travel and learn more about the surrounding world. In short, everyone should have an alternative to hard work.

- Which painter do you distinguish as a highest professional?

- Salvador Dali (thanks to his wife).

- Did you waste your valuable time on inventing a bicycle anew or follow other people’s methods of publicity?

- I was happy to receive a strong backing from a very competent person. 1993-1994 was a very hard period for me and my family. We shared a small room with the other family in the town of Engels. Alexander Kamayev, a business and my friend, directed me the right way. He saw my pictures and advised to set up my personal exhibition in the night club “Eldorado”. I can’t say I liked the idea. A casino is not a good place for art exhibitions. In response I heard: “We’ll be the first”. He taught me marketing and connecting officials.

- No doubt, talent is a pledge of any success. Neither publicity nor money or support from the people at power will help. The integral part of any success is very hard work. How much time does it take you to paint a portrait?

- As a rule, I portray people using their photographs. We live in the 21st century, life is tense and busy so people have no time to sit for the portrait. They are not irises. Undoubtedly, brilliant memory for faces helps me a great deal. I can recognize a person after twenty years. It takes me one or two months depending on the size and complicity. There were periods of failures and despair, I cut the canvas into pieces and started anew. It’s very important for me to find inner connection with the person I portray. Otherwise the portrait will resemble a mask. I also lay great emphasis on details to bring the portrait to absolute likeness with the original. Once I was portraying an official. Making some touches I suddenly caught great melancholy in his eyes. It was so expressive that I stopped my brush.

- One of the classics stated that a flatterer will always find a place in one’s heart, but the other classic called to admire each other. It’s a good thing when admiration is sincere and flattery is not rough. To which extent are your portraits complimenting?

- Of course, I compliment , though I strive to absolute likeness with the original. In some cases when you look at your photo you are surprised how awfully you look. A camera cannot compliment. Your reflection on the photo depends on the light, your spirit, the clothes you were wearing at that moment. A human eye doesn’t catch unimportant things. Wrinkles, for example. Unlike caricaturists I tend to emphasize the best person’s features. Take Putin’s face. There are many wrinkles on his forehead. First, I experimented to paint him without these wrinkles. The result was poor: it wasn’t Putin. So, I thoroughly painted the wrinkles and the harmony was restored.

- I suppose, you were painting Putin from his photos. Who supplied you with the photos?

- Moscovites commissioned me to paint the portrait. But I didn’t like the photos they had sent to me. Dmitri Ayatskov came to help. He brought me a photo where the camera had caught Putin in the moment of happiness, high spirits.

- It often happens that an artist becomes famous after having portrayed the highest authorities of the country. I won’t ask you about the stimulus for portraying the people at power. I won’t ask you how successful you would have been if you hadn’t painted their portraits. I guess it’s not a simple matter. What do your commissioners wish to see in the portrait?

- I don’t choose. I am chosen. If a VIP person wants to commission me to paint a portrait there is a telephone call and at the appointed hour a car is driven to my house. As for the details of the portrait, I discuss them with the client. My reliable helpmate is a highly professional photographer Yuri Puzanov. He takes a lot of photographs from different positions. Then I get down to work. The colleagues very often order a portrait for their patron’s jubilee. Husbands sometimes present portraits to their beautiful wifes. But these orders are less common.

- Is there any difference between foreign and home VIP persons? They say, home VIP persons accept all gifts as due, but foreigners express utmost gratitude. Is it true?

- During my personal exhibition in Monaco Count Moris de L’Arbre commissioned me to portray his family (mother, father and himself). They are direct descendants of King Ludovich Х IV from the Burbons dynasty. He paid the order and invited me to stay at his castle for summer. As for my compatriots, you can’t expect much love or gratitude.

- You often present portraits to high authorities. Do you ever present pictures to common people?

- Portraits to the authorities are presented by those who ordered them. I paint mainly for my close friends. More often these are flowers. They will never fade.

- Of the three celebrated painters Glazunov, Shilov, Safronov, who is more appealing to you? Name your favourite painters.

- The three above mentioned are, undoubtedly, masters, but they are not among my favourites. I give my heart to Kramskoy, Claude Mane, Dali. I can’t stop admiring Old Masters. I learn much from them during my frequent visits to the Tretyakov Gallery. The technique of painting lace is of my particular attention.

- It is great when a child inherits money, connections with governmental officials, a noble name from the moment of birth. What did your parents put into your cradle?

- “I was allotted beauty and talents, many thanks to my parents”. I am also grateful to my dearest granny who took me to the art studio from the age of 5.

- Of 2914 painters exhibited in Tate Gallery in London only 348 are women-painters (12%). In modern painting this figure is less than 7%. How can you explain this statistics?

- Women are less persistent, I think. After some unsuccessful attempts many of them give in.

- Do your husband and sun support you?

- We learn from each other. I learn obstinacy from my sun, for example. He borrows some character features from me. My husband gives me a helping hand in the kitchen. He cooks meat perfectly. But what I appreciate most of all is a sense of unity. We have overcome many difficulties and they brought us closer. We are a family. I know many people from our closest environment who took to alcohol and degraded after having lost their business.

- What’s your output? Have you ever counted?

- Do you really think I’ll put aside my brush and start counting? Of course ,not. Let other people count . Meanwhile I’ll paint another picture.

- No doubt, goods can be sold easily and profitably, but things are different with the artist’s talent. It can’t be sold for a plate of meal as Pirosmani did it. What is the price of a portrait by your brush?

- No comment.

- Your pictures are the most expensive in Saratov, aren’t they?

- Yes, they are.

- To survive some painters have to follow modern trends in the art of painting. Why do you paint irises so often? Are they your best loved flowers or they are just in great demand?

- They are really my best loved flowers. May be that’s the reason why these pictures are always a huge success. I can’t but admire the astonishing diversity of these flowers. I can paint them endlessly.

- What are you dreaming of?

- To be a well off woman, do what I like with utmost pleasure and without haste.

- Would you spend hours in front of the easel if you had everything you wished?

- Sure! I paint what I like. I don’t care much if my pictures will be bought. Painting is a part of my life.