А. Монастырский, Н. Панитков, И. Макаревич, Е. Елагина, С ...

turn and stand facing the forest in the direction where the rope runs. Then at command start yelling
―Pull!‖ as loud as possible, until we start pulling the rope. Collective actions‖.
From underneath the cloth a rope outstretched across the field to the forest on its opposite side (length
700 meters).
After the viewers shouted ―Pull!‖ several times, two organizers on the opposite side of the field, invisible
to the audience, started pulling the rope. From underneath the cloth a tape recorder fixed on a small
sledge appeared (it had been set to recording mode before the audience‘s arrival). For the next 35 minutes
with intervals organizers were pulling up the sledge across the field and recorder taping the sliding sound.
The other end of the rope was attached to the sledge‘s back and was slowly creeping out from under the
cloth as the sledge drove off. The end of this rope was attached to the cloth, so when it had finally drew
up, the cloth followed the sledge.
After the cloth had disappeared, the audience was given sheets of black velvety paper (40x32 cm) with
railway furnishing attached to green triangles in the sheets‘ corners.
In the course of action filming and recording of soundtrack for a slide film was conducted. The slide film
titled ―Sound perspectives of going to the country‖ was demonstrated in I.Makarevich‘s workshop in the
10 th of March, 1983.
Moscow region, Rizhskaya railway line, station Opalikha.
14 th February, 1983.
A.Monastyrski, I.Makarevich, G.Kizevalter, S.Romashko, I.Yavorsky, N.Panitkov, E.Elagina, M.K.
V.Nekrasov, V.Makarevich, K.Zvezdochetov, V.Mironenko, I.Bakstein, N.Kozlov, D.Prigov, S.Anufriev,
I.Yavorsky, I.Nakhova, V.Sorokin, V.Makarevich’s wife, +3 others + several persons on the slide film
(I.Golovinskaya, L.Rubinstein, I.Kabakov etc).
22. THE HALT
For 20 minutes a group of viewers (30 persons) accompanied by one of action‘s organizers was moving
along an alley in Sokolniki park. Following them in the rear at a distance of 80 meters two other
organizers were walking with a recorder and taping descriptions of their surroundings – skiers, trees, fire
engine with firefighters, dogs, birds, their own state of health. 4 minutes before the audience stopped a
prearranged theoretical text was recorded (discourse on the action‘s structure and content, see appendix).
In the end additional information (name and time of action) was recorded: ―THE HALT. 6 th of February
1983, 12:56 in the afternoon‖. At the same time the group of viewers was stopped by accompanying
organizers and the audience‘s attention focused on two approaching participants with a recorder. The
apparatus was still
working in recording mode, until the first phrase was uttered by one of the viewers (―Hello!‖). After
joining the group, two participants rewound the tape and played back the recording, so that the audience
could find out the action‘s name and - after a pause and sound of footsteps – hear their own words.
After the audition the viewers were given envelopes containing certificates of their presence at the action,
which said the following: ―On the 6 th of February, 1983, at 12:56 (handwritten) in the afternoon in
Sokolniki park THE HALT took place. Thank you for your cooperation‖.
Moscow, Sokolniki park
6 th February, 1983
A.Monastyrski, N.Alexeev, N.Panitkov, G.Kizevalter, S.Romashko.