Cabaret "Nimble rabbit" is a funny little house in Montmartre - pink with turquoise trim. As there are placed hall and stage? But they are not. In fact, it is rather small casual cafe, on a wooden table - lamp shades with fringe, cancan no dancing. Pianist, Parisian singer singing songs with guitar and accordion – or vintage, or Piaf or drinking in chorus with the audience. However, the street will not get here, need to book a table in advance, because it's not just a cafe, a history of Montmartre.

First village eatery was called "Cabaret killers". In 1880, cartoonist and singer andré Gilles, sang in cabaret, drew for him a new sign. It's a cheerful little rabbit holding a bottle on his paw, jumps out of the pot. Humor was in the game of words: lapin– rabbit, agile – "swift", and together this can be read as lapin à Gill – "rabbit Gilles".

Cabaret came Parisian Bohemians: Picasso, Toulouse-Lautrec, Renoir, Verlaine, Apollinaire, Modigliani, Utrillo. Young beggars talents, known to nobody, drank wine and argued about the meaning of art. The owner Fred is a bearded, hairy, very good – loved these madmen and often fed them in debt. The guys were talking, Fred played guitar, his wife Bertha was prepared. The hall smelled of tobacco and food. All were happy.

They loved together to drink, sing along, making fun of each other. So, in 1910, at the annual exhibition of the Society of independent artists ("independents") have a picture of Joachim Rafael Boronali "Sunset on the Adriatic". Spectators were seriously discussing its advantages and disadvantages. Actually "Sunset" was written by the tail on a donkey that belonged to Fred. Donkey Lolo after a hearty lunch I swung by the tail that wags dipped in paint, and fell straight on just evening the canvas. Got the picture that the exhibition was no different from hanging near the real thing. This drawing artists used to discuss the pressing question – what is the real avant-garde in art.

The time, place, atmosphere was unique. This is not repeated. But people now come to the cabaret "Nimble rabbit" to even imagine how it was.