Confresting the Stalinists

Moscow sums up the contest to create a monument to memory of victims of political repressions

Of the 336 works that entered the competition to create a monument of memory of the victims of political repression, the sculptor Georgy Frangulian, entitled "The Wall of Sorrow", was chosen. The monument is six meters high and 35 meters long will be installed at the intersection of Academician Sakharov Avenue and Garden Ring.

George Frangulian is a prolific sculptor. The most famous monument to Boris Yeltsin in Yekaterinburg , as well as two Moscow monuments, are most famous among his many works. This is a monument to Bulat Okudzhava on Arbat and a monument to Joseph Brodsky on Novinsky Boulevard . The sculptor has a favorite technique that was once considered innovative. This is a specific game with volumes. Along with relief images, he creates flat, or even cuts out the contours in bronze, where the void and air are read as human figures. The monument to the memory of victims of political repression was no exception. This is a double -sided bas -relief, densely inhabited by mournful figures. The "wall of sorrows" of the Frangulian, despite the slots of silhouettes in several places, is a heavy composition. However, she, let's say, is clear to everyone. Even people completely inexperienced in fine arts.

Traditional, the minimum measure of conventionality is the main signs of all Moscow monuments of recent years. The townspeople are accustomed to such works, but they are not accustomed to others. Is it worth it to be surprised that even before the results of the contest, the work of the Frangulian in the press was called the "main favorite" ?

At the same time, not all jury members voted for the project of George Frangulian. Many preferred not a figurative art, but more daring projects, where the tragedy of the 20th century was comprehended at the level of plastic symbols. For example, as a forest from vertical steles or as a maze.

The project of Sergei Muratov "Prism"

In addition to the project that took first place, the three leaders of the leaders included the work of Sergei Muratov “Prism” and “Torn Fates” by Elena Bocharova . These authors will receive cash prizes, 350 thousand rubles each. But much more important is the idea of some organizers of the competition to propose to establish these monuments in other cities of Russia.

One of the organizers of the competition is the Gulag History Museum . Its director Roman Romanov tells how they chose a place for a new monument to the victims of political repression:

- The members of the initiative group and I considered several places. It was important to find the site not only for a small spot of the monument, but so that there was still an adjacent territory, some space for memorial events. In addition, it is very symbolic that the monument will appear on the avenue, which bears the name of Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov.

- Will it be possible that the long -standing idea of the human rights community to put such a monument on Lubyanka will now never be implemented?

- Human rights activists entered the working group at the choice of this place. It seems to me that the installation of this monument on behalf of the state is not the closure of this issue, but, on the contrary, the beginning of a full conversation. However, probably now we are not ready to install the monument on Lubyanskaya Square. Perhaps someday it will happen.

- You said that the monument is erected on behalf of the state. Nevertheless, it is announced that he will be erected at folk remedies. Is there a contradiction here?

- Today we have collected 221 thousand rubles of donations. This is targeted money for a monument, they entered the museum account. However, it is obvious that folk money will not be enough, so financing will come from the state budget.

Many people, passing by the Solovetsky stone, do not even understand what kind of monument this is, what it is about

- When there was only conversations about the competition for the monument to the victims of political repression, many asked the question, and he has not yet been removed why this is needed. After all, in Moscow there is already a Solovetsky stone!

- Many perceive the Solovetsky stone as a mortgage stone, as a promise of the state to erect a nationwide monument. This promise is coming true now. And the Solovetsky stone is also in St. Petersburg and in other cities. Therefore, the installation of a full -scale monument is a completely different matter.

Be that as it may, the Solovetsky stone made of mortgage stone has already become a full -fledged monument. Every year, October 30, on the day of memory of the victims of political repression, people come there. This is a traditional memorial zone for such events. When a monument is erected on Sakharov Avenue, we will all have to evaluate how much more convenient and advisable to gather there. So far, it is premature to talk about it. It is only obvious that the Solovetsky stone should stay in its place, and it will not go anywhere. And if he remains in his place, then it is logical and the holding of events there too.

Solovetsky stone is located near the Polytechnic Museum, which at one time developed his project, how to improve this territory. We also have our own proposals. Around this stone is a small patch, a square with benches. Many people, passing by this Solovetsky stone, do not even understand what kind of monument this is, what he is about. This requires additional information. Excessive street exhibitions have already been held there, but you need to organize space in such a way that there is an opportunity to hold these exhibitions constantly. So that this is not at an amateur level, but professionally designed. In other words, this whole square should become memorial.

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Roman Romanov about the monument to the victims of political repression

- When should a monument appear on Sakharov Avenue?

- According to a preliminary working schedule - in 2016, but now it is necessary to carry out some research work. Since the winner has already been announced, you need to understand how much money and time for the production of the monument will be required. Everyone is interested in that this happens as early as possible, but this should not be to the detriment of the quality of work.

Elena Bocharova Monument Project "Torn Fates"

- In addition to the Monument of George Frangulian, the jury determined two more winners. Will you take care that these projects are also embodied in some other place?

- So far, I can only say that we will interact with the administrations of the regions and offer them these monuments.

- You go a lot on expeditions to places where the Gulag camps were. You can say where such a monument would now be especially relevant, but it is not?

- Where these camp buildings are still preserved, they need to be restored and canned. These are real monuments of the era. They will give much more than artistic understanding, art form. Unfortunately, such buildings are destroyed. This happens both under the influence of nature, and a person destroys them, consciously or unconsciously. One of our tasks is to fix such places with the maximum use of all the latest technologies. Now we are negotiating with the heads of regions to determine these places to determine the status of cultural heritage monuments so that they remain and are restored. First of all, I mean Kolyma and Chukotka.

Monuments are only one of the elements of our work, a small fragment. It is also necessary to create museum centers, it is necessary to establish a network of relations between institutions that are engaged in this topic in our country, ”says Roman Romanov .