In a kalash row

Mikhail Kalashnikov was much more modest and more talented than the monument erected to him

So, in Moscow, the monument to Mikhail Timofeevich Kalashnikov was most solemnly opened. The monument is a huge six -meter figure with a machine gun in his hands, and the figure holds the machine carefully, "like a violin of Stradivari." So, in any case, it seems to the author of the monument to Salavat Shcherbakov, from which it can be concluded that Salavat Shcherbakov saw the violin, maybe even more than once. Although it was possible to reliably realize the image born in his imagination, as it seems to me, and therefore not all those who saw will be able to confuse the resulting automatic with the violin, as it turns out, was conceived.

The sculptor Shcherbakov also said that he tried to reflect in the monument the theme of the eternal confrontation of good and evil.

For what behind Kalashnikov with a violin, someone on a horse pierces a dull snake with a spear. I identified the horseman as George the Victorious; They, according to my observations, will soon be no less than the sculptural images of V. I. Lenin (according to official figures, a little more than a hundred remains now).

The place for the monument was chosen, not particularly bothering: in the weapons (and what else?) Lane, a short street parallel to the garden ring. The place is neither with weapons, nor even with Kalashnikov, it is not connected with nothing but the name. The writer Denis Dragunsky in this regard sensibly remarked: “I assure you: if on the Frunze embankment, in a vast square near the Ministry of Defense they erected an artistic high -quality monument to Kalashnikov, but not to him alone, but also the most famous designers of rockets, bombs, guns, tanks, airplanes, substances, I assure you, it would not cause any criticism. There would be such a square in memory of gunsmiths next to the Ministry of Defense. Very appropriate. The monument to Tchaikovsky stands at the conservatory. Repin - near the Tretyakov Gallery. Ostrovsky - at the Maly Theater. Stanislavsky and Nemirovich - at the Moscow Art Theater. Vysotsky - next to the glorified in his song with a large carriage ... "

Well, this is first to think - where to put a monument ... I assure you: if on the Frunze embankment in a vast square near the Ministry of Defense they erected an artistic high -quality monument to Kalashnikov, this would not cause any criticism. There would be such a square of the memory of gunsmiths, next to the Ministry of Defense. Very appropriate.

In a word, the monument to Kalashnikov naturally took a place among the monsters who adorned the capital recently, and caused estimates, in general, expected and unambiguous. The Internet is completely full of definitions that our parliamentarians are strictly forbidden. But in response to critical reviews about the artistic advantages of Kalashnikov, the creator of the monument said that the work of professionals should not judge amateurs. .

“No dancer or singer will listen to the opinion of the sculptor, how he danced or sang. This is a profession, and do not climb into it. Even we, professionals, modestly behave and do not absolutize everything as truth in the last instance. Many people like the monument "

This call of the creator of the monument to professionals - to discuss his creation - seems to me reckless, fraught with possible griefs: not only with amateurs, but also with specialists, while it was possible to stop the plan, no one consulted.

In turn, the poet Lev Rubinstein drew attention to an important pattern: when the “amateurs” scold your work, they, of course, are amateurs. And if they praise, then they are no longer amateurs, but a people.

And even more it is important that among those “many” who “like” the “monument” are customers (military-historical society) and the owners of the site in the center of the capital (Moscow City Hall).

And yet. It is reported that the installation of the monument cost 35 million rubles. To raise funds in September 2016, the military-historical company launched a special action, but it was possible to raise only 26 thousand rubles. Other sources of financing are unknown.

That's all, in fact, about the monument. But the unexpected celebrations in the arms of the arms were given a reason to speculate about how acceptable to glorify the creators of the weapons in general and whether Mikhail Timofeevich himself worthy of the monument. Immediately, many people who wanted to compare the AK-47 with other famous samples of the genre, suspicious similarities were announced (“All the AK key solutions were borrowed from other designers. The device of automation and locking of the barrel were copied by the American self-loading M1 Garand structure of John Guarantid ...”). They recalled that Kalashnikov had five classes, that he did not know how to draw, that after the war, “trophy” German gunsmiths were moved to Izhevsk, led by Hugo Schmeisser himself (did they create a famous Soviet machine?) ...

“He stole not weapons, not drawings - he stole universal glory, social status, he was nobody, but became everyone at the expense of others. He is a symbol of the regime and country woven from myths and lies. And so - well, all his life he wore a mask of a good uncle, a modest gunsmith, Soviet Kulibin. Village is cunning. Correct self -officer ... "

I myself talked with Kalashnikov once and not for long. He did not seem to me neither “village cunning” nor “right self -patient”. He was Lieutenant General and twice as a hero, but all Lieutenant general known to me lived much richer than him, he did not wear a mask, but really was modest. I am not able to evaluate who borrowed when creating a machine gun, but it is obvious to me: the designers of the designer are remarkably emotional, but their real arguments (according to my observations) are much less than, say, those who accuse the Nobel laureate of Sholokhov of plagiarism. Probably because AKM was holding everyone in his hands, but “Quiet Don” - no.

Kalashnikov himself has repeatedly said that there was no sense of pride in that he was a designer of a weapon who carried death to thousands and thousands of people, he did not feel that he would prefer the glory of the inventor of the lawn mower. He tried not to pronounce the metal speeches ringing with metal. And in terms of human mood, he, as it seems to me, would be a monument like a famous revolver with a muzzle tied to a muzzle-at the UN headquarters in New York.

I will decide to say with a certainty that Mikhail Timofeevich was not in a jubilant militarist with a pedestal in the weapon lane.

And yet.

Not so long ago, some cunning Americans compiled a list of “one hundred geniuses of the twentieth century”, which “from Russia” included only three: chess player Kasparov, mathematician Perelman and gunsmith Kalashnikov. According to what criteria was evaluated by their genius, I am not known, and I would not make any far -reaching conclusions on the basis of such ratings. But you must admit, it is significant: what our country is associated primarily, what achievements are considered unsurpassed, which we ourselves have the right to be proud and proud of.

Medinsky called the machine gun one of the “cultural brands of Russia”; Of course, Medinsky had his own special ideas about culture, but he used the word “brand” completely appropriate. The most common small arms on the planet! .. There is no number to grateful users on all continents! The State Foreign Company "Rosoboronexport" announced that only since the beginning of 2017, seven new contracts were signed for the supply of more than one hundred thousand of these unpretentious and trouble -free permanent proprietors of domestic humanism abroad.

No, with all my human sympathy for Kalashnikov, I would still prefer to recognize Russia by Perelman.

Well, the last. In Izhevsk, where Mikhail Timofeevich knows everyone and everyone knows the price for him for certain, a monument to the museum of his name is small and comfortable. The city has two more monuments to gunsmiths, of which I personally really like one. The most outstanding masters here were once assigned green caftans and green cylinders, which is why they were respectfully called “caftans” and “crocodiles”. So this is not a gene from the cartoon, as some drivers think. Moreover, he is without a machine gun ... Medinsky would be in shock.

PS

And, of course, a completely unimaginable ending of this story.

Already on the second day after the grand opening, the historian Yuri Pashoko noted that on the stove at the foot of the new monument to Kalashnikov is a scheme of the German automatic rifle Stg 44 Hugo Shmaysser.

In response, the sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov said that he was ready to make changes to the monument. And serenely added that "this happens."

The customer-a military-historical society-in turn explained that there are no specialists who can find a mistake in a timely manner, it turns out that he has. And in general: the intervention in the freedom of the artist’s work is unacceptable.

There is no strength to comment on all this.

And the plate with the Schmeisser scheme has already been dismantled. Moreover, the not a dismantled police at first workers involved in dismantling, detained vandalism and delivered to the department.