Who are you sculpting?

The son of the Soviet sculptor is fighting with his father’s colleagues because of the monument to Suvorov

In Moscow, on Suvorovskaya Square, next to the theater of the Soviet Army there is a monument to the commander of the 18th century Alexander Suvorov. The monument was erected back in 1982. Its dimensions are impressive: the height without taking into account the pedestal is more than four meters. The commandant's right leg is exhibited forward, in his hand - a telescope. On the left is the scabbard into which a long saber is seasoned. On the boots of the commander - spurs. Suvorov’s gaze is aimed at people who stomp at the pedestal. It seems that he looks at residents and guests of Moscow from the height of his greatness.

The author of the Moscow monument Suvorov is Oleg Komov - the Soviet and Russian sculptor, a national artist and member of the Academy of Arts of the USSR. His son Ilya is engaged in painting, he is a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Arts.

A few months ago, Komov Jr. discovered that a monument, very similar to the work of his father, was erected in Ussuriysk. Photos of the monument were shown by his students, and later Ilya found out that by order of the Ministry of Defense in June 2018, the monument was erected on the territory of the local Suvorov school, and the photograph was subsequently deleted.

The son of the Soviet sculptor was amazed and began to look further. And he discovered that the very similar “clones” of the “Moscow Suvorov” were erected in Mytishchi and in Rozhdestvena-Suvorov.

Komov calls them "illegal fakes of low quality." The sculptor’s family was outraged by the fact that none of the monuments, including Ussuriysk, is indicated that the original is the work of Oleg Komov. The author of the Ussuri Suvorov Vladimir Sergeantov-Shulz plagiarism to recognize his work categorically refuses and exclaims Ilya, "behaves very brazenly."

"New" found Vladimir Sergeantov-Shulz and found out that he really considers his work to be an author's work. He asks to take into account the details: there are no spurs on the boots of Suvorov, which, according to the sculptor, emphasizes the proximity of the commander to every Russian warrior, his willingness to share all the hardships of ordinary soldiers. Clothing, which, according to the sergeantov-shirt, was created by him after consultations with professional historians, is also not like the robe of the Moscow Suvorov. She, the sculptor notes, was reproduced taking into account the recommendations of specialists and, according to sergeants-shulz, reflects the style of that era. When creating the face of Suvorov, the sculptor, in his own words, relied primarily on the posthumous mask, and not on the Moscow version of the monument. There are many medals on his Suvorov - this is how the author wanted to emphasize the numerous merits of Generalissimo to Russia and other peoples of Europe. And in general: the commander himself looks into the distance, and not at the people suitable for him, which, according to the author of the sculpture, was supposed to emphasize its scale and world significance.

“Indeed, he ( Oleg Komov. - M.E .) The greatest artist, a very good sculptor,” says sergeant-shulz. - Of course, the situation turned out that they ( the Komovs family. - M.E. ) believe that I strongly offended them. I apologize to them and do it, including through your newspaper. ” The sculptor sergeant-shulz emphasizes that at any moment he is ready to install a sign on the Ussuri monument, having coordinated its text with Komov’s relatives, if necessary in order to smooth out the conflict. Serzhantov-Shulz even addressed the chairman of the Union of Russian Artists Alexei Kovalchuk and asked to allow us to set a sign (a copy of the appeal is at the disposal of the “new”) with the text of the Soviet sculptor with the relatives of the Soviet sculptor.

But Ilya Komov, in this form, does not accept from Schulz. In his opinion, the "Ussuri Suvorov" is a copy, the plagiarism of "Moscow".

Moreover, he, together with Alexei and Nina Komov, has already filed a lawsuit in the Savelovsky court of Moscow to manage the Ministry of Defense to perpetuate the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland, to the sergeant-shirt and to the Suvorov school in Ussuriysk. In it, they demand to dismantle the monument, as well as pay them monetary compensation. In relation to other monuments, which, according to Ilya Komov, are copies of his father’s work and were installed without permission, he also intends to understand. At the same time, Sergeantov-Shulz indicates that in 2002, Oleg Komov’s widow had already filed a lawsuit against the Central Bank by more than 20 million rubles due to, in her opinion, the copyright of the deceased husband.

In addition to the claim, the Komovs expressed their indignation in an official claim against the Ministry of Defense.

The received response from the Office to perpetuate the memory of the defenders of the Fatherland did not suit them. “It was believed that the type of future monument would be similar to the everywhere applied, for example, installed in the city of Mytishchi, the Moscow Region. The examination for copyright violations is not included in our competence, ”the answer said (is at the disposal of“ New ”).

The sculptor sergeant-shulz emphasizes that he performed work on a free basis, this is also stated in a letter from the Directorate of the Ministry of Defense to the Center for the Arts of the Sergeantov-Schults (is at the disposal of the “new”), which sets out a request to make a monument for the Ussuri Suvorov School. Since the monument was made on a free basis, then the intent to create plagiarism does not seem to be, ”the defendants argue. Komov, on the other hand, claims the opposite-that the intent to create an exact copy of the Moskovsky Suvorov was still by Sergeantov-Shulz.

The scandal directly touched the professional community. In January of this year, the creative commission on sculpture of the VOO Union of Artists of Russia was convened. Komov emphasizes that professionals recognized the fact of plagiarism, and the sergeant-shovel recommended “bringing their apologies to colleagues, as well as in the media or social networks” and establish a sign on the monument “according to the work of O.K. Komov ”, and in case of refusal, to exclude from the union. The Moscow Union of Artists also reacted. At the general meeting of the sculptural section of the Moscow Region, photographs of both monuments to Suvorov were demonstrated on the wide screen. Most of the participants came to the conclusion that the monuments are similar. At the congress, it was recommended to deal with the conflict in court, and what next - let him decide the board.