The end of the "Bronze Age"

"Square of the commanders" is exempted from commanders

Uf-F ... took place. We arrived, removed the busts, the international brigade wrapped up the pedestals. Hanged a piece of paper on the gate. Now, it means that the next two years will have to be proved that the endless ranks of the bronze monsters will not decorate the capital, even if they are transferred to the Bolshaya Nikitsky or to Petroevi, opposite the new headquarters of the RVIO. And if the headquarters and there will be transferred from there? Or - it’s scary to assume - generally close this very society?

Let me remind you of the content of the previous series.

In 2015, the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO) solemnly opened in the center of the capital the “Square of the commanders”, thus ennobled the household territory in front of the entrance to its headquarters, staring this territory with close rows of various bronze. Quite by accident, the editorial office of the Novaya turned out to be a neighbor of this splendor. And on the way to work, I was every time amazed at the exquisite thought of the organizers of the "square".

Alexander Nevsky, two Zhukovs at once (at full height and bust), General Chernyakhovsky, cavalry-girl Durova, Decembrist Volkonsky, navigator Bellingshausen, a copy of the bear, presented to the Philippines, Nakhimov, George the Victorious, the Sapers Dog of the Patriotic War, Slotelov ... Soldier, unknown as this strange company has been drowned.

“He was quiet and weak, / but Moscow without him / could not, / could not ...” for my taste, one would be enough of him.

Which of them is the “commander” in the full sense of the word?

But in general, everything could be explained, even, probably, the presence of a bear. No one was going to explain anything to anyone else. Even to those who took an attempt to think about the causes of what was happening.

And then the unprecedented things suddenly began to happen: Rostova Zhukov disappeared. Marshal Rokossovsky was put in his place - also in full height. And the new sign was hanged. A bust of Suvorov appeared ...

In general, I was interested. I called the RVIO. They explained to me that they were now not responsible for the square - they moved to another place, which, by the way, also began to urgently equip: they installed bronze idols under the conspiracy designation “The rulers of Russia” - from Rurik to Yeltsin. And for the "commanders" began to answer the Roskontcert, which had entered the building.

I did not believe. He turned to the writ of execution in writing, he replied: they did not deceive me, everything is indeed so. He turned to the city hall, meticulously watching that the city would become more beautiful; There is even a special law that strictly regulates the procedure for the construction of objects, the procedure, I will tell you, the exhausting-discussions, commissions are provided ... So, you can ask someone to neglect this law?

The head of the Department of Culture of the City Hall Alexander Kibovsky redirected our request to the Department of Cultural Heritage, which, in turn, formally replied that the land under the bear and Skobelev - the federal, and the relationship to what is being done on it has no Moscow. And then, in private, one of the heads of the department called and emotionally told how, it turns out, these decorators and patriots already got them all. And then it turned out that, in fact, we initially sent a request to the address: Kibovsky and headed the Moscow branch of the RVIO.

Meanwhile, Rokossovsky was removed and taken away somewhere. And then the universal favorite is a bear! The bear is all there, on Petroevi, and the marshal-where?

Moreover, the pedestal with backlight and the sign ("Rokossovsky") was left, and somewhere for a year it was the only virtual monument in Moscow. So far (after the next publication in the "new"), the tablet has not yet been screwed.

Finally, six months ago, the victorious disappeared ...

But still no one answers the most simple and natural questions! It was only possible to find out that the manufacturer of the busts was the Kropotkin company "Alley of Glory", together with the RVIO, which took up the solution of an ambitious problem: to fill the whole country with the works of plastic arts. The organization’s website has an impressive list of offered heroes and plots - for example, three versions of the monument to those who died in the Great Patriotic War, in other areas in each district along such a monument, is already the same. And who makes decisions on the construction of them, who develops the concepts of memorials? Is it true that all this is the adviser to the chairman of the RVIO, the colonel of the reserve Rostislav Medinsky, the father of the Minister of Culture (aka Chairman of the Society), a person, apparently, of versatile talents? In any case, it is Medinsky Sr. that is the co-author of a huge number of busts and sculptural compositions, he also comes to their opening.

All this claims the title of works of art. The obvious devaluation occurs. There, once for all of Moscow there were monuments-on the fingers of one hand it was possible to count, throughout Russia at the beginning of the twentieth century there were 600 pieces. And today? The more bronze, the more fame.

I understand that the problem is unresolved. Too much here depends on the human factor (level of culture, taste, delicacy), those who make the final decision. But there are things completely obvious.

Most of the rows of hastily cast busts remind me, sorry, the line of generals in the "new" Novodevichy cemetery. One size, the same expression on the face ...

In order not to offend anyone’s feelings, I will only say that the monument to Marshal of the Communications Peresypkin with a telephone pipe in his hand is marked with a more noticeable peculiarity and is remembered much more.

Kropotkin masters, led by a tireless colonel of the Medinsky and his son, led by his son, with seven -mimic steps move to popular glory. What needs to be done so that the four dozen busts cast by you are demonstrated on Red Square? And in the Peter and Paul Fortress in the city on the Neva? And if in the main square of the capital the ranks of the idols spent one day, then in St. Petersburg the "Alley of Heroes of Russia" was exhibited almost a month. And, as follows from the Internet, the case ended with the signing of the contract “On further cooperation” with the director of the city history museum Alexander Kolyakin. Thus, if anyone remembers, the former secretary of the Komsomol Central Committee, who has become the first victim of the struggle for a healthy lifestyle once deployed by Gorbachev.

Kolyakin then headed the delegation of Soviet youth in Berlin and abused the reception so that the Soviet ambassador, a man, in essence, unlawful, wrote a “cart” to Moscow. And Kolyakin’s Komsomol career ended, and the party party laid it ... And then his fellow organization Matvienko’s youth organization became the governor and did not let the person completely disappear, threw it at cultural values. And he, in turn, put his signature under the collective letter of the St. Petersburg intelligentsia in defense of the Gazprom Tower in the city center. Now he has concluded an agreement with the busticlales who presented in a series of Russian heroes, commandant Che Guevaru.

... Our square, meanwhile, finally lost the last traces of secrets. The first set of monuments was, to my taste, the best: easily succumbed to ridicule. And the last option, when were Alexander Nevsky, Nakhimov, Suvorov, Kutuzov, Skobelev and Milyutin? What will you object against them? Who will rise on them?

And - an indecent question - the price of the question? How much is it all (and to whom?) Is it worth it to carry sculptures around Moscow? And - for what?

The initiative of the Russian Guard, which demanded compensation for Sunday work at the rally, brought the idea to counterustly how much a place in the newspaper was occupied by attempts to find out what the end of the land for Potapovsky and Arkhangelskiy was the end of the Potapovsky and Arkhangelsky corner? And roll out the score to the military-historical society? Yes, add moral damage?

Well, dreaming is not harmful.

What will happen here is still unknown. The most unexpected options are possible. They will put, for example, a monument to the “greatest victory of domestic diplomacy” - Molotov’s agreement with Ribbentrop and secret applications to him, and what will we do? How to wash off shame?