Pushkin is not for nothing called the "sun of Russian poetry." It is difficult to overestimate its role in the development of our art, and this is not only a matter of literature. Yes, Alexander Sergeyevich in his work outlined, as a dotted line, those paths along which the lyrics and prose of the second half of the 19th century and the whole of the 20th century developed. Yes, and in the works of modern times we find direct exchanges with Pushkin, reminiscences from him by Pelevin, Tolstoy and other authors. And remember the wonderful romances on his poems, operas on novels and tales, fairy tales, the music of which was written by the most prominent Russian composers - Tchaikovsky, Glinka, Dargomyzhsky, Rimsky-Korsakov, Sviridov! And the paintings and illustrations of the best domestic artists to the Pushkin lines! And dramatic productions and television films! Thus, all our art is permeated by the genius of Pushkin, as the peace of God is permeated by the sun's rays, giving light, peace and rest.
Monuments to Pushkin
The memory of the great poet - grateful and reverent - lives in people's hearts. And not only Russians honor their great fellow tribesman. Throughout the world, in different countries, in cities and villages, streets and squares, avenues and squares are called by his name. And monuments are being erected.
They are in every former union republic. There are in Western and Eastern Europe, on the African and Asian continents. It is enough to recall a wonderful monument to Pushkin in St. Petersburg (author Anikushin), a magnificent monument in Moscow by Opekshin. In Vienna (Austria), in the Favoriten area, in 1999 an interesting sculpture of our poet was installed in a city square. It was created by our contemporary, a talented master of his craft, Yu. G. Orekhov. His work adorns one of the squares of the capital of Azerbaijan - Baku. Belgium, Bulgaria, Germany, France, Ethiopia, South Korea … Geographical spaces can be listed very, very long. For example, only in small Moldova in its various regions 9 monuments and busts were installed. In total, there are almost 200 of them in the world. But, perhaps, one of the most successful is the monument to Pushkin in St. Petersburg, located on the square of Arts.
Description of the monument
"Hello, tribe, young, unfamiliar!" - it is these lines that come to mind when you see the figure of a poet towering on a granite pedestal. His right hand is thrown back, as if in a welcome gesture. An unruly curly lock falls on his forehead. The face is illuminated by inspiration and intense creative thought. Lips whisper cherished words - such is the monument to Pushkin in St. Petersburg. Anikushin surprisingly managed to convey the plasticity and liveliness of the pose of Alexander Sergeyevich, the energy and impetuosity of movements. They are also felt in the leg extended forward - it seems that the poet is now easy to get off the pedestal and walk among us along the streets of St. Petersburg - both in the field of his summer coat opened by the wind and in the trembling ends of a neckerchief. The monument to Pushkin in St. Petersburg by Anikushin is romantic, beautiful, exalted, like the poetry of the great Alexander.
It is interesting
The sculptor did not work alone on the project, but was paired with the architect V. A. Petrov. The figure of the poet is made of bronze, its height is 4 meters. The sculpture was cast right there, in St. Petersburg - then Leningrad, at the factory. Almost an eight-meter height rises above the area of A. S. Pushkin. The monument is mounted on a pedestal, for which a red granite block of about 4 meters high was used. They mined it in the suburbs of the northern capital. The base is made of chained granite. The front side of the pedestal is decorated with an inscription made in gold - "Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin." The sculpture was made in the spirit of classical monumentalism; therefore, it harmoniously fits into the architectural ensemble of the Square of Arts. Is A.S. Pushkin (monument) next to the State Russian Museum - against his background.
A few words about the history of creation
Starting to realize his plan, Anikushin noted that he strove to portray the poet in such a way that the sun and joy emanated from him. And the great sculptor succeeded! If you compare other monuments to Pushkin, photos of which are presented in this article, you can see how close the Anikushinsky version is to the original. The sculptor reread the works of the poet, carefully studied his self-portraits, the work of contemporary artists. He considered the main task to give the image maximum dynamism, liveliness and convey a moment of creative insight. The Pushkin Monument in St. Petersburg is rightfully considered one of the best works of Anikushin. In this sculpture, he embodied his creative credo: monumentality is realized through the depth of thought and the accuracy of forms.
