The recently erected monument to Prince Vladimir, who baptized Rus', due to the significance of this event, certainly had to be in the capital. The hero of folk epics, educator and builder of churches played a big role in Russian history. Recognition of Christian values led the nascent state to the possibility of development along a civilized model. A personality of such magnitude appears rarely, and the monument to Prince Vladimir the Great reflects the greatness of this historical figure.
The whole epic with the decision on where the monument to Prince Vladimir should stand is connected with a number of aspects. This includes the desire to make the monument one of the leading attractions, and certain restrictions on the height of the monument. The fact is that according to UNESCO rules, objects included in the World Heritage List should not be overshadowed by taller structures. The Kremlin is unconditionally included in this list, so it was not possible to erect a monument to Prince Vladimir closer than on Borovitskaya Square.
Perhaps this is for the best - the location near the Pashkov House is symbolic. Part of the country’s main library is located here, and Vladimir’s role in the dissemination of book education is very great. After all, it was impossible to break the attachment to paganism in any other way than competent preaching of the new religion.
With all the grandeur and expressiveness of the main figure, the monument to Prince Vladimir is successfully complemented by bronze bas-reliefs of a triptych behind the Baptist of Rus' standing with a huge cross and sword. Three related fragments describe the difficult path of the hero of the monument and the entire Russian nation to the recognition of Christianity and conversion to this faith. The Kiev prince fervently worshiped pagan deities, lived according to barbaric laws, having five wives and hundreds of concubines.
Having chosen Christianity, he was one of the first Slavs to accept the new religion, being baptized in Chersonesus. Religion was supposed to determine the future development of the country and people, and the choice of faith is shrouded in legends. The emphasis on the prince’s refusal to accept Islam because of the religion’s prohibition of alcohol, and from the Jewish faith because of the nation’s dispersion throughout the world, is unfounded, although confirmed by authoritative sources.
Bas-reliefs complement the monument to Prince Vladimir
The bas-reliefs behind the monument should begin to be examined from the middle image in order to trace the chronology of events. In the center there is a font where Prince Vladimir performs the baptismal ablution in the presence of his retinue. Byzantine priests perform the ceremony at the behest of the emperors Basil and Constantine, grateful for the prince's lifting of the armed siege of Chersonesus. Following the leader, the soldiers of the Russian army also performed the ceremony. The image is crowned by the Holy Trinity in the central arch of the cathedral.
The right bas-relief is dedicated to the spread of Christianity across the expanses of Russian lands. The baptism of Kiev residents in the waters of the Dnieper is performed by Vladimir himself, overshadowed by the image of Christ and the Orthodox cross. The background of the picture shows picturesque forests and rivers, cities and cathedrals, personifying the spread of Christianity in Rus'. There was no room left for the depiction of pagan gods, whose idols in the recent past were placed on the hills by the then pagan Prince Vladimir.
The bas-relief on the left depicts the actions of Prince Vladimir after accepting the new faith. He is shown in the form of a horseman, accompanied not only by warriors, but also by peasants and artisans. The sheathed sword and letter in the right hand symbolize humane methods of annexing new lands, accompanied by the construction of new Russian settlements. At the top, in the halos of the saints, are depicted the prince’s wife, the sister of the Byzantine emperors Anna, and Vladimir’s successors on the thrones of the Kyiv and Moscow principalities.
Most of all, the monument to Prince Vladimir is notable for its central figure on a relatively low pedestal. Of the military armor, he wears only a helmet, and the sword in his left hand is used as a staff. The prince’s right hand holds an Orthodox cross, as if illuminating with it all visitors to the square, and in their person – the entire Russian people, the entire native land. The sculptor Shcherbakov, who created the monument to Prince Vladimir, can safely add this work to the list of his creative successes.
Eyewitnesses claim that the appearance of the monument to Prince Vladimir seriously revived the influx of public to Borovitskaya Square. When visiting Moscow, do not forget to look into this area of the capital. There you can appreciate a new view of the Kremlin, as well as a monument to Prince Vladimir, one of the most prominent figures in Russian history.
MONUMENTS, SCULPTURES
The inscription "Vladimir" at the eastern entrance to the city. Start .
MONUMENT TO ALEXANDER NEVSKY
Bust of Alexander Nevsky
This bust was installed next to the St. Nicholas Kremlin Church in 1963 in memory of the seven hundredth anniversary of the death of the great commander. The bust, made of white stone by the sculptor Orlov, is a copy of the monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky, erected in his homeland in Pereslavl-Zalessky.
In 2003, a full-length monument to Alexander Nevsky was erected there, and the bust was moved to the Law Institute (Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya St., 67e).
MONUMENT to Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince VLADIMIR THE SAINT and Saint FEDOR
The sculpture “Motherhood” was located on the site of the monument to Prince Vladimir. Installed in the 1960s. 
Sculpture "Motherhood". Photo: Website of the Vladimir Regional Scientific Library 
Monument to the saints of the Vladimir land, the founder of the city of Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Red Sun and St. Feodor
The monument to the saints of the Vladimir land, the founder of the city of Vladimir, Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir the Red Sun and St. Fedor, was installed on the observation deck of the Pushkin Park.
The monument was inaugurated on July 28, 2007 during the celebration of the 850th anniversary of the transfer of the capital of Rus' from Kyiv to Vladimir.
The sculptural group was invented by Moscow sculptor, Honored Artist of Russia Sergei Isakov.
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MONUMENT TO PRINCE VLADIMIR
Monument to Prince Vladimir
“Built in the summer of 2015, in the year of commemoration of the 1000th anniversary of the Baptist of Rus', St. Vladimir, the founder of this city, under the Patriarch of Moscow Kirill, under the care of the governor of the Vladimir region S.Yu. Orlova, through the works of mayor A.S. Shokhin, through the charity of philanthropist S.G. Avakyan.
Sculptors – P.A. Panchenko and A.S. Krainov,
Artist – E.F. Baranov, architect – A.V. Krainova."
BUST OF LEBEDEV-POLYANSKY
Bust, installed in 1959 in the park in front of the VGGU building. The life and work of this revolutionary and major Soviet literary critic are closely connected with Vladimir. The monument is a granite bust placed on a tetrahedral granite pedestal. He successfully fit into the small free space near the Golden Gate. On January 24, 1908, a contract was signed with Aladin “to give him the production of sculptural works at the newly constructed building of the Real School.”
On June 25, 1908, Aladin informed Somov: “I have busts of Stoletov and Mendeleev in the works and are close to completion, when they are ready, I will take photographs from them and send them to you along with the originals, and you will decide for yourself what to do with them.” . The Real School opened on September 9, 1908, as evidenced by the inscription on the facade, decorated with two busts by A.A. Aladin.
BUST OF TANEEEV
A bust of Taneyev is installed next to the concert hall bearing his name. (1856-1915) - native of Vladimir, composer and teacher. The monument is made of bronze, the height including the pedestal is 5.6 meters. The bust was originally installed in 1967 in the park, not far from the Taneyevs’ house. In the 70s The monument was dismantled and reinstalled in its current location in 1994.
BUST OF GOGOL
Bust of Gogol 
The bust of the writer is installed in the very center of Nikitsky Boulevard. The name of its author is unknown. This bust of Gogol has neither artistic nor historical value and is not included in the registers of the Society for the Protection of Monuments. The bust is made of so-called temporary material. N.V. himself Gogol has never been to Vladimir.
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SCULPTURE NEAR THE MAIN BUILDING OF VLSU
Sculptural composition “Science”
The sculpture located at the entrance to the main building of Vladimir State University was made by an unknown author. The sculpture was popularly called the Student. Another popular name for this monument is “Science”.
Address: st. Gorkogo, 87
SCULPTURAL COMPOSITION “THE HAMMER AND SICKLE”
Sculptural composition Hammer and Sickle
The sculptural composition Hammer and Sickle is located at the entrance to the Vladimir city administration building. The hammer and sickle is the main state emblem of the Soviet Union, as well as a symbol of the union of workers and peasants.
The author of the sculptural composition is unknown.
Address: st. Gorkogo, 36
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CATHEDRAL SQUARE
Monuments on:
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Monument to Lenin on Lenin Square
Unveiling of the monument to Lenin. 1958 
One of several monuments to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in Vladimir is installed in the center of the square of the same name. The monument was inaugurated on August 24, 1958. The total height of the monument is 12 meters, the height of the figure is 6 meters. Sculptors: D.B. Ryabichev, V.E. Doletsky, architects: A.N. Dushkin, E.A. Arkhipov. Monument to Lenin The monument to Lenin is located near the Bank of Russia building facing the Cathedral Square in the city of Vladimir. Initially, at this place there was a monument to Tsar Alexander II, which was inaugurated on August 24, 1913. However, on July 5, 1925, on the same pedestal, made of red Finnish granite, the sculpture of Alexander II was replaced by the figure of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin, the work of sculptor A.L. . Kotikhina. The monument from Viennese bronze was cast at the Moscow foundry and sculpture factory. The double-headed eagles on the pedestal were replaced with hammers and sickles. Interestingly, on the night of April 28, 1950, the sculpture of Lenin was replaced by a similar one by the sculptor Shilnikov. Now Lenin’s right hand, previously pointing to the Assumption Cathedral, is lowered. The total height of the monument is 6 meters 16 centimeters, the height of the Lenin figure is 2 meters 10 centimeters.
Monument to Lenin on Lenin Square 
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MONUMENT TO LENIN AT THE TRACTOR PLANT
Monument to Stalin at the entrance of the Tractor Plant 
Monument to Zhdanov at VTZ. 1965 
Monument to Lenin at the Tractor Plant
One of several monuments to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin in the city of Vladimir is located near the main entrance of the Tractor Plant.
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Stele on the site of the house where Lenin visited
On the site of the house where Lenin visited, a stele was erected on April 22, 1970, to mark the 100th anniversary of the birth of V.I. Lenin.
The monument was created according to the design of the Vladimir architect O.G. Guseva. In the upper left corner of the stone wall is written the year of V.I.’s arrival. Lenin to Vladimir - 1893, below is a fragment of a log house, reminiscent that the house was wooden, and the words: “V.I. Lenin was here, who came to meet with N.E. Fedoseev.” The house has not survived. It was demolished due to disrepair in 1925.
In post-Soviet times, the stele, installed on the site of the house where Lenin visited, fell into a neglected and cluttered state. They again seriously tried to put it in order through the efforts of the public and the city in 2013.
A stele on the site of the house where Lenin visited. st. 10 October 
Podyacheskaya Square XIX century. The house where V.I. visited is marked in the center. Lenin to meet with N.E. Fedoseev. 
Scheme of the route Lenin took during his arrival in Vladimir
At the station you can see a diagram of the route Lenin took during his arrival in Vladimir.
ULYANOV (LENIN) AS A STUDENT
The monument to Ulyanov (Lenin) in Vladimir is located in the courtyard of house number 34 on Gorky Street, next to the city administration building. The sculpture depicts Ulyanov as a student, sitting on a chair. The authors of the monument and the date of its installation are unknown.
Lenin as a student
MONUMENT TO FRUNZE
Monument to Frunze in Vladimir
The Frunze monument in Vladimir is located on the square of the same name.
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COLLECTION OF BUSTS OF SOVIET LEADERS
Seven busts of Soviet leaders are collected in Vladimir near house number 55 on Mira Street. The office of the Vladstroytsentr company is located in this building. Busts of all the leaders of the Soviet Union (Lenin, Stalin, Khrushchev, Brezhnev, Andropov, Chernenko, Gorbachev) are collected here on the initiative of the company director.
Bust of Lenin and bust of Stalin. 
Bust of Khrushchev, bust of Brezhnev, bust of Chernenko. 
Bust of Andropov, bust of Gorbachev
Monument to seven-time Olympic champion Nikolai Andrianov
In Vladimir, on October 14, 2016, a monument to seven-time Olympic champion Nikolai Andrianov was solemnly opened. Cm. .
MONUMENT TO THE JANITOR
Monument to the Janitor
The monument to the janitor in Vladimir is located on, in the park near the housing and communal services department building, next to VlGU. The grand opening of the monument took place on June 5, 2004 and was timed to coincide with the 355th anniversary of the housing and communal services industry. The approximately two-meter monument is an image of a janitor, who is leaning on a broom, standing in a cap with a sad look. The sculpture is made of special bronze and weighs about 270 kg. Sculptors Alexander Pakhomov and Vladimir Toropov worked on the monument. According to the authors, this monument should remind citizens of the need to maintain cleanliness and order in the city.
MONUMENT TO PRINCESS OLGA
The monument to Princess Olga in Vladimir is located on Oktyabrsky Avenue in the courtyard of the Vladimirgrazhdanproekt building. The bust is made of reinforced concrete, painted with bronze paint, made at the art school of the city of Temnikov in Mordovia, by sculptor Ivan Ilyushin and architect Grigory Lazutkin.
The monument to Grand Duchess Olga was erected in October 2004.
Monument to Princess Olga
SCULPTURE OF A MOTHER BEAR with BEAR CUBS in Kursantsky Park
Sculpture of a bear
The sculpture of the bear in Vladimir was installed in the Kursantsky Park of the city by employees of the Vladimir Law Institute. A mother bear and her cubs are placed in one of the flower beds on the central alley of the park. The monument was made by a sculptor from the city of Ivanovo. The bears replaced the plaster sculptures of pioneers that stood in Cadet Park.
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City Park
Sculptures at the entrance to the City Park 
COLLECTION OF SCULPTURES IN THE CITY PARK
The collection of sculptures in the Vladimir city park is concentrated around a large fountain. Twelve sculptures, made in the same style, are installed on the lawn at different distances from the fountain. Unfortunately, next to the sculptures there are no explanatory texts or any information about them at all.
Collection of sculptures in the City Park named after. 850th anniversary of the city of Vladimir
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SCULPTURE OF THE VIRGIN MARY
Sculpture of the Virgin Mary
Sculpture of the Virgin Mary in the courtyard of the Catholic parish in the city of Vladimir.
Monument to the wallet
Monument to the wallet. “The sculpture was created at the initiative and with funds from the Vladimir branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation, the Vladimir regional branch of the Moscow Industrial Bank OJSC, and the Council of People’s Deputies of the city of Vladimir.”
On November 18, 2014, in front of the entrance to the Vladimir branch of the Financial University under the Government of the Russian Federation at 1 Tikhonravova Street, a monument to the wallet was unveiled.
The author of the sculpture is Vladimir sculptor Igor Chernoglazov, who made the monument from red granite.
The university management justified its desire to establish a wallet as a symbol of the university, by the fact that it directly reflects what students are taught at the institution. The installation of the monument was financed by one of the city banks, the Council of People's Deputies and the university itself.
Vladimir Academic Regional Drama Theater named after. A.V. Lunacharsky
The sculpture "Venus at Dawn" in the center of the fountain near the Zarya Hotel (Studenaya Gora Street, 36a) 
Sculpture near the Flowers store on Sadovaya Square
Sculptures on Oktyabrsky Prospekt, 42 (flower and gift shop "Taming of the Shrews")
Sculptures “Girl with a Handbag” and the sculpture “Fountain” at the “Flowers” pavilion (“Burevestnik”, Lenin Avenue, 29) 
The sculpture “Girl with a Basket” and the sculpture “Fountain” at the “Flowers” pavilion (“Burevestnik”, Lenin Avenue, 29) 
Lenin Avenue, 17a (“World of Flowers”) 
Sculptural composition on the street. Vorovskogo, 19 
Sculptural composition near the "World of Flowers" store near house No. 5 ("Supermarket") on Suzdalsky Prospekt 
, no. 53a ("Flower Salon")
Admiral Mikhail Petrovich Lazarev
The discoverer of Antarctica, Admiral, was born in Vladimir in 1788 and lived until 1797.
"Old Bicycle", st. B. Moskovskaya, 16 
Bronze meter-long “Dachshund” with a “sawed-off” back - to make it comfortable to sit. Installed in 2015 st. B. Moskovskaya, 18 
Bronze sculpture "The Boy Frankie Fap" near house No. 15 on the street. B. Moscow. The object was created by a young Vladimir sculptor Mikhail Blinov. 
"Bicycle", st. Gogolya, 20
Bas-relief portrait of Ivan Sergeevich Shmelev in Vladimir
On February 28, 2014, in Vladimir, at house 31 on Gagarin Street, where the writer lived, a memorial plaque was unveiled. The bas-relief portrait was created by the sculptor, Honored Artist of Russia Igor Chernoglazov. Cm.
A model of a rocket near the building of the Vladimir branch of RANEPA. , no. 59 a.
A model of the Soyuz-TM launch vehicle is installed in the city of Vladimir in the park near the building of the Vladimir branch of the Academy of National Economy and Public Administration under the President of the Russian Federation. The rocket is a gift from the staff of the Research and Testing Center for Cosmonaut Training named after Yu.A. Gagarin for the twentieth anniversary of the Vladimir branch of RANEPA.
Memorial stone 80 years of GOELRO
Memorial stone 80 years of GOELRO
st. Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya, 106
A memorial stone for the 80th anniversary of GOELRO was installed on the lawn next to the building of OJSC Vladimirenergo. - an abbreviation of the State Commission for Electrification of Russia created in 1920, often deciphered as the State Plan for the Electrification of Russia. The inscription GOELRO, the number 80, as well as a power line mast and factory pipes are engraved on the stone.
Monument at the Institute of Electrical Engineering
Elektrozavodskaya street, 1
In Vladimir, at the entrance to the building of the Research Design and Technological Institute of Electrical Mechanical Engineering, a monument made of metal was erected. The institute traces its history back to the publication in 1964 of an order of the State Committee on Electrical Engineering under the USSR State Planning Committee on the organization of a branch of the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Electromechanics in Vladimir. On the facade of the building, opposite the monument, there is a memorial plaque stating that from 1966 to 1998, Nikolai Ivanovich Suvorov, holder of the Order of Courage, Honored Mechanical Engineer of Russia, an active participant in the liquidation of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident, worked in this building.
Speaker Levitan Yuri Borisovich
He was born in Vladimir, and a street is named in his honor.
Monument to speaker Yuri Levitan
Authors of the monument:
sculptor Igor Chernoglazov, architect Evgeny Usenko. Their project was selected following a creative competition that was held in June-September 2014.
The monument to Levitan represents the figures of a grandfather and grandson. The middle generation is missing - the boy's father, the grandfather's son, is not in the composition. It is assumed that he is at the front, and his relatives anxiously and hopefully peer into the rumbling loudspeaker and listen to Levitan’s voice. He is the main character of the sculptural composition. To emphasize the inspiring power of Levitan’s intonations emanating from the loudspeaker, the authors used a spotlight that brightly illuminates an adult and a child.”
This monument is interactive. A loudspeaker mounted on a pole is not decorative, it makes sounds! It broadcasts the voice of Yuri Borisovich Levitan - historical reports from the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, including the legendary announcement of the surrender of Nazi Germany. To turn on the recording, you just need to have a smartphone and approach the monument no further than 10 m. You need to go to the website (http://xn--c1akaamrbbshbm.xn--p1ai/index.php) and select Levitan’s ad. This announcement will sound from the megaphone of the monument.
Monument to speaker Yuri Levitan 
Memorial plaque to Yuri Tumarkin on the ODRI building
Memorial plaque made of bronze measuring 55x119 cm, OLAKS group of companies. The author of the memorial sign was the Vladimir sculptor Ilya Shanin. According to the head of the initiative group for the installation of a memorial plaque to Yuri Tumarkin, Yuri Borisov, the project was brought to life thanks to the active support of city and regional officials, friends and associates of Yuri Alexandrovich, as well as caring Vladimir residents.
Sculptural group at house 39 on the street. Sadovaya
Sculptural group "Lions" near the building of the former cinema "Mir" (Bolshaya Nizhegorodskaya St., 19). Installed in the summer of 2005. 
The building of the former cinema "Mir".
MEMORIALS
WAR MEMORIAL
War Memorial
The military memorial in Vladimir is located at the old Prince Vladimir cemetery.
The memorial, which includes granite slabs with the names of fallen soldiers and a granite arch with metal panels, was opened on May 9, 1975. The gate built here is more reminiscent of a sculptural composition. There is a massive quadrangle on two reinforced concrete pillars. It seems that it was fused from blocks of earth torn apart by explosions and tank tracks. And you feel and understand what enormous hardship our people endured while achieving Victory in the battle against fascism.
Every year on May 9 and June 22, a fire of memory is lit here.
Authors of the memorial: sculptor P.G. Dick, artist V.P. Dynnikov, architects V.I. Novikov and V.S. Repezha.
Monument to the fighters of the 1905 revolution
The corpses of participants in the First Russian Revolution, who died within the walls of the Vladimir convict prison, were wrapped in matting and buried at night in holes behind the prison wall.
On May 14 (27), 1917, the ceremonial transfer of the remains of the victims from the prison wall to the city cemetery and their burial in a mass grave took place. After October, a modest wooden obelisk with a red star at the top was built on the grave.
In 1967, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, a rally was held to mark the opening of a new granite monument to the fighters for people's happiness. The words are carved on a granite block: “Here are buried the remains of the fighters of the 1905 revolution who died in the Vladimir convict prison.”
In October 1987, the names of the revolutionaries who could be identified were carved on it.
Military cemetery appeared during the war years. There were 15 hospitals in Vladimir, where wounded soldiers were being treated. Not all of them managed to return to duty; the dead were buried in a common cemetery. The first monument to them was erected in 1946. Their names are engraved on the white marble of the tombstones.
Monument to children who died during the Great Patriotic War
“A cold stone awaits warm palms”
The monument to children who died during the Great Patriotic War was opened in 2015 at the Prince Vladimir Cemetery and forms a single composition with the war memorial.
This is one of the first monuments of its kind not only in Russia, but throughout the world. The map of a country that no longer exists shows small hands. According to the author’s idea, these are children who have not waited for Victory Day and are waiting for the touch of warm, living hands. A cold granite slab, as a symbol of the loss of the most precious thing.
Nikita Egorov, architect, author of the monument: “The idea came that these children, they are from the other side, and from the afterlife they touch this granite and a living person can come up and with his large, warm palm, touch the cold stone, perhaps feel the touch children who died. And only this palm print remained from them."
The idea to create a monument belongs to the council of the regional branch of the Children of War organization. Deputies of the Vladimir city council supported the idea. The monument is dedicated to all the children of the Soviet Union who died during the war; such a monument is almost the only one of its kind.
Lyudmila Bundina, chairman of the regional organization “Children of War”: “In Leningrad, the siege survivors separately, in the concentration camps - those who were tortured there, and we - to all of them, we embraced all this, with these palms we said that to all of them, wherever they died, no matter where they died, these are all our children."
A similar monument is located only in the village of Lychkovo, Novgorod region, opened in 2005. In July 1941, German planes bombed 12 carriages with children there.
Monument to children who died during the Great Patriotic War 
In memory of the Deputy of the First State Duma, Prince Pyotr Dmitrievich Dolgorukov (1866-1951). 
Memorial at the walls of Vladimir Central 
On February 12, 1999, a memorial plaque was unveiled at the Prince Vladimir Cemetery in memory of the Estonian commander and statesman Johan Laidoner, who died in the Vladimir Central in 1953.
He is revered as a hero in Estonia. An army led by Laidoner drove the Red Army out of Estonia in 1919, and the Bolsheviks were forced to recognize its independence. He ended up in Vladimir prison in the early 40s, after Estonia was annexed to the USSR.
The opening of the memorial plaque was timed to coincide with the 115th anniversary of Laidoner's birth. The opening ceremony was attended by: the Ambassador and Minister of Defense of Estonia, the Ambassador of Finland, military attaches of Estonia, Latvia and Sweden, the director of the Laidoner Museum in Tallinn and others.
Initially, the plaque was opened right at the gates of the Prince Vladimir cemetery; later it was moved to the memorial closer to the wall of the central building.
On October 30, 2010, as part of the All-Russian Day of Remembrance for Victims of Political Repression, representatives of the administration of the Vladimir region and the embassies of Lithuania, Estonia, Ukraine and Poland unveiled memorial plaques at the Prince Vladimir cemetery. Stele with memorial plaques in honor of: the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Mecislovas Reinis, the Commander-in-Chief of the Estonian Armed Forces General Johan Laidoner, the statesman of Poland Jan Stanislaw Jankowski; Japanese prisoners of war, Ukrainian Archimandrite Clementy (Sheptytsky), recognized as a blessed martyr for his martyrdom in Vladimir. This memorial often hosts memorial ceremonies for guests from these countries.
MEMORIAL ON VICTORY SQUARE
Victory Memorial
The memorial on Victory Square was erected in memory of the residents of Vladimir who died on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War.
The memorial was inaugurated on May 9, 1975 on the site of the demolished one. The eternal flame was brought here from Moscow from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden.
On May 9, 1985, a bronze sculptural composition of three figures was installed: a woman-mother, a soldier and a rear worker.
STELA IN HONOR OF MILITARY UNITS
Stele in honor of military units formed in Vladimir in 1941-1942.
Stele in honor of military units formed in Vladimir in 1941-1942. established on May 9, 1985 in honor of the 40th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
It is a component of the architectural design of the memorial on Victory Square and contains a list of 9 military formations formed in Vladimir in 1941 -1942.
The author of the monument is V.I. Fomin. The stella is made of red granite.
The badge was made by order of the Vladimir regional military registration and enlistment office.
Military formations formed in Vladimir in 1941-1942:
- 180th Kiev Order of the Red Banner, Suvorov 2nd degree and Kutuzov 2nd degree rifle division.
- 250th Bobruisk Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov 2nd degree rifle division.
- 262nd Demidov Khangai Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov 2nd degree rifle division.
- 18 (42) Smolensk Order of the Red Banner, Suvorov 2nd degree, Kutuzov 2nd degree, Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree Guards Tank Brigade.
- 20th Sedletskaya Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov 2nd degree tank brigade.
- 200 (45) Gusyatinskaya Order of Lenin of the Red Banner, Suvorov 1st degree and Bogdan Khmelnitsky 2nd degree Guards Tank Brigade.
- 52 (23) Vasilkovskaya twice Order of the Red Banner of the Order of Suvorov, 2nd degree Guards Motorized Rifle Brigade.
- 53rd Znamenskaya Order of the Red Banner and Suvorov 2nd degree motorized rifle brigade.
- 222nd Order of the Red Banner Rifle Regiment.
On May 7, 2010, on Victory Square in Vladimir, the Memorial bas-reliefs of Heroes of the Soviet Union. This happened on the eve of the 65th anniversary of the Victory and became the most noticeable addition to the architectural ensemble at the Eternal Flame since the 80s, when three sculptures were installed on the square: a woman, a warrior and a worker.
Memorial bas-reliefs of Heroes of the Soviet Union
TREE OF FRIENDSHIP
This oak was planted on June 22, 2011, on the day of the 70th anniversary of the start of the Great Patriotic War, by veterans of the city of Vladimir together with veterans of the German city of Erlangen, as a living symbol of peace and friendship in memory of the victory over fascism.
Tree of Friendship
MONUMENT TO TCHAIKOVSKY
Monument to Tchaikovsky
The Tchaikovsky monument in Vladimir is located in the small Ryabinka square at the beginning of the street of the same name. Tchaikovsky Street appeared in Vladimir in 1952. The bronze monument by an unknown sculptor was erected in 1967. It should be noted that Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky never visited Vladimir.
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Foundation stone for the soldiers who died in peacetime, on Icy Mountain 
in "Kursantsky Square". 
Foundation stone in memory of military doctors
On May 5, 2015, on the territory of the regional physical therapy center (), the opening ceremony of the foundation stone was held in memory of military doctors and doctors of hospitals in the Vladimir region from 1941 to 1945.
The solemn ceremony was attended by Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Vladimir Region of the UNITED RUSSIA faction, Honored Doctor of the Russian Federation Irina Kiryukhina and Secretary of the primary branch of the UNITED RUSSIA party, President of the Medical Chamber of the Vladimir Region, Head of the Regional Center for Medical Prevention Anatoly Ilyin.
Home front workers were invited to the event. The women told the audience about how hard it was for female doctors at the front, how they spared no effort in pulling out the wounded from the battlefield from shelling. The merits of medical workers who acted during the war years were so great that they were equated to combat ones.
Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of the Vladimir Region Irina Kiryukhina: “Today, laying a stone in honor of our medical heroes, we want to pay them memory and gratitude from our generation to the generation that did not come from the front. Today we need to remember and be proud of those wars, those medical workers who accomplished the feat, so that we, wearing a white coat, go to our patients every day. Eternal memory and gratitude to our medical heroes!”
MONUMENT TO THE CREATORS OF THE COUNTRY'S NUCLEAR SHIELD
The monument dedicated to Vladimir veterans of special risk units and the creators of the country's nuclear shield in Vladimir is located in the park on Dobroselskaya Street, near house 201 b.
The monument was inaugurated on September 4, 2009.
The authors of the monument are sculptor Igor Chernoglazov and architect Vladimir Toropov.
Wide circles of Vladimir residents learned about this category of their neighbors only after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. Along with the rise of the social movement of Chernobyl liquidators, veterans of special risk units also came out from under the veil of state secrecy. Participants in special risk units underwent testing of nuclear weapons and radioactive substances; military exercises using nuclear weapons; they assembled nuclear charges by hand (until 1961); eliminated radiation accidents on nuclear submarines and other military facilities. The creators of the Motherland's nuclear shield are an even wider layer of veterans, including many scientists, military personnel, and workers. For decades, these heroes had to hide the fact that they had signs of radiation sickness and other health damage. Many died before reaching either national recognition or special benefits. In terms of the type of health injuries, demands to the authorities for recognition of merit and benefits, these veterans are comparable to Chernobyl survivors and at first acted together. But gradually specificity prevailed.
Monument to the creators of the country's nuclear shield
MONUMENT to soldiers of radio engineering troops
“To the glory of the soldiers of the radio engineering troops”
On May 15, 2015, in Vladimir, next to the building of the Central Officer Courses of the Air Force, a memorial sign to the soldiers of the radio engineering troops appeared.
The authors of the monument, Alexander Bogachenko and Igor Chernoglazov, embodied in their work the vast spaces of the Motherland, united by radio signals.
“You can read this locator grid and the country that was, that is not, that we have lost. This, in my opinion, is very important, especially since all these connections are indicated there, where these location points stood,” Igor Chernoglazov comments on the idea.
The Vladimir monument is the only memorial sign in Russia dedicated to the soldiers of the radio engineering troops. The Union of Veterans of the Radio Engineering Forces collected about 3 million rubles for the installation of the monument, and the Ministry of Defense, in turn, helped in the implementation of such an expensive project.
MONUMENT TO CHERNOBYL PEOPLE
Sculptural composition “Wings” (Chernoglazov I.A. 1996)
The monument to residents of the Vladimir region - participants in the liquidation of the consequences of the disaster at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant was erected in 1996 near the building of the agricultural technical school. The monument was opened on the initiative of the public association “Chernobyl Union” and is the first monument to the Chernobyl victims in Russia.
2,400 Vladimir residents took part in the liquidation of the accident.
MEMORIAL TO INTERNATIONALIST SOLDIERS “Mourning Angels”
Memorial to Internationalist Soldiers “Mourning Angels”
The memorial to internationalist soldiers in Vladimir is located on Oktyabrsky Avenue. The monument is dedicated to the memory of soldiers who performed international duty on the territory of other states and died in local conflicts.
The Mourning Angels Memorial opened on November 11, 2000.
The authors of the memorial were sculptor Igor Chernoglazov and architect Nikolai Volkov. Three angels in mournful poses sat down on three sides of either the target or the wheel of fortune. And on the fourth side, facing the audience, there is a small black stele with a dedicatory inscription: to the memory of soldiers who performed international duty on the territory of other states, who fell in local military conflicts, and military personnel who died while serving in the Armed Forces.
The idea for the memorial arose soon after the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan, but it was realized in this form and right here - in the park near house 11 on Oktyabrsky Avenue. Although at first the mothers and comrades of the fallen planned a monument in a more prominent and elevated place, as evidenced by the foundation stone on Icy Mountain with a similar dedication.
However, Mourning Angels has become a traditional site for remembrance rallies associated with important dates in military history over the past three decades. This includes Afghanistan, Chechnya, South Ossetia and other hot spots where Vladimir soldiers died and continue to die in “peaceful” times. Fresh flowers, wreaths and other symbols of memory appear at the “Mourning Angels” on Airborne Forces Day.
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Memorial Chapel in memory of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity
Memorial Chapel in memory of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity
The chapel in memory of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity was built in 1998 and consecrated in honor of the Transfiguration of the Savior.
The inscriptions on the chapel are made using the technique of white stone carving.
East façade:
“The chapel was consecrated by Archbishop Evlogii of Vladimir and Suzdal on November 6, 1998.”
“Here, near the ancient Spasskaya Church (1117), on the site of the Grand Duke’s court of St. Andrew of Bogolyubsky and the Spaso-Zolotovorotsky Monastery, lie the ashes of many generations of our pious ancestors: monks and laymen.”
“Their souls will be established in goodness, and their memory will endure for generations and generations.”
South facade:
“The memorial chapel was built in memory of the 2000th anniversary of Christianity”
“Architects: V. Konstantinov. A. Trofimov. Master of white stone carving: S. Lopukhov.”
North façade:
“The real Memorial Chapel at the Transfiguration Church in the city of Vladimir was built by the diligence of the parishioners and the rector, Archpriest Georgy Gorbachuk.”
"June-October 1998"
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Monument to Vladimir cherry
The art object “Vladimir Cherry” was installed to commemorate the revival of the snow-white Vladimir cherry orchards.
On October 10, 2014, the heads of the region and the city of Vladimir officially opened the renewed Spassky Hill - the first site of the future pedestrian and promenade zone of Vladimir. Top officials came to cut the ribbon - Governor Svetlana Orlova, accompanied by Mayor Sergei Sakharov and head of the city administration Andrei Shokhin.
The work on beautifying Spassky Hill did not cost the city treasury anything: the architectural project was done free of charge, and the construction was carried out with money from sponsors. The “Vladimir Cherry” art object is located in the center of the site. The author is Vladimir sculptor Igor Chernoglazov.
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Copyright © 2015 Unconditional love
The solemn opening ceremony of the monument in honor of the ancient Russian prince Vladimir Svyatoslavovich should have taken place a year ago, when the millennium of the dormition (that is, death) of this historical figure was widely celebrated. However, the idea of installing a monument on Sparrow Hills caused public protest. It took a long time to find another place and make adjustments to the project. In the end, the choice fell on Borovitskaya Square, that is, a place near the walls of the Kremlin and near Pashkov’s house.
The whole story of the Moscow monument to Prince Vladimir is extremely politicized from beginning to end, and least of all the initiators of its installation in Moscow cared about the artistic value of the project. On the Ukrainian side, many are now blaming: “You privatized our history. This is our Kiev prince! He has never been to Moscow for the simple reason that Moscow did not exist then.” On the Russian side, they prefer not to mention at all that the state ruled by the prince was called “Kievan Rus.” The word "Kyiv" is omitted. Vladimir is simply the baptist of Rus'.
But special emphasis is placed on this act - the choice of Christianity. If you call a spade a spade, in fact, Orthodoxy in modern Russia is the dominant, state religion. It is no coincidence that the sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov placed a giant cross in the hand of his hero. So whose prince is this anyway? Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Russian specialist in the history and literature of Ancient Rus' and ancient Scandinavia Fyodor Uspensky considers this formulation of the question inappropriate:
The image of Vladimir, who was both the baptist of Rus' and the progenitor of the dynasty of Russian princes, turns into an image from a comic book
– I would say that after all, he is both ours and theirs. This is a case when I would not like the lively, bright and very interesting figure of Prince Vladimir to serve as a subject of discord and split between two close peoples. This whole situation seems to me unnatural, distorted and, like any politically oriented situation, flawed. Prince Vladimir really reigned in Kyiv. He got it not in the easiest way, namely by killing his older brother, who owned Kiev before him. From that time on, Vladimir became the main and only one of Svyatoslav’s descendants who possessed the “senior table”. In general, from him came all those Rurikovichs who later reigned on Russian soil, be it Southern Rus', that is, Kievan Rus, or the North-Western Rus' that later formed with the main principalities at different periods in Suzdal, Vladimir and other cities.
Be that as it may, they are all Rurikovichs. All this was once one family, and they ruled on the basis of one thing - the right of blood. They had no other additional legitimate grounds to rule over Russia, until the last Rurikovich, who after Ivan the Terrible lost the Russian state. So I repeat, Prince Vladimir is both theirs and ours, if we put the question that way.
But it’s a shame that it even has to be formulated like this, because we are dealing here with a common heritage. Instead of splitting it up, it would be better to engage in it together, be interested in it together and love it together. As a researcher, the situation of extreme politicization is extremely unpleasant for me. Politics in general in the world, and especially in our country, has never led to the truth. It simply directly harms the search for truth.
Unfortunately, it must be stated that now the image of Vladimir, who was both the baptist of Rus' and the progenitor of the dynasty of Russian princes (again, I emphasize, I am talking about both Southern Rus' and Northwestern Rus'), is turning into an image from a comic book. The controversy surrounding him is unpleasant and pathetic. We can only hope that this will not be reflected in the academic environment. Now, unfortunately, some chill between Ukrainian and Russian researchers runs from time to time. But in general, it seems to me that the real academic environment, not politicized loudmouths, but scientists who are directly involved in Ancient Russia, is quite adequate. They do not stoop to momentary feuds. So far I don’t see any serious disagreements here. In any case, my Ukrainian colleagues whom I know have not been noticed in anything like this. I hope that those Russian colleagues with whom I work will also not show any bias or bias. That they do not serve some topical tasks, but are engaged in the search for truth.
– Regarding the search for truth. Nowadays in Russia it is very often mentioned that Prince Vladimir was baptized in Chersonesus, which in ancient Russian written sources is known as Korsun. When they decided to annex the Crimean territories to Russia, they reasoned something like this: if Christianization began from these places, it follows that these were originally Russian lands. This logic does not stand up to criticism, this is pure political speculation, but now we are talking about something else. Is it known reliably where Vladimir was baptized? In Chersonesos, in Kyiv or somewhere else?
We don’t have much personal archaeological data from Vladimir himself. Although there is something. For example, coins of Vladimir
– Unfortunately, nothing is known for certain. Already in ancient sources dating back to pre-Mongol times, a dual version of Vladimir’s baptism appears. In particular, Jacob Mnich in his work “Memory and Praise to Prince Vladimir of Russia” he cites both points of view at once. Various explanations have been offered. In particular, that perhaps the process of baptism was divided into different stages. Some of them were in Chersonesus, and some were in Kyiv. There are very different points of view on this matter. This question itself is interesting, and not the fact that with its help one can defend or lose Chersonesus. This is kind of pathetic. I again boil it down to the fact that topicality and politicization only interfere with answering the questions of history.
Indeed, there is not much reliable information about Vladimir’s baptism. Nevertheless, they exist. They must be interpreted without interfering with any modern geopolitics. Archeology provides a lot of information, although rather about how and where Christianity spread. This was not a momentary matter. But we don’t have much personal archaeological data from Vladimir himself. Although there is something. For example, coins of Vladimir. They are unique and wonderful, very non-trivial for their time.
– Is it the same trident that we see on the state emblem of modern Ukraine?
- Yes, there is a trident there. There Vladimir is “on the table” (on the throne), where he is depicted with a long mustache. This is a sketchy, but lifetime portrait. The coins were clearly altered from some Byzantine model. But they are completed, that is, they were made independently, and this is very interesting material.
The so-called “zlatnik” of Prince Vladimir with his lifetime imageThe name of Vladimir is not only in Russian chronicles, where he is mentioned rather sparingly. Some information about his life was also found in Western sources independent of chronicles. It took a long time for scientists to properly compare this - foreign sources about St. Vladimir and the testimony of Russian chronicles. When this was done in recent years, the figure of Vladimir acquired a completely new perspective. First of all, quite a lot is told about him in the work of the German bishop Thietmar, who was practically a contemporary of Vladimir. He finished his work in 1019, and Vladimir died in 1015. In general, Thietmar, hot on the heels, described some events, and there is a lot of non-trivial data that is not at all in Russian sources. This is the chronicle of a German cleric, but from it we learned, for example, about the wealth of Southern Rus' at that time, about some dynastic ties that existed under Vladimir and his children. Vladimir is described as a fairly powerful ruler. Thietmar even interprets his name as “owning the world,” which is not quite true, but nevertheless remarkable, says Fyodor Uspensky.
On Vorobyovy Gory, a giant monument to Prince Vladimir was to be erected on a giant pedestal. On Borovitskaya Square the pedestal had to be abandoned. Otherwise, Vladimir would have risen above the Kremlin walls. Meanwhile, the Moscow Kremlin is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. However, the sculpture was originally designed for a different perception. Now, due to the low base, its proportions are shifted. The monument looks a little comical - squat, heavy and floating. But the damage to neighboring architectural masterpieces is minimized.
Coordinator of the "Arkhnadzor" movement Rustam Rakhmatullin recalls that the Vorobyovy Gory observation deck was able to defend itself from the claims of the Russian Military Historical Society (RVIO) thanks to the joint actions of local residents, the university corporation, urban defenders, environmentalists and municipal deputies:
– The observation deck is part of the territory of the Moscow University monument, and the Russian Military Historical Society had no right to include this area in any competition task or technical specification. Because the territory of an architectural monument is a space where everything has already been created, where creativity has been completed. Otherwise, why is this a monument? This is precisely the meaning of such a legal regime. Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, who at the same time heads the Russian Military Historical Society, must know the legal regimes of architectural monuments. However, it is interesting that the initiators of the installation of the monument did not refer to this argument, but referred only to the heavy geology of the Sparrow Hills.
– When they announced that they had changed their minds about installing a monument there, I got the impression from some of the slips that it wasn’t even a matter of the possibility of a landslide on the slope of the Vorobyovy Gory. They would have dealt with this by driving piles and at the same time destroying the nature reserve. Only it turned out that this was an outrageously expensive pleasure. There was no such money in the treasury even for a propaganda sculpture.
Intuitively, Muscovites felt that this place was a cluster of a variety of subjects - culture, history, literature
– We can only assume this. I’m talking about the side of the matter that is regulated by law. There the site was protected by the regime of the monument territory. That is, a monument is not only the building of Moscow State University, but also its space, layout, and the ratio of built-up and unbuilt areas within certain boundaries. This strict regime excludes any invasion of the new, if you follow the meaning and letter of the law. But on Borovitskaya Square there is a security zone. This is another level of protection. The security zone excludes the invasion of a new one with various reservations, which interested parties always try to overcome.
– How exactly did the initiators of the monument’s installation overcome such restrictions?
– Two so-called “votes” were held. The first is on the Active Citizen resource, where there was no decisive advantage at Borovitskaya Square over Lubyanka Square. The advantage was minimal. And this despite the fact that the official position was actively imposed. In particular, with the help of the media.
The second “vote” was held on the website of the Military Historical Society itself. There was already a decisive advantage there. But it is clear that it is impossible to control the progress of this voting on the Military Historical Society’s own resource, and it is not legitimate and is not the basis for making a decision.
– Why is it not legitimate?
– Precisely because it is on the resource of the monument’s customer.
A mediocre work of monumental art has turned a world masterpiece into its side curtain
If we talk about the public reaction, here, unlike Sparrow Hills, the city defenders found themselves almost alone. The kind of coalition that existed in the Mountains no longer emerged. There are few inhabitants in this area. The University on Mokhovaya, of course, exists, but its building is a little to the side. The Moscow City Duma commission was supposed to ask the opinion of municipal deputies. They spoke out against placing the monument on Borovitskaya Square, but this happened almost as an afterthought. When the Moscow City Duma and its monumental commission made a decision.
– Indeed, in the case of Sparrow Hills, the sharp and very emotional reaction of Muscovites was not long in coming. Many people were sensitive to the fact that their beloved Sparrow Hills could be spoiled by this monument. But the territory of Borovitskaya Square is also a place of attraction for citizens from various areas. This is a tourist spot, after all. Why did they surrender this territory so easily, even readily?
– You partially answered this question. Vorobyovy Gory is a place of rest. But the lawn on Borovitskaya Square is not a place of relaxation. Moreover, this is an almost isolated area that cannot even be reached from every street. There are simply not enough underground passages either from Volkhonka or from Mokhovaya Street. You can get there only from the Alexander Garden.
Our statements about the incompatibility of the monument with Pashkov’s house and its poor compatibility with the Kremlin were not heard
In addition, on the Sparrow Hills we were talking about an observation deck, and this is one of the most important attractions in Moscow. Not only Muscovites know her. Along with the monument, a completely extraneous topic arose here, which drowned out all other topics. Intuitively, Muscovites felt that this place was a cluster of various subjects - culture, history, literature. One can recall the oath of Herzen and Ogarev. You can recall Bulgakov's novel. Finally, the film "Pokrovsky Gates". I mean the finale, where the motorcyclist makes a free flight from the observation deck as if from a springboard.
It was precisely this opportunity that was covered by the monument project - this flight of Savransky. That is, something here works latently, subconsciously, and something explicitly. On Borovitskaya Square, of course, such an effect did not occur. Therefore, as I have already said, the city defenders were left here almost alone and had to present arguments that, in general, were as meaningful as they presented on Sparrow Hills, but which were of a more specialized nature.
By and large, our statements about the incompatibility of the monument with Pashkov’s house and its poor compatibility with the Kremlin were not heard.
Such an architectural monument as Pashkov's house does not tolerate a figurative image. In addition, images of a huge, magnificent building of the 18th century, comparable to its own height. The sculpture, and even turned in profile, turns Pashkov’s house into its side curtain. The only thing that was possible to do in this regard was to force the monument to be moved from the central planning axis of Pashkov’s house. This is the axis corresponding to the central colonnade, the belvedere. If we continue it, it is oriented towards the Borovitskaya Tower of the Kremlin.
Now, when you get to the Borovitsky Bridge leading to the Kremlin, Pashkov’s house is still perceived cleanly. This is a frontal clear angle. However, it’s worth taking a few more steps, and from the gate of the Alexander Garden the monument already runs into the right wing of Pashkov’s house. And if you stand on such a unique and little-known observation platform as the Petrovsky Bastion in the Alexander Garden, it turns out that the monument stands right in front of the central part of Pashkov’s house. So our success is very relative. We have lost a significant number of angles of this masterpiece. A mediocre work of monumental art has turned a world masterpiece into its side curtain.
– I agree with you that Pashkov’s house, which now serves as a decorative backdrop for the monument, is stylistically alien to him. On the one hand, this is certainly true. But, on the other hand, this territory is densely populated with similar sculptures. Of the authentic ones from the ancient Alexander Garden, only the lions on the “Ruins” grotto remain. However, very nearby, right behind the Manege, Tseretelev’s outrage of animals and fairy-tale characters begins. Just a few years ago, a monument to another saint was erected in the garden itself. This is Patriarch Hermogenes. He, too, has a raised cross, and also not of great artistic merit. It turns out that in relation to these dominants, the monument to Prince Vladimir does not enter into dissonance. In its own way, it is logical in the center of Moscow. Was it worth protesting?
– I would continue this series. In the Alexander Garden there is another monument to the same sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov. This is a monument to Alexander the First, whose name the garden bears. It is characteristic that you did not mention it, because no one had time to blink before this monument appeared. And from it to Vladimir there are only a few meters. Everything you said is absolutely fair, but now there is reason to think about why the story with the monument to Vladimir attracted so much attention.
The fact is that the Moscow authorities’ filling of the city with anthropomorphic images is entering its crisis. People did not notice one case, did not notice another case, considered the third case uncritical, but this cannot continue indefinitely! The way society got involved in the discussion of this work on Vorobyovy Gory, and partly on Borovitskaya Square, is in itself gratifying.
It is necessary to demand that the monumental commission of the Moscow City Duma discuss not only the theme and address of the monument, but also the artistic solution. Look, the architectural council in Moscow reviews architectural projects, but, in general, does not look at monumentalism. This is pure disgrace!
– And this is what you called “sculpture madness” in one of your recent publications?
– Sculpturalism is a preference for the sculptural method in perpetuating a memory or name. Moreover, the preference is for anthropomorphic, that is, human sculptures. Meanwhile, urban monumental sculpture cautiously appears here in Russia in the 18th century, with the Bronze Horseman. This is mainly a tradition of the 19th and then the 20th centuries. If this is Saint Vladimir, why should a human statue be dedicated to him?
For example, the architecture of the era of Ivan the Terrible has survived to this day. Starting from such masterpieces as St. Basil's Cathedral and continuing with Alexandrovskaya Sloboda. These are also monuments. And they are sufficient for the Russian tradition. But these are not the kind of monuments that require salutation. We can discuss Grozny, talk about him for hours using the example of St. Basil's Cathedral. We can discuss it from one side, from the other side, from the third side. We can do the same in Alexandrovskaya Sloboda, where virtually the entire museum is dedicated to him. But as soon as we replace this with the installation of a monument, conflicts immediately begin, because a monument is only a matter of honor.
From the monument to Minin and Pozharsky to Pushkin, that is, from the first monument to the second in Moscow, 60 years pass. Then from Pushkin to Pirogov - another 17. From Pirogov to Gogol and the First Printer - another 8. These monuments are collected using public funds and are points of consolidation; they accumulate people’s attitude towards these heroes and do not cause any division in society. The location was chosen for years, the artistic solution was chosen for years, funds were collected for years.
It's not like that now. Someone came up with the initiative, gave money himself, and only then, as now with the monument to Grozny in Orel, everyone discusses the result. Very often it turns out that the result leads to social disunity. All this together I would call sculpture madness. Of course, we need a moratorium, we need a pause. We need to find a way to discuss history and historical figures separately from monumentalism, I am convinced Rustam Rakhmatullin.
– Negotiations and discussions with this international organization continued for quite a long time. At the very beginning of this year, a public discussion was even organized in Moscow. UNESCO Deputy Director General Francesco Bandarin even came to participate in it.
– Have you been there?
They tried to attach a ready-made statue to different places.
- I was there. The meeting took place inside Pashkov’s house. At that moment, UNESCO did not give a final verdict. The point was to present a design project, as our foreign colleagues put it, of this entire public space, its understanding. This was translated into the language of our officials by their favorite word “improvement.” This is where all these stairs, benches, observation platforms, etc. came from. It's not a matter of landscaping, but rather a matter of urban planning and architectural solutions. But this remained under-discussed or discussed somewhere behind the scenes.
Closer to autumn, reports began to appear that all agreements had been reached with UNESCO, all necessary approvals and approvals had been received. Although it was alarming that each time these statements came exclusively from the mouths of the organizers of the installation of the monument, including the Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky, and not once did I hear or see confirmation of this from UNESCO.
I find the eternal appeals to UNESCO as some kind of foreign cultural regional committee deeply unsympathetic
This is a very strange way of conducting dialogue. Apparently, an attempt is being made to act on the principle of “winners are not judged.” Erect a monument, and the proceedings and explanations can then continue as long as desired. However, if you want to maintain a normal dialogue with an influential and respected international organization, this is not how they behave.
In general, the whole story with the installation of the monument seems to me to be a clear manifestation of extreme disrespect for both Moscow and the Kremlin as a World Heritage Site. I'm not even talking about UNESCO. They tried to place a ready-made statue in different places. No matter what they tell us, I don’t believe it was recast. I remember very well the interview with its author, Salavat Shcherbakov, who a few months ago stated that the statue had already been cast and ready. And with this ready-made statue they are trying to occupy at least some area. When the Sparrow Hills idea did not work out, other addresses began to be proposed - Lubyanskaya Square, Moskvoretskaya Embankment, Borovitskaya. At least somewhere! It seems that the authors of this idea think that the same statue can be placed in any place with equal success. Typically, a monument is designed in relation to the area, to the surrounding urban context.
Are you, in principle, against the monument to St. Vladimir? Or do you think that he founded an independent Ukrainian state?
And so they chose the most crucial point, an open space between two masterpieces of architectural national genius - between the Kremlin and an excellent example of sublime Russian classicism. I am amazed at what kind of ambition one must have in order to impose one’s creation with such tenacity on this particular point, in close proximity to these masterpieces. Do the organizers really think that their work is congenial? This is too bold and too aggressive an invasion of the historical environment.
Unfortunately, the organizers, when you try to engage in polemics with them, immediately turn it onto political tracks. Say, are you, in principle, against the monument to St. Vladimir? Or do you think that he founded an independent Ukrainian state?
Before deciding on any new structure or monument of this size in close proximity to the Kremlin, expert discussions and on-site modeling should be undertaken to understand what it might look like. Sorry, even in the Soviet Union this was done. For example, the monument to Mayakovsky on Triumfalnaya Square was modeled on the spot. They sketched out the silhouette, made a life-size profile of this statue from plywood, and, moving the model around the area (the following photographs have been preserved), looked at how best to position it in this area. And this despite the fact that in its architectural qualities and significance this square is far inferior to the space near the Kremlin. This matter was approached professionally.
It seems to the organizers of the event that the sanctity of the character and the great socio-political significance attached to the installation of this monument automatically eliminates questions about its artistic qualities and the urban planning context of this event. This is wrong. At such critical points it is necessary to measure not seven times, but 777 times. I don’t see double measuring here either.
To me, the eternal appeals to UNESCO as some kind of foreign cultural regional committee where you can complain about your own superiors are deeply unsympathetic. No one but us can and should protect our historical heritage. If we do not understand what tact is in relation to a historical city, if we do not measure our ambitions with the value of what our great ancestors left us, UNESCO will not help us, - says Konstantin Mikhailov.
On National Unity Day, November 4, 2016, a solemn ceremony was held in Moscow to mark the opening of the monument to Saint Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir.
The monument can be called, in the full sense, a national one; it was created with funds from the Russian Military Historical Society and private donations. In total, more than 100 million rubles were collected.
The monument to Vladimir was erected on Borovitsky Hill, its height together with the pedestal is 17.5 meters. The sculpture is made of bronze, the pedestal is made of granite, the authors of the project are artist Salavat Shcherbakov and sculptor Igor Voskresensky.
It should be noted that initially the public and experts had concerns that the figure of Prince Vladimir would become similar to Peter the Great, made by Tsereteli, on the Crimean embankment. It is possible that it was precisely because of these doubts that the previously planned height of 24 meters was significantly reduced.
Although the monument turned out to be tall, it successfully blended into the surrounding space without overwhelming other Moscow sights near the Kremlin.
According to most historians and ordinary townspeople, the monument to Vladimir was a success. When creating it, the authors did not want the monument to look like an icon, and therefore the bronze prince they created is not only a saint, but also a warrior and politician. He is a calm and strong, courageous and self-confident ruler and warrior.
Three bas-reliefs tell us about the life and deeds of the prince. These are real sculptural paintings. The first of them glorifies Prince Vladimir as the ruler and builder of Russian cities. On the second bas-relief we see the baptism of Vladimir and on the third the baptism of Rus' is depicted.
Monument to Vladimir - from the history of creation
The decision to create a monument to Vladimir was made at the beginning of 2015. That year marked 1000 years since the death of the prince. They did not have time to build a monument for this memorable date, but a memorial sign was erected, the foundation stone of which was consecrated by Patriarch Kirill.
Initially, it was planned to erect the sculpture on Sparrow Hills, which caused a sharp protest from the public. Moreover, the geological situation did not allow this to be done.
To take into account the opinion of Muscovites, the construction site was chosen by voting in the Active Citizen mobile application. Of the three proposed options (Borovitskaya, Lubyanka Square or Zaryadye Park), the first option received the most votes. UNESCO was also not against this decision.
Making a monument
The casting of the sculpture elements was carried out at a foundry in Khimki, and the right hand and cross were cast separately from the figure of the prince. In total, the creation of the monument took 25 tons of bronze and the same amount of steel to make the internal frame, inside of which a technical staircase is reinforced.
To transport the monument on a tractor, a special 20-ton structure was built. A special frame was built on Borovitskaya Square, inside of which the monument was installed using a 500-ton crane. Then industrial climbers performed welding work for two weeks.
About Prince Vladimir
Prince Vladimir went down in history as the collector of Russian lands. He strengthened the Russian state with all his might and ways. Having made a series of campaigns to the west and east against the Khazars and Yatvingians, Poles and Volga Bulgarians, he managed to subjugate many new territories to the Russian state. Rus' has become a power playing an important role in world politics.
Prince Vladimir is known as the baptist of Rus'. Regarding the choice of faith, a legend has been preserved, according to which the prince talked with representatives of different religions, but settled on Christianity.
The chronicle says that after the conquest of Korsun (Chersonese), Vladimir wished to marry the sister of the Byzantine emperors Vasily II and Constantine VIII Anna. The consent of the rulers was obtained, but on the condition that Anna had to marry a fellow believer, that is, Vladimir had to accept the Orthodox faith.
The prince and his entire retinue accepted the rite of baptism, after which the marriage took place. The date and place of these events are not precisely established, but the year of the baptism of Rus' is considered to be 988.
The monument to Vladimir in Moscow turned out to be bright and aesthetically attractive. It successfully complemented the complex of attractions of the capital located in the vicinity of the Kremlin. Time will decide one way or another. Our children and grandchildren will appreciate the monument themselves and express their opinions.