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Памятник «Тысячелетие России» - Семанов Сергей Николаевич - Страница 6

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Novgorod is experiencing a rebirth. Thousands upon thousands of people from all corners of the vast Soviet Union, representatives of all nationalities inhabiting the nation, as well as countless visitors from abroad, come to Novgorod to view its outstanding monuments of Russia’s past.

The monument to Russia’s thousandth anniversary has for over a century adorned the Novgorod Kremlin’s main square. Its author is the outstanding Russian artist Mikhail Mikeshin. It was unveiled on September 8, 1862.

The monument resembles a’giant bell lowered to the ground. The bronze globe, standing on a granite base, is surrounded by a complex multi-figure composition. It is split into six groups, each built up around a central figure. The author wanted each group to symbolize a different period in the country’s history. Riurik-the birth of the Russian state; Prince Vladimir-the glory of the Kiev Russia; Dmitry Donskoi-the liberation from the Tatar-Mongolian yoke; Ivan the Third-the creation of the centralized government; Minin and Pozharsky-victory over the Swedes and Poles in the 17th century and, finally, Peter the Great-the transformation of Russia and its emergence as a sea power

Around the granite base there is a high relief depicting 109 figures. This bronze relief was a monument to the prominent men from Russia’s thousand - year history. Among the outstanding men depicted are Cyrilland Methodius-the creators of the Slavic alphabet; Nester-the patriarch of the country’s historiography; the heroes of Kiev Russia, army and navy commanders, outstanding writers, artists and composers of the 19th century, who are still known throughout the world, and popular heroes-Yermak and Ivan Susanin.

In 1941 the nation was invaded. And in August 15, 1941 Novgorod fell to the German fascists. The Nazi general von Gertzog ordered the monument dismantled and transported to Germany.

In the winter of 1943-1944, the invaders, armed with pick-axes and autogenous cutters broke the monument into fragments. It appeared that the fate of the monument was decided, but on January 20, 1944, the Soviet army in a surprize attack liberated Novgorod. Photographs made at that time show

the bronze figures lying haphazardly in the snow around the base. But by November 2, of the same year the monument was restored.

The biography of the monument’s creator the artist Mikhail Mikeshin is also an interesting one. He came from a small village in the Smolensk region, and being a patriot devoted his whole life to glorifying his nation’s history and people. He is the author of the famous monument to Bogdan Khmelnitsky in Kiev, Catherine the Great in Leningrad, victory monuments in Poltava and Sebastopol, the Gates and chapel of Prince Pozharsky in Suzdal and many other monuments.

Few people know that he is the author of the monument to Mikhail Obrenovic in Belgrade and the monument to the Portuguese constitution in Lisbon. But his most outstanding creation is the monument to Russia’s thousandth anniversary.

The creation of the monument took great effort and consumed enormous funds. The base is made of Serdobol granite. Six giant 35-ton blocks were transported to Novgorod from the shores of lake Ladoga. It took 65 tons of bronze to cast the figures. And the weight of the monument is 300 tons. To prevent it from sinking the monument stands on a foundation 30 feet deep. The monument is 45 feet high.

Mikeshin was aided in creating the monument by the wellknown sculptors I.N. Shreder, R.K. Zaleman, N.A. Lavretsky, M.A. Chizhov and A.M. Liubimov.

The monument to Russia’s thousandth anniversary has become an integral part of the Novgorod Kremlin’s ensemble. The 19th century buildings standing to the east and west of the monument complement it in style and architecture. The dimensions of the monument were worked out so as not to disrupt the classical proportions of the famous St. Sofia Cathedral situated to the north.

Mikhail Mikeshin’s work will always be monumental, even in small table-top replicas, for the history of the great people it depicts will always be monumental.

We hope that all who view this album on the monument to Russia’s thousandth anniversary will get an opportunity to visit historic Novgorod and see the monument in its natural surroundings.