Folk monuments

Lena River monument Eastern Siberia

Lena River monument Eastern Siberia
“Beauty Lena”. Lena River monument Eastern Siberia. Olekminsk, Yakutia. Sculptor Nikolai Chochchasov

The Lena River monument Eastern Siberia

“Beauty Lena” – the name of this three-meter monument, set on the banks of the beautiful river in Yakutia. The Lena is the 11th longest river in the world and the 3rd largest river in Asia. The author of the first and only monument to the largest in Eastern Siberia waterway has become Nikolai Chochchasov (according to some sources, the author of the sculpture – Honored Artist of Russia, Yakut art school teacher Semyon Prokopyev, who worked with his students). But the social page of the talented Yakut artist Nikolai Chochchasov clearly leaves no doubts in the authorship – it is Nikolai Chochchasov. Around the monument image were disputes. The fact that in the Yakut folklore river-nurse for centuries considered a grandmother. However, residents of the Olekminsk city, where the monument was to be installed, decided that for them the Lena River – a girl in the prime of her beauty. And now snow-white beauty with curly, like waves hair meets the tourists at the city’s waterfront. The monument to the 380th anniversary of the city opened a few days ago, and it has become a major attraction and the main object for selfie. The three-meter Lena created from special white durable concrete, able to withstand the harsh climate and temperatures from -60 to +60.

Lena River monument Eastern Siberia
Lena River monument Eastern Siberia. Sculptor Nikolai Chochchasov

The three-meter sculpture by the famous Yakut sculptor Nikolai Chochchasov installed to 380 anniversary of the city. He began the work in July and it took him two months to complete the monument. The basis for the monument served a sketch of Valentina, a 12-year-ol schoolgirl (5th grade), whose work won the contest of children’s drawings.

Lena River monument Eastern Siberia

Lena, the Beauty in the workshop of sculptor
Lena, the Beauty in the workshop of sculptor Nikolai Chochchasov
a sketch of Valentina
a sketch of Valentina
The Lena, beautiful Siberian river
The Lena, beautiful Siberian river
Nikolai Chochchasov (left) signed this photo - 'Made sculpture in the summer with Georgy Romanov and Edgar Nikolaev'
Nikolai Chochchasov (left) signed this photo – ‘Made sculpture this summer with Georgy Romanov and Edgar Nikolaev’

By the way, the similar monument to the mother river (Yellow River) is in Lanchzhou, China. Photographer Dmitry Larionov:

Monument to the mother river (Yellow River in Lanchzhou, China). Photographer Dmitry Larionov
Mother river monument (Yellow River in Lanchzhou, China). Photographer Dmitry Larionov

sources:

vk.com/chasya
foma-didim.livejournal.com