Monuments reveal

Sarcophagus of Princess Olga. 10th century. Kiev, St. Sophia Cathedral. Ancient Russian tomb sculpture by unknown masters

Ancient Russian tomb sculpture by unknown masters
Ancient Rus knew certain types of tombstones in which co-existed varieties of architecture of small forms and applied art. Since the XVIII century the tombstone was a synthesis of sculpture and architecture of small forms. Sometimes it also included a mosaic and a mural. Sculpture was usually the composition of the allegorical statues or a portrait of the deceased. Besides, in the memorials of this period there were other genres. So, in individual reliefs, you can find elements of the landscape, and everyday scenes, and even historical scenes. In addition, various heraldic and allegorical signs characterizing the personality of the deceased.
With the adoption of Christianity, to the cult of ancestors added the faith in the “second coming” and “resurrection from the dead on the day of the Last Judgment”. This inevitably led to the rejection of the incineration, for if the body is burned, “the soul will have nowhere to return.”
Accordingly, the graves of the princes of the nobility began to be performed in tombs, sarcophagi, stone, brick and wooden. Sometimes built in the churchyard, and later even transferred to temples.
The most significant monument among the Kiev sarcophagi is rightly considered to be the marble sarcophagus of the Grand Duke Yaroslav the Wise (978-1054), whose reign continued and reached its highest point the heyday of Kievan Rus. The creation of this sarcophagus dates back to the 10th-11th centuries.
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Saransk, Russia. Sculptor Grigory Filatov. Dedicated to Family values monuments

Family values monuments
In 2008, officially recognized as the family year, in many cities of Russia appeared monuments dedicated to the family. Among them was the monument to a happy large family in Saransk, the capital of the Republic of Mordovia. However, the locals gave it the name “Endangered species”, most likely because it hints at not created families and families in which there is only one child. By the way, scientists claim that for a full-scale quantitative and qualitative increase in the country’s population, there must be at least three children in the family.
The author of the sculptural composition was the famous sculptor Grigory Filatov. Meanwhile, you can find the monument next to the Temple of Fedor Ushakov, at the intersection of Soviet and Democratic streets.
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Opened September 28, 2012 in Irkutsk sculpture “Geologists.” Work by Sculptor Yevgenia Druzhina. Geologists pioneers monuments in Russia

Geologists pioneers monuments in Russia
September 28, 2012 in Irkutsk appeared a sculpture “Geologists.” It decorates the bank of the Angara River in the historical center of Irkutsk. Sculpture, devoted to the hard, but romantic and noble profession of the geologist, is a work of young sculptor from Krasnoyarsk, Yevgenia Druzhina. A native of Irkutsk, she embodied in the metal easily readable images of geologists.
Meanwhile, in the world, as it turns out, there are lots of sculptural images, obelisks, stelae, commemorative signs dedicated to the severe profession of a geologist. However, in Russia, they are few. In particular, in the Siberian and northern territories, such as Surgut, Urengoi, Nefteyugansk, etc.
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Work by sculptor G.V. Frangulyan. The city of Baltiysk. Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna monuments

Russian Empress Elizabeth Petrovna monuments

Built in 2004 monument to Elizabeth Petrovna of Russia is a part of Historical and cultural complex “Elizabeth Fort”. The work by sculptor G.V. Frangulyan depicts the Empress on horseback in the dress of the Colonel of the Life Guards of the Preobrazhensky Regiment. It as if meets all the ships entering the Kaliningrad Gulf. The height of the statue is 6.3 meters, the total height with the pedestal, made in the form of a fortification, is 14 meters. The weight of the statue is 12 tons. The idea belongs to the administration of the Kaliningrad region and the Ministry of Culture. Initially, it was planned to install it on the central square of Kaliningrad – in front of the cathedral. But the sculptor Georgy Frangulyan suggested the port city of Baltiysk (formerly Pillau), which stands at the break in the Baltic Spit. The sculptor justified this by the fact that the monument will have a symbolic meaning, like the Statue of Liberty in the USA: all ships coming to Russia and going to the Kaliningrad port, necessarily pass through this strait.
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Grave Monument to Horse Pepel and equestrian Elena Petushkova

The friendship story of beautiful black Horse Pepel and equestrian Elena Petushkova (17 November 1940 – 9 January 2007) lasted 16 years. Pepel (Ashes in English) was a horse-personality with a very uneasy character. Petushkova had a hard time: for a long time she achieved mutual understanding. Elena decided to apply non-standard methods of working with horses. For example, when Pepel did bite her, Elena, despite the bruises and pain, did not pay attention to the bites. Colleagues advised to punish the whip, believed that she would dilute the stallion and this could be dangerous, but kindness and love won. Gradually, Pepel changed his attitude towards Elena and even kissed her on the cheek. This was their first victory.
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On the cartoon ‘The Return of the Prodigal Parrot’, a Soviet and Russian animated series created by director Valentin Karavaev and screenwriter Alexander Kurlyandsky in 1984. Favorite cartoon characters Sculptural park

Favorite cartoon characters Sculptural park opened on the Day of Metallurgist in July 2017 in Bratsk, the Siberian city of Russia.
In accordance with the results of the Interregional Festival of Concrete Sculptures held in Bratsk (July 1 – 15), a remarkable sculpture park appeared in Bratsk. Timed to the Day of the Metallurgist, widely celebrated in Bratsk, the Park of Metallurgists housed competitive works. In addition, hundreds of citizens attended other festive events.
According to the press service of the city of Bratsk, for two weeks, 22 masters representing Bratsk, Irkutsk, Perm, Kirov, Omsk, Usolye-Sibirskoe, Chita, Nizhny Tagil, Svirsk, Telmu (Usolsky district) and Nevyansk (Sverdlovsk region), worked in the Park of Metallurgists. As a result, they created 16 sculptures from concrete on the general theme “Favorite cartoon characters”. First, the artists built hollow figures from special metal fittings. The next stage is the piling the figures with building concrete with gravel. And finally, finishing of figures with plaster concrete. All the sculptures are painted bronze with shades of precious metals.
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Glamorous lady with a handbag gigantic weird monument. Japanese first open-air sculpture park Hakone

Japanese first open-air sculpture park Hakone

One of the favorite places of pilgrimage of every Japanese is the settlement of Hakone. It is here, in the shadow of the majestic Fujiyama, appeared the first open-air museum in Japan in 1969. From the very beginning the park was conceived as a mixture of different cultures and eras: from ancient art to modern Japanese sculpture. Once, the eldest daughter of Pablo Picasso chose a small Japanese village to give the owners of the park a large collection of works of her famous father. Later, an extensive collection of works by Henry Moore was added.
Meanwhile, The Picasso indoor pavilion is the only “serious” institution in the park. All the rest is a farce, a comedy played by local nature before passers-by, involving unexpected art objects in their game. Making fun of random passers-by, thickets of bushes can instantly turn out to be the huge head of an ancient god. How did it find itself here, far from his native Athens? But instead of answering, the giant head only smiles mysteriously.
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