This weekend I spent under the sign of pre-war magazines and books. In 1938-39, in my opinion, only the lazy did not talk about the huge statue that was planned to be erected on top of the Soviet colossus. And this moment is also interesting: if it happened in our time, then I would decide that the project had a lazy press secretary - all the articles in completely different publications are so similar that it’s almost impossible to get something new and interesting from the next article impossible. But I tried. I present to you here a summary of the most interesting, in my opinion, facts.
*The Construction Council announced a closed competition, to which a number of sculptors were involved. 25 projects were presented, of which 12 were selected for submission to the government, and out of these 12, the project of SD Merkurov was selected and approved.
* Previously, S. D. Merkurov made a death mask of Lenin, a monument to Lenin in Tver, a monument to Lenin the Thinker for the Lenin Museum, and finally, 30-meter sculptures of Lenin and Stalin on the Volga-Moscow Canal
* Initially, the sculpture was supposed to be no more than 80 meters high, but after a lot of sketch work, it was decided to increase the height of the figure to 100 meters.
* The weight of the designed sculpture would be 6,000 tons
* Lenin's head would be comparable to a 5-storey building and would have a diameter of 14 meters
* There were suggestions that the statue (in the head) would house a library
* Index finger - 4 m
* Chest girth - 32 meters
* It was assumed that the statue would be visible from a distance of 70 km (!)
* Statue finish: monel metal. It was calculated that the statue would not be exposed to atmospheric influences for 1000 (!) years.
* At the preliminary stage, in order to take into account all the proportions and nuances, it was planned to make copies 50 cm high, 1m, 2m, 5m, 10m, 20m high (the last three were never made)
* To have a complete idea of the size of the statue, you can compare it with other structures. Peter's Cathedral in Rome has a height of 143 m, the Eiffel Tower - 300 m, the bell tower of Ivan the Great 97 m. This means that the statue of the Palace of the Soviets should have been higher (!) than the bell tower of Ivan the Great.
Under the cut, two more photos from old magazines, not directly related to the statue of Lenin, but related to the construction of the Palace of Soviets
A group of drummers arch. workshop for the construction of the Palace of Soviets. From left to right: assistant architect Markova E.M., technician Milova A.M., architect Barkhina A.G., architect Kolpakova V.N. Photo by I. Gushchin
Panorama of the construction of the Palace of Soviets (early 1939) - clickable
Other entries about the Palace of Soviets in my LiveJournal
Coordinates: N48 31.65 E44 33.534.
Countries around the world are constantly competing in the construction of the highest and largest architectural objects. However, the title of one of the highest monuments in the world, be that as it may, received one of the buildings of the city of Volgograd: it is here that the largest monument to Lenin in the world is located. This stone giant is located in the Krasnoarmeisky district, on the Volga embankment. The height of the monument together with the pedestal is 57 meters, and the sculpture of Lenin is 27 meters.
It is worth noting that the pedestal is much older than the figure of the leader. Earlier, standing in the place of Lenin, a completely different politician, I.V. Stalin, looked into the distance of the Volga. The monument to Stalin was opened simultaneously with the completion of the construction of the Volga-Don Canal, in 1952. The monument to Stalin was erected next to the Volga-Don Canal, which connects the two full-flowing rivers Volga and Don, for a completely logical reason: the canal was created during the period of Stalin's rule. The author of the sculpture of the second leader of the Soviet Union was the sculptor Vuchetich, one of whose famous projects was the construction of Mamaev Kurgan. The height of the monument to Stalin, in contrast to the sculpture of Lenin, was slightly lower - only 24 meters. The uniqueness of this architectural structure was that the monument to Stalin was cast from the rarest native copper.
The sculpture of Stalin stood for only nine years, and after the fall of the Stalinist regime and the renaming of Stalingrad to Volgograd, it was demolished in one night. After the monument to Stalin was demolished, the pedestal remained empty for many years. Meanwhile, the Krasnoarmeisky district of Volgograd was growing, new high-rise buildings were being built, and the pedestal against their background was increasingly associated with hemp: since then, “hemp” has been the unofficial name for this area of the city.
In 1973, a new object “grew up” on the pedestal - a monument to Lenin (Volgograd). Vuchetich was again appointed the author of this project. Initially, it was planned to install only a bust of Lenin, but this idea was soon thrown aside. The largest monument to Lenin is made of monolithic reinforced concrete, and the pedestal is tiled. The total weight of the sculpture reaches 9000 tons!
It is very problematic to see the monument to Lenin in Volgograd from land: you can more fully view the majestic sculpture of Lenin from the water, sailing on one of the tourist ships making another cruise along the Volga-Don Canal. The monument to Lenin (Volgograd) is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the world's largest monument to a real person.
Photo: Ilya Shuvalov, Vladimir Kochkin, deljfin26, Tatiana Kulaeva
Monument to be officially opened in Odessa today Darth Vader. It is noteworthy that it was converted from monument to Lenin. Thus, Odessans fulfill the law on decommunization.
The monument to Ilyich was subject to dismantling under the law "On the Condemnation of the National Socialist (Nazi) and Communist Ideologies and the Prohibition of Propaganda of Their Symbols." Enterprising residents of Odessa decided not to destroy the monument, but to remake it. The head of the protagonist of Star Wars was added to the plaster monument and the elements of clothing were changed. It turned out original: the new monument will definitely become one of the Odessa sights.
Photo: Informator There are an incredible number of old Soviet symbols, including monuments to Lenin, in the expanses of the former USSR and the countries of the Warsaw Pact. In many places they were simply destroyed, in others they are thinking of ways to use them in a different way. For example, monuments that are of artistic value are transferred to special museums. This is what they did in Hungary and Lithuania.
In Budapest, according to the project of Akosha Eleed, in 1993 they opened Memento Park, where there are more than 40 exhibits, including a monument to Marx and Engels in the style of cubism, which once occupied a place in front of the building of the Central Committee of the HSWP in Budapest, monuments to Lenin, parliamentarians Ilya Ostapenko and Miklos Steinmetz.
Memento park in Budapest. Photo: Ferran Cornella 
Monument to Marx and Engels in Budapest. Photo: Andy Sz Grutas Park Museum in Lithuania, not far from Druskininkai, was opened in 2001 by a Lithuanian businessman Vilyumas Malinauskas. There is a large collection of monuments built during the Soviet era in various cities of Lithuania and dismantled after the restoration of independence.
Monument to Lenin in Grutas Park in Lithuania. Photo: thinglink.com 
Grutas park in Lithuania. Photo: Carregado por Adriao Even in Moscow there Muzeon Arts Park, where many sculptures of Soviet times are installed. Including famous monuments to Dzerzhinsky sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, Gorky and Stalin (the only survivor in Moscow after the Khrushchev thaw).
Museon Arts Park. Photo: advizzer.com Other cities often do things differently. For example, in Bucharest an unusual monument to the Soviet leader was erected on the former Lenin Square - a modified copy of the five-meter monument to Lenin, which was located on the same spot until 1990. Instead of a head, roses grow on him. The author of the monument, sculptor Costin Ionita, thus wanted to depict the system of power - in the form of a huge hydra.
Hydra in Bucharest - a former monument to Lenin. Photo: hungeree.com IN Krakow last year they made a fountain in the form of pissing Lenin. The bright aquamarine statue is a small replica of an old monument that was dismantled at this location in December 1989. The new project was named "Fountain of the Future".
Pissing Lenin in Krakow. Photo: AFP/Scanpix There are two unusual monuments to Lenin in the USA: in Seattle And Las Vegas. The first one is located in the Fremont area and was made by the Slovak sculptor Emil Venkov, commissioned by the government of Czechoslovakia. The sculpture was installed in the city of Poprad on Lenin Square shortly before the fall of the communist regime and was dismantled in 1989. A few years later, it was found among the scrap by an American, Lewis Carpenter, who at that time taught English in Poprad. Together with his friend, a local journalist, he managed to convince the authorities that the statue remains a work of art, bought it and moved it to the United States. Now the statue of Lenin has become the object of art projects in Seattle: it is decorated for Christmas, designed to look like John Lennon, and even dressed as a “girl”. Another Lenin - without a head - is located in Las Vegas near the Red Square restaurant.
Lenin in drag. Photo: Niall Kennedy 
Lenin in Las Vegas at the Red Square restaurant. Photo: While I was talking about the cruise on the m / v "Alexander Suvorov" I very often thought about my collection of monuments to Lenin. And now I decided to show this my "mysterious" collection. I will not dissemble, the idea to collect such a collection appeared a very long time ago, even during my studies at the river technical school. During the internship, I then noticed that in any Volga city, in order to find a wine and vodka outlet or a drinking establishment, it is enough to find a monument to Lenin and go in the direction that it shows, and sooner or later what you are looking for will be found. But you do not take me for a finished alcoholic, these are just observations.
I want to start with this monument Lenin at the pier Bolshaya Volga on the Moscow Canal.
The monument to Lenin, standing at the entrance to the gateway No. 1 of the Moscow-Volga Canal, is the second highest monument to Lenin, and possibly even a person who ever lived. The "champion" monument is located in Volgograd (the height of the pedestal is 30 meters, the sculptures are 27 meters) and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the highest monument to a person who actually lived. The Dubna monument is not much smaller: height - 25 m (together with the pedestal - 37 m), weight - 540 tons. When you stand next to him, you feel all these meters and tons well
The monument meets the ships entering the last lock of the Moscow-Volga canal, after which they will finally enter the Volga. Usually ships pass this place early in the morning, when passengers are still sleeping. The monument is the same age as the canal, it was built in 1937 by the sculptor Merkurov.
At first there were two monuments: in front of Lenin stood Stalin of the same size. In 1961, they decided to dismantle Stalin, but they could not find the drawings necessary for disassembly. Then they just blew it up. As a result of the explosion in the tunnel that runs under the Canal. Moscow and is the main road connecting the right-bank and left-bank parts of Dubna, a crack has begun, and the dam of the Ivankovskaya hydroelectric power station, according to unconfirmed observations of residents, is pretty warped. Now only a pedestal remains from Stalin, from the steps of which teenagers bathe. Part of the wreckage fell into the water, so the people still have legends about the head of the leader resting at the bottom.
Near the monument to Lenin there is a nice park and beautiful views of the Moscow Sea. This place, although located in the city, is far from residential areas, so it is usually not crowded there. However, it is worth visiting.
Next, I can't help noticing. monument to Lenin in Rybinsk
Monument to V.I. Lenin. The monument to the leader of the world proletariat was opened on November 6, 1959. Sculptor Khas Bulat Nukhbekovich Askar Sarydzha. The monument is different from all known images of Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov (Lenin). One of the few where the leader is in winter clothes. The bronze sculpture is mounted on a red granite pedestal in the form of a truncated pyramid. The pedestal was made for another sculpture - a monument to Alexander II, in 1918 it was replaced by a monument to labor with the image of a sickle and a hammer, then a plaster bust of Lenin (1923), and then in 1934 a full-length sculpture of Lenin was installed with his right hand raised, as if pointing the right direction.
People also call him "Lenin in the Winter"
And now another monument with a twist. Monument to Lenin in Kostroma
The monument to Lenin is located in the city park. Lenin. The huge figure of the leader rises above the low buildings of the city and can be compared in height with the nearby churches. A peculiar clash of epochs can be traced not only in the height of the "cult" buildings. An interesting fact is that in 1927 Lenin was erected on a pedestal, prepared back in 1913 for a monument dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Romanov dynasty, but the construction of which, of course, was stopped with the beginning of the revolution. Sketches of the unbuilt monument have been preserved; they can be used to judge its size and beauty. The monument to the "leader of the world proletariat" in Kostroma is one of the first monuments in the country. But for most subsequent similar monuments, this one is significant - primarily for its size. The disproportionately large hand of the leader is especially prominent, indicating the "bright future" of the country.
Of course, it is best to look at this "miracle" from the Volga, more precisely from the ship, and then you can see in what unnatural position it is standing. For myself, I dubbed him "Lenin with sciatica" or "Lenin with lumbago" - whoever likes it better.
Well, since we ended up in Kostroma, we should also climb into the vicinity of Kostroma. To begin with, a monument to Lenin in Sudislavl, Kostroma region
Sudislavl - town, district center of the Kostroma region. Population 5 thousand people. (2010). Known since 1360. Was a city until 1925
Sudislavl is one of the "mushroom capitals" of Russia, before the revolution the city flourished on the mushroom trade.
Here is such an almost typical Ilyich, but ... look where he is pointing with his hand? And he points to the Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord
I still wonder how such a monument could be built in the country of the Soviets, where the church was separated from the state. And here is direct anti-Sovietism - Lenin points to God's temple.
Monument to Lenin in Puchezh, Ivanovo region
Here, Lenin was offended by his native Soviet power and stood with his back to it.
Monument to Lenin in the village of Pesochnoe, Yaroslavl region.
The most ordinary typical monument, but read the sign behind him "You are welcome! Welcome to visit", and Ilyich shows his hand in the opposite direction, saying "Cheshite where you came from"
Monument to Lenin in Orel (I apologize for the quality, I had to shoot almost on the run)
Orel is one of the first cities where a monument to Vladimir Ilyich was erected during his lifetime. The opening of the first monument took place on November 7, 1920. at the entrance to the city boulevard (now V.I. Lenin Square). All pre-war monuments perished. February 22, 1949 on the square in front of the building of the regional drama theater (now the theater "Free Space"), a new monumental monument to V.I. Lenin was opened. The author of the project, the well-known sculptor N.V. Tomsky, was present at its grand opening. In 1961, the monument was moved to the newly created central square named after V.I. Lenin. The pedestal of gray granite with a bronze bas-relief was designed by architect N.L. Golubovsky.
Monument to V.I. Lenin on Sovetskaya Square in Vyazma, erected in 1981.
And of course, replenishment of the collection of monuments to Lenin from the last cruise
He looks towards the Kirillo-Belozersky monastery.
But one hand is behind his back and it seems that he scratches in one place and even leaned forward
Please note that this monument seems to consist of four parts: a bust, a body to the waist, legs to the knees and legs below the knees. Why this happened could not be clarified.
Our tour started from the monument to Lenin on Theater Square. My collection is growing. I have never seen Lenin with such a gesture. "And now Hunchback! I said Humpback"
I was able to photograph such a Lenin near the building of the Volgograd City Administration
And of course, the highlight of Lenin Square is Lenin himself (the collection has replenished with one more)
Well, in general, looking at this Ilyich, I immediately remember the old joke about the wife of a Khokhlushka and the husband of an Uzbek
“- And if I have my hands on my hips, then I didn’t care what eye you have a skullcap on”
Monument to V.I. Lenin, installed on the square named after V.I. Lenin. Opening date November 6, 1958. According to the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR dated May 11, 1957 No. 309. The authors of the monument: sculptor - Azgur Zair Isaakovich, architect - Ananiev Vasily Mikhailovich
Basic Description
The height of the sculpture is 5.6 m, the height of the pedestal is 6.2 m. The sculpture is made of bronze, cast on a model. Pedestal and stele (1.9 x 3.4) made of polished grey-pink granite, from the Karelian Isthmus, with lead lining. Monument details: bronze wreath and letters. The first information about the establishment of the monument to V.I. Lenin refers to 1941. The Kommunist newspaper dated March 27, 1941 published the following information: “A message has been received from the department for arts under the Council of People’s Commissars of the RSFSR that, according to the union plan, it is planned to open a monument to V.I. in Astrakhan "Lenin. The district department of arts was asked to nominate a sculptor and make a copy of the deposit plan for this structure. Design work should be completed in 1941. The construction of the monument is proposed to begin in 1942."
One of the most delivering sights of Astrakhan is, no matter how trite, the monument to Lenin. Unlike
Most of the monuments to Lenin, the local Vladimir Ilyich stands in an atypical position for himself - slightly hunched over and putting his hand in his pocket. Let me remind you that in most cities Lenin stands with his hand outstretched and pointing to the building of some kind of administration there. Old-timers of the city explain such an atypical staging by the fact that a few houses in front of Lenin is a pre-trial detention center (in
people - "White Swan") and an outstretched hand, usually pointing the way to a bright tomorrow, thus unambiguously hinted that "everyone will be there." Rumor has it that the outstretched hand first took place, but then someone whispered something, and the monument was covered with scaffolding, and when they were removed, the hand was already in the pocket. So it is, not so, or not so at all - it has not yet been possible to find out for sure.
Typical monument to Lenin in Gorodets (Nizhny Novgorod region)
Another Lenin from Volgograd. Monument on the square of the same name
In the background, you can see the "Bayonet" monument near the building of the panorama of the Battle of Stalingrad, as well as a semicircular colonnade on the back side of Pavlov's house.
Well, I managed to get into the Muzeon park. Here are a few Ilyichs from there. Although to be fair, besides Vladimir Ilyich, there was also Leonid Ilyich. But the latter is not the subject of my collection.
So, three Lenins gathered on one small patch: one young and two older.
Let's start young
Then Ilyich will be older. And even in more or less good shape
And this Ilyich was clearly sculpted from Veronika Mavrikievna
And finally, the bust of Lenin. I would call it "Lenin in a cloak", or "Greetings from the Caucasus"
Monument to Lenin in Samara on Revolution Square
An outstanding Soviet sculptor, People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the State Prizes of the USSR, vice-president of the Academy of Arts of the USSR M. G. Manizer (1891-1966) - the author of numerous monuments in the country and in the Volga region. There are his creations in the city of Kuibyshev (Samara).
The artist's son, Matvey Genrikhovich graduated from the Mathematics Department of St. Petersburg University and the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. He warmly welcomed the Great October Socialist Revolution and was one of the first to respond to the call of V.I. Lenin to create a new monumental revolutionary propaganda in the country. The sculptor devoted, in fact, his whole life to the realization of this idea.
Back in the early 20s. Manizer planned to create in bronze the image of the great leader of the proletariat. He began this hard work while living in Leningrad. Then a project of a monument to Vladimir Ilyich at the Finland Station appeared, and then statues of Lenin were made, which were installed in Pushkin, Samara, Kirovograd, Khabarovsk.
The news about the monument to V.I. Lenin commissioned by the sculptor Manizer was greeted by Samarans with great joy. They collected funds for the manufacture of the monument, enthusiastically welcomed Manizer, who came to the city to inspect and finish the pedestal, to install the monument.
The opening of the monument took place on November 7, 1927, on the day of the 10th anniversary of the Great October Socialist Revolution. Thousands of people came to the square, which witnessed revolutionary events, rallies, political demonstrations and demonstrations. Bands and loudspeakers thundered, flags fluttered. After the parade of the troops of the Samara garrison, the gates of the square opened. Signal flares went up into the sky. The buglers blew. And then a white veil fell from the monument. A bronze figure of V.I. Lenin on a high pedestal opened before the eyes of those gathered ... A rally was held at the monument. It was attended by those who saw and knew Vladimir Ilyich in Samara, who met with him in subsequent years. It was the first Soviet monument in Samara, a monument to the leader, and its opening was celebrated with special solemnity.
The figure of V. I. Lenin is mounted on a pedestal made of polished pink Finnish granite. The sculpture depicts Vladimir Ilyich of the Soviet years, he is in a suit and cap, in one of his typical poses. A waistcoat is visible from under the unbuttoned jacket, Lenin is holding on to the side of the jacket with his left hand, his right hand is in the pocket of his trousers. The sculptor was happy when, from the lips of Lenin's sister A.I. Ulyanova-Elizarova, he heard the words: "I personally like this monument. It is very similar and worthy of the memory of Ilyich."
The monument stands where Lenin often visited, near the building of the former Samara District Court, where he worked as an assistant barrister while living in Samara. Not far from the monument are several Leninist places marked with memorial plaques. The monument is surrounded by a cozy shady square. At its foot there is a flower garden. At night, the sculpture on the pedestal is illuminated by spotlights.
The monument to V. I. Lenin by the sculptor M. G. Manizer was declared a monument of republican significance by the Decree of the Council of Ministers of the RSFSR of August 30, 1960 and taken under state protection.
Monument to Lenin in Yelabuga on Kazanskaya street
On November 7, 1925, a monument to V.I. Lenin was opened in Yelabuga. On a stone base, lined with multi-colored slabs in the form of a star, a high rubble stone was installed, on top of which there was a bust of the leader. Sculptor S.D. Merkurov.
Monument to Lenin in Yelabuga on Khlebnaya Square
As the guide told us, this monument to Lenin has its own history. The fact is that he was supposed to go to Cuba as a gift, it seems to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Lenin. But the Cubans refused this gift. The reason for the refusal is that the monument is too small compared to the love and gratitude of the Cuban people to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin. Later (in 1980), this monument ended up in Yelabuga on the square named after Lenin himself, which in 2011 regained its historical name - Khlebnaya. The author of the monument is the sculptor A.P. Kibalnikov.
And now, in addition to the story sphynkx about the first monument to Lenin in Odessa, I want to show one of the last monuments to Lenin in the USSR. Installed in the city of Poshekhonye, Yaroslavl region
This sculpture of Vladimir Ilyich is one of the last in the Soviet Union. Local authorities had to work hard to defend its installation in the late 80s. When such monumental manifestations of respect for the leader of the world proletariat were no longer relevant.
The story of the appearance of the monument to Lenin in Poshekhonye is like a legend. It all started in the late 80s. The former plaster Vladimir Ilyich, installed in 1938, began to literally fall apart before our eyes. According to rumors, one night they took him off his pedestal and buried him in a quiet place. That's just the place, no one wants to report even under torture. And then the local authorities turned to Moscow to the Ministry of Culture. But it turned out to be impossible for the Poshekhonians to get through to the capital's officials. The case helped. In August 1985, Valentina Tereshkova visited Poshekhonye. At that time, the Yaroslavl Chaika headed the Committee of Soviet Women under the government of the country. Antonina Mochalova, who was then the secretary of the Poshekhon branch of the Communist Party, decided to turn to her with a request. She told the distinguished guest about the problem. Valentina Vladimirovna was inspired and invited Antonina Petrovna to Moscow. There the issue was already resolved at the level of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR. As a result, Lenin appeared in Poshekhonye not from plaster or cast iron, but from pink granite. But then came the dashing 90s. The local Municipal Unitary Enterprise Housing and Public Utilities was declared bankrupt and so that it could somehow pay off its debts, it was decided to put up for auction this monument to Lenin, the Walk of Fame and two bridges. The monument to Lenin was valued at 400 thousand rubles and even found a buyer for it. But under the pressure of the public, the auction did not take place. And now this monument stands in the very center of the city next to the Trinity Cathedral
And another Lenin. This time from Uglich.
It stands in a small square on the Rybinsk highway next to the Chaika watch museum and, I suspect, next to the factory entrance. I filmed it already in the dark, so forgive the quality and angles. Ilyich is the most ordinary here - typical, but he has his own charm
Ilyich from Yoshkar-Ola.
In the center of Yoshkar-Ola, in front of the Mari National Drama Theater named after M. Shketan, there is a monument to V.I. Lenin. The pedestal of the monument is made of granite. On the pedestal is a bronze figure of the leader of the world proletariat. The height of the monument with a pedestal is 11 meters. Ilyich's gaze is directed into the distance, his figure, frozen in confident movement, is full of inspiring power, human simplicity.
With the name of V.I. Lenin is connected with the emergence of the state form of existence of the Mari people. On November 4, 1920, V.I. Lenin and M.I. Kalinin signed a decree "On the formation of an autonomous region of the Mari people", and by a decree of November 25, the city of Krasnokokshaisk was declared the administrative center of the Mari Autonomous Region.
The opening of the monument to V.I. Lenin in Yoshkar-Ola took place on November 6, 1966. In honor of the significant event, a crowded rally of the working people of Yoshkar-Ola and representatives of the regions of the republic took place on the Central Square of the city. In connection with the opening of the monument to the leader, Central Square became known as V.I. Lenin Square, and Institutskaya Street was renamed Leninsky Prospekt.>
The creators of the monument - the sculptor M.G. Manizer, the architect I.E. Rozhin and the staff of the Leningrad plant "Monumentskulptura" - were awarded the Certificate of Honor of the Presidium of the Supreme Council of the Mari ASSR.
And in the Central Park of Culture and Rest of Yoshkar-Ola there is such a Lenin
It so happened that it was snowing in the city for almost the whole week, and therefore I got Ilyich with a "fur collar". It used to stand on the central alley, but after the sculptural composition "Tree of Life" appeared in the city, Lenin moved a little to the side and settled in a small square, as always showing the way to a brighter future. That's just this bright future - an eternal flame on the memorial dedicated to the thirtieth anniversary of victory in the Great Patriotic War.
And I photographed this Lenin during a recent business trip to Nizhny Novgorod. It's worth it at the central entrance of the plant of the Bor glass factory
Just yesterday (May 31) I happened to visit the village of Sokolskoye, Nizhny Novgorod region. On the central square of the city, on the banks of the Gorky reservoir, there is such a monument to Lenin
Lenin from Kaliningrad
In 1958, on one of the central squares - Victory Square. The author of this monument is the sculptor V.B.Topuridze. In 2004, the reconstruction of the square began. Behind Ilyich, a new Orthodox Church was to grow, and such a neighborhood seemed inappropriate to the authorities. The monument was dismantled and sent to one of the private workshops for more than two years. At this time, the mayors were looking for a new place for the monument. And in the spring of 2007, exactly on April 22 (Lenin's birthday), the monument took its new place at the city's House of Arts. Let's take a look at it
Lenin in Baltiysk (Kaliningrad region)
At the very beginning of Lenin Avenue, near the administration building of the Baltic City District, on a granite pedestal, there is a monument to the founder and first leader of the Soviet state, Vladimir Ilyich Lenin (1870-1924). Its authors, Ukrainian sculptors, whose names, unfortunately, are unknown, managed to convey not only the historical image of a political figure, formed from books, films, memoirs of contemporaries, but also the psychological state of a person speaking to the people. The figure of the leader of the world proletariat is directed forward, his right hand raised to chest level is an expressive gesture of the speaker.
The bronze figure of Ilyich was supposed to replace a small plaster bust that stood in the square of the garrison House of Officers. After the initiative of the local authorities to install the monument was approved in Moscow, the search for a suitable monument began, which was soon discovered in the art fund of the city of Kyiv. Ordered for one of the districts of Leningrad, for some reason he was not in demand there.
The finished plaster mold was cast in metal at the Mytishchi Art Casting Plant (Moscow Region), whose specialists, with the participation of workers from the Baltic ship repair plant and military personnel of the garrison, installed the monument on a pedestal.
The architectural design of the monument was carried out by one of the first Kaliningrad architects - Arseniy Vladimirovich Maksimov.
Opening of the monument to V.I. Lenin took place on April 22, 1961, the birthday of the leader. In May of the same year, Guards Avenue, at the beginning of which the monument was erected, was renamed Lenin Avenue.
Monument to Lenin in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
The monument to Vladimir Lenin appeared in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 42 years ago on November 6, 1970. The monument to the leader, designed by the famous sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, is still one of the largest in the country.
The opening of the monument was timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the birth of Vladimir Lenin in accordance with the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR "On the plan for the construction in 1967-1970 of monuments of national importance."
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk was lucky - the most eminent sculptor of the country of that time, Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, full member of the USSR Academy of Arts, laureate of the Lenin and State Prize of the USSR, sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, took up the project. He was the author of such famous compositions as the Monument to the Liberator Soldier in Treptow Park in Berlin and the memorial complex on Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd.
Nine-meter sculpture by V.I. Lenin is made in bronze and mounted on a square monolithic reinforced concrete pedestal lined with red granite blocks.
The monument is included in the unified state register of objects of historical and cultural heritage and is under state protection.
Lenin on the island of Kunashir (village of Yuzhno-Kurilsk)
By tradition, the bust of the leader of the world proletariat is installed in front of the building of the local administration
I could not find any information about it on the net, but this little bust itself made quite a strong impression on me. He does not at all look like the kind grandfather Lenin, rather like his "strict" follower of I.V. Stalin
Try to mentally remove a beard from his face, and instead of a high forehead, imagine the hairstyle of Joseph Vissarionovich. Here's the same thing.
Lenin in Irkutsk
Designed by sculptor N.V. Tomsky and architect L.G. Golubovsky in 1952. The bronze sculpture was cast at the figure casting factory at the mint in Leningrad (St. Petersburg). The author made the original monument in 1940 for Voronezh, and the author's copy - for Leningrad, Vilnius and Irkutsk.
I would especially like to note that, unlike most other monuments, this one is not an object of cultural heritage. It was excluded from the lists of monuments of federal significance by the decree of the then President of Russia Boris Yeltsin back in 1997. However, in that decree there was one clause that the monument could be given the status of an object of cultural heritage of local importance. But the local administration is in no hurry to assign this status to him. In this regard, in 2015, the initiative group made a proposal to demolish the monument and restore the building of the church (which was there) in its place.
But let's digress for a second and see where Lenin is pointing?
Now he is pointing at one of the university buildings. But earlier in this building there was a bank. Everyone draws their own conclusions :)
Karelian Lenin
How can one do without a monument to Lenin in Petrozavodsk, the restoration of which became one of the points of signing the act of capitulation of Finland and the conclusion of a peace treaty with the USSR
The monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin is located in the center of Lenin Square. On July 18, 1930, the Car Trade Union Council decided to build a monument and raise funds for its construction. The project was commissioned by the famous Soviet sculptor Matvey Genrikhovich Manizer, the pedestal was made by the architect Lev Aleksandrovich Ilyin. The monument is made of 14 blocks of gray granite mined by prisoners of the Gulag on the island of Goltsy in Lake Onega. Its total weight exceeds 140 tons, the height of the figure of Lenin without a pedestal is 6.5 meters, and with a pedestal - 11 meters. It is the largest monument on the territory of the Republic of Karelia.
During the Finnish occupation of Petrozavodsk (1941-1944), the figure of Lenin was dismantled and severely damaged, and a cannon was hoisted onto the vacant pedestal. After the liberation of the city, the monument was restored with the participation of Matvey Manizer. On November 16, 1945, the monument was reopened. In 1957, another repair of the monument was made.
Udmurt Lenin
Not so long ago, I was lucky enough to visit the city of Sarapul. This is a small provincial town in which, as it turns out, there are quite a few monuments to the leader. I will show only one - on Red Square in the square in front of the building of the local Administration
Agree, it is somewhat reminiscent of Irkutsk. That's just the face ... either it seems to me, or there is something national in it.
That's all for now. The collection, although not large, is constantly updated. The only condition of my collection is that only the monuments personally photographed are placed in it. For this very reason, the monument to Lenin in Kineshma, pointing with his hand at the local police station, as well as, of course, the largest monument to Lenin at the entrance to the Volga-Don Canal, did not get here.
Countries around the world periodically compete in the construction of the highest architectural objects. The winners are entered into the Guinness Book. The height limit was 25 meters. There is a list of the highest statues in the world. This list includes the largest monument to Lenin in the world.
Above 25 meters
This list includes 58 objects, or rather statues, the height of which is equal to or exceeds 25 meters. All statues are built to their full height, and their height is considered without a pedestal.
The world's tallest statue depicts She is located in the Henan province of the People's Republic of China. Its height is 128 meters without a pedestal. The monument was built in 2002. The idea of building such a statue appeared after the explosion by the Taliban in Afghanistan. China has condemned such barbarous, and moreover, systematic destruction of the Buddha's heritage.
It is noteworthy that the three highest world monuments consist of Buddha statues. The second tallest (115.82 meters) Buddha statue is located in Myanmar (built in 2008), and the third, hundred-meter high, is in Japan, in the city of Usik, 50 kilometers from Tokyo. It was built in 1995.
The largest monument to Lenin in the world is ranked 53rd on this list.
Statues of Russia
The top ten highest world statues include the Russian monument "The Motherland Calls!". This 85-meter monument is dedicated to the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad and was built on Mamaev Kurgan in the Russian city of Volgograd. This is an allegorical image of the Motherland, which calls its sons to battle with enemies. It was built in 1967.
By the way, the New York statue is significantly inferior to the Russian statue. Its height is 46 meters. But the Ukrainian "Motherland", standing on the high bank of the Dnieper in Kyiv, reaches 62 meters.
Among the largest Russian statues are the 35.5-meter "Alyosha" (a memorial complex in Murmansk), as well as the largest monument to Lenin in the world - 27-meter - in Volgograd - and "Soldier and Sailor" (monument to the defenders of Sevastopol, 27 meters).
Finally, the list of the world's highest statues is concluded by two 25-meter Russian monuments - "Worker and Collective Farm Girl" and another monument to V.I. Lenin in Dubna.
Where is the largest monument to Lenin
It would seem that the largest monument is located somewhere in Moscow or St. Petersburg. But still, the largest monument to Lenin in the world is located in Volgograd. It is not just tall, it is truly gigantic: together with the pedestal - 57 meters in height, and the sculpture of the leader itself - 27 meters. It is not difficult to find it: the building is located right on the banks of the Volga in the Krasnoarmeisky district.
It is interesting that earlier in the place of the giant Lenin there was another political leader of the Soviet Union - Joseph Stalin. This monument was erected in 1952, in honor of the opening of the Volga-Don Canal, during the Stalin era. The authorship belonged to the well-known Soviet who also developed the Mamaev Kurgan project. Stone Stalin was much lower than Lenin - only 24 meters. However, its uniqueness was that the rarest native copper was used to create it. However, the monument stood for only nine years (until the fall of the Stalinist regime), and then was destroyed overnight. Only an empty pedestal remained, which the people called "stump".
And in 1973, the largest monument to Lenin in the world was erected on this very spot (photo above). By the way, the famous Vuchetich again took up the project. Initially, they planned to make only a bust of the leader. But then such an idea was discarded, and a “whole” Lenin appeared in Volgograd. Monolithic concrete was used to create the monument, and the pedestal was overlaid with tiles. By the way, Volgograd Lenin weighs nine thousand tons! It is even listed in the Guinness Book of Records, because the largest monument to Lenin is the largest monument ever created in honor of a real person.
Second by size
The second largest monument to Lenin is located in the science city of Dubna. It was created by the sculptor S. M. Merkurov, who, by the way, is the author of another of the highest monuments to Lenin in the world. It was built in Yerevan, its height is 19.5 meters.
The monument in Dubna was built in 1937 and installed on the banks of the Volga, where the Moscow-Volga canal begins. It is made from natural stone. The height of this giant is 25 meters, and together with the pedestal - 37 meters. By weight, it reaches 540 tons.
The old-timers of Dubna still remember when on the opposite bank of the river there was a second monument of the same size to another leader - Stalin.
However, in 1961 it was removed, or rather, blown up, as it was not possible to dismantle it due to the lack of drawings.
Act of vandalism
In September of this year, radical participants in a rally called "For the Unity of Ukraine" destroyed the largest monument to Lenin in the world (in Kharkiv). The vandals had to tinker for a long time. First, they filed the legs of the statue, and only then, with the help of cables, pulled it off a huge pedestal. At the same time, representatives of law enforcement agencies silently observed the situation from the outside and did not even interfere.
It is still not clear what prevented the stone Lenin from the protesters, but already a year earlier attempts were made to demolish it. The authorities promised to punish the perpetrators, but so far nothing has been done. They did not begin to restore the monument, but decided to dismantle it completely, along with the pedestal.
Monuments to Lenin in different countries
The Moskovsky Komsomolets newspaper cited data that in Russia in 2003 there were about 1,800 monuments to Lenin, as well as a large number of busts. It is clear that in all the former there were also monuments to the leader of the proletariat. Although after the collapse of the USSR, some of them were demolished.
Surprisingly, but the monument to V. I. Lenin was also erected in many far-abroad countries. According to some reports, there were 23 such countries. And even in Antarctica there is a monument to Lenin, it was built on the site of the Antarctic station called the Pole of Inaccessibility.
There are monuments to Lenin in Great Britain, Norway, the Netherlands, India, Mongolia and other countries of the world. But the largest monument to Lenin in the world rightfully belongs to Russia. Because the figure of a revolutionary leader played a big role in the historical past of a vast country.
