Monument "Children - victims of the vices of adults" on Bolotnaya Square. Mikhail Shemyakin: about freaks and people Monument sins of parents

Unusual Monument - Children - Victims of Vices of Adults (Moscow) - sculptural composition. This is a kind of allegory of the fight against evil and social vices. The monument was erected in the park on Bolotnaya Square. The nearest metro stations are Borovitskaya, Polyanka, Tretyakovskaya.

author

Sculptural composition - work famous artist and sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin.

About Shemyakin M.M.

Mikhail Mikhailovich Shemyakin, born in Moscow in 1943, is a Soviet, American and Russian artist, sculptor. Laureate of the State Prize Russian Federation. People's Artist Kabardino-Balkaria. People's Artist of Adygea. Honorary doctor of a number of higher educational institutions.

Installation time

The sculptural composition was installed in 2001.

Description of the monument

The monument consists of 15 sculptures. In the center of the composition are two blindfolded children. At their feet are books: "Folk Russian Tales" and "Tales" by Alexander Pushkin. The figures of children are surrounded by sculptures in the form of anthropomorphic monsters, personifying the vices of adults.

Here is a list of these vices:

Addiction
Prostitution
Theft
Alcoholism
Ignorance
false learning
Indifference
Propaganda of violence
Sadism
Pillory for those without memory
Exploitation of child labor
Poverty
War

The idea of the monument

“... I, as an artist, call with this work to look around, hear and see what is happening. And before it's too late, sane and honest people need to think…” (M. Shemyakin).

As a result of the implementation of this idea, the above-mentioned extraordinary sculptural composition appeared.

“Children are victims of the vices of adults” is a sculptural composition by the artist and sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin, set in a park near Bolotnaya Square, set in 2001. List of vices (from left to right): Drug addiction, Prostitution, Theft, Alcoholism, Ignorance, Pseudo-science (Irresponsible science), Indifference (center), Propaganda of violence, Sadism, Pillory for those without memory, Exploitation of child labor, Poverty and War .
For some reason, I don’t want to talk about this monument in my own words, I’d rather give a few quotes from the artist himself and not only about his life and how this composition appeared.

"Luzhkov called me and said that he was instructing me to create such a monument. And he gave me a piece of paper on which the vices were listed. The order was unexpected and strange. Luzhkov stunned me. Firstly, I knew that the consciousness of a post-Soviet person was accustomed to urban sculptures obviously realistic. And when they say: "Depict the vice" child prostitution "or" sadism "(a total of 13 vices were named!), You have great doubts. At first I wanted to refuse, because I had a vague idea of how this composition could be brought to life And only six months later I came to a decision ... "

In my opinion, this is not a monument to vices, and not a monument to "children - victims of vices", but a monument to us adults, what we become, committing vicious acts knowingly or accidentally - with donkey heads, fat bellies, closed eyes and money bags. This is a very powerful monument, serious, by no means entertaining and of course not for children, but completely for adults. Natalya Leonova, local historian.

The monument was erected not to children, but to vices ... This frightening symbolism is quite in the spirit of Masonic lodges, secret orders such as the Rosicrucians, occult sects ... Identifying themselves with them (the children from the sculptural composition), our living children will learn the psychology of the victim and will not be able to resist violence, evil...
The meaning (of the installation of the monument) is to legalize that satanic content that has always been hidden, not pulled to the surface. To him, to this satanic element, they probably want to accustom, tame people, they want to show that it is not so scary, but very good ...
The main thing is not to reconcile with evil. Is it not enough that the monument was erected? How many monuments stood, and then they were demolished, and this happened even throughout our lives. It is necessary to demand that the "monument to vices" be removed from the Russian land. Vera Avramenkova, Doctor of Psychology, one of the authors of the expertise in the Pussy Riot case. Excerpts from an interview in 2001.

Mikhail Shemyakin worked as a postman, watchman, scaffolder in the Hermitage. In the 60s he was subjected to compulsory treatment in a psychiatric hospital, after which he lived in the Pskov-Caves Monastery as a novice. In 1971, he was deprived of Soviet citizenship and expelled from the country.

I did not engage in any "dissidence", I was simply recorded as a dissident. And I just painted pictures and tried to see the world with my own eyes.

Shemyakin lives in Paris, then moves to New York. In 1989, the return of Shemyakin's work to post-communist Russia began.

“I serve Russia, but here today I still feel like a foreigner, an alien, because I don’t fit into this society. ...I live in Russia, which is not here, but somewhere higher. But, as they say, they don’t choose relatives, but I belong to this country in my heart and soul. I serve her and will serve her - this is my duty, this is my duty, this is my love for her, for the people, which I feel very, very sorry for.

It is better to watch Shemyakin not in Moscow, but in St. Petersburg, where his work is presented quite versatile: and monuments (including Peter and Paul Fortress), and window dressing at the Eliseevsky shop, and ballets at the Mariinsky Theatre. But even in Moscow there is an opportunity to get acquainted with another facet of his work - in company stores

Luzhkov called me and said that he was instructing me to create such a monument. And he gave me a piece of paper on which the vices were listed ... At first I wanted to refuse, because I vaguely imagined how this composition could be brought to life. And only six months later I came to the decision that only symbolic images can stand up with dignity in this exposition, so as not to offend the eyes of the audience.
The result is such a symbolic composition, where, for example, the vices of debauchery are depicted by a frog in a dress, the lack of education is represented by a donkey dancing with a rattle. Etc. The only vice that I had to re-figure in symbolic form was drug addiction. Because before our "blessed time" children never suffered from this vice. This vice in the form of a terrible angel of death, holding out an ampoule of heroin, stood up in my terrible collection of vices ...
I, as an artist, call with this work to look around, to hear and see the sorrows and horrors that children experience today. And before it's too late, sane and honest people need to think. Do not be indifferent, fight, do everything to save the future of Russia.

The monument "Children - Victims of Adult Vices" consists of 15 figures: two blindfolded children playing hide-and-seek are surrounded by a host of three-meter monsters with the heads of birds and animals. This is an allegory of drug addiction, prostitution, theft, alcoholism, ignorance, false learning, indifference, propaganda of violence, sadism, unconsciousness, exploitation of child labor, poverty, war. The sculptor explained that this is how it is customary to depict vices.

Shemyakin's work was criticized a lot and even called a monument to vices. It was said that the sculpture is harmful to the child's psyche, although children are looking at the monument on Bolotnaya Square with interest. And after the assassination attempt by the vandals, Shemyakin's sculpture was surrounded by a fence and access to it is open from 9 am to 9 pm.

A large, interesting and not very well-known monument is located in the very center of Moscow, in the park on Bolotnaya Square. It is called "Children - victims of the vices of adults." Although a monument, in the classical sense of the word, it probably cannot be called. This is a whole sculptural composition, a whole story that cannot be told in a nutshell.

He appeared in the capital on September 2, 2001 on City Day. Its author is Mikhail Shemyakin. According to the artist, when he first conceived the composition, he wanted one thing - for people to think about saving today's and future generations. Many, by the way, at that time were against its installation near the Kremlin. They even assembled a special commission in the Duma of the capital, and she also spoke out against it. But the then mayor, Yuri Luzhkov, weighed everything and gave the go-ahead.

The monument really looks ambiguous and unusual. He is in the top 10 scandalous monuments Moscow. The composition consists of 15 figures, two of which are small children - a boy and a girl of 10 years old. They are located in the very center. Like everyone at this age, they play ball, they have books of fairy tales under their feet. But the children are blindfolded, they do not see that 13 terrible tall figures are standing around, pulling their arms-tentacles towards them. Each statue personifies some kind of vice that can corrupt children's souls and take possession of them forever.

It is worth describing each in detail (from left to right):

Addiction. A thin man in a tailcoat and bow tie, somewhat reminiscent of Count Dracula. A syringe in one hand and a bag of heroin in the other.
Prostitution. This vice is represented in the form of a vile toad with bulging eyes, a deliberately elongated mouth and a magnificent bust. Her whole body is covered with warts, and snakes curl around her belt.
Theft. A cunning pig that turned its back, obviously hiding something. She has a bag of money in one hand.
Alcoholism. A fat, sugary, half-naked man sitting on a barrel of wine. In one hand he has a jug with something "hot", in the other a beer goblet.
Ignorance. Cheerful and carefree donkey with a big rattle in his hands. A living illustration of the saying "the less you know, the better you sleep." True, here it is better to say "no knowledge, no problems."
Pseudo-science. A woman (probably) in a monastic robe with her eyes closed. In one hand she holds a scroll of pseudo-knowledge. Nearby stands an incomprehensible mechanical device, and in the other hand, the result of the misapplication of science, is a two-headed dog, which is held like a puppet.
Indifference.“Killers and traitors are not so terrible, they can only kill and betray. The worst thing is the indifferent. With their tacit consent, the worst things in this world happen.” Apparently, the author fully agrees with this saying. He placed "Indifference" at the very center of vices. The figure has four arms - two are crossed on the chest, and the other two plug their ears.
Propaganda of violence. The figure resembles Pinocchio. Only he has a shield in his hand, which depicts a weapon, and next to it is a stack of books, one of which is Mein Kampf.
Sadism. The thick-skinned rhinoceros is an excellent example of this vice, and he is also dressed in a butcher's outfit.
Unconsciousness. The pillory is the only inanimate figure in the overall composition.
Exploitation of child labor. Either an eagle or a raven. The bird-man invites everyone to the factory where children work.
Poverty. A desiccated barefoot old woman with a staff holds out her hand, asking for alms.
War. The last character in the list of vices. A man clad in armor and with gas masks on his face, holds out a toy to the children - everyone's favorite Mickey Mouse, but the mouse is clad in a bomb.

It is very difficult to unmistakably recognize a specific sin or vice in each figure, so the author signed each sculpture in Russian and English.

Initially, the monument was open permanently. But after lovers to profit from non-ferrous metal, they opened a hunt for it, the composition was fenced off, guards were put up and visiting hours were introduced from 9 am to 9 pm.

People often come to the park on Bolotnaya Square. The newlyweds are photographed against the backdrop of bizarre sculptures, without particularly attaching importance to the meaning hidden in the sculpture. Many people scold the composition, consider it ridiculous. Probably the most ardent opponent, Doctor of Psychology Vera Abramenkova. She believes that Mikhail Shemyakin erected a monument to gigantic vices, it is they, and not small children, who are the central characters. But most people treat the monument with understanding, they call it the right one, for the place and time. The sculptor raised a problem that should not be talked about, but shouted about. Only Shemyakin did this not with the help of words, the author immortalized his views and beliefs in bronze.

Shemyakin's work generally evokes ambiguous feelings in me, but this sculptural composition caught my eye. Blindfolded children reaching out to each other - to purity, innocence, goodness. And around them - ugly, grotesque images of human vices, casting a shadow on them that does not let the rays of light through. A terrible monument, upon closer inspection, it causes a chilling sensation, squeezing the heart, and frost on the skin. Even on the sunniest day, it seems that clouds have gathered overhead. The only bright spot of the composition is the children around whom the vicious circle shrinks with the only way out - to the visitors of the composition, it is hinted that only we, we ourselves can protect our children from vices modern society:

The monument was installed on Bolotnaya Square in September 2001 on the Day of the City, made by order of Luzhkov. The artist himself recalled this as follows: Luzhkov called me and said that he was instructing me to create such a monument. And he gave me a piece of paper on which the vices were listed. The order was unexpected and strange. Luzhkov stunned me. Firstly, I knew that the consciousness of the post-Soviet person is accustomed to urban sculptures that are obviously realistic. And when they say: Depict the vice "child prostitution" or "sadism" (a total of 13 vices were named!), You experience great doubts. At first I wanted to refuse, because I vaguely imagined how this composition could be brought to life. And only six months later I came to the decision that only symbolic images can stand up in this exposition, so as not to offend the eyes of the audience. The result is such a symbolic composition, where, for example, the vices of debauchery are depicted by a frog in a dress, the lack of education is represented by a donkey dancing with a rattle. Etc. The only vice that I had to re-figure in symbolic form was drug addiction. Because before our "blessed time" children never suffered from this vice. This vice in the form of a terrible angel of death, holding out an ampoule of heroin, stood up for me in this terrible gathering of vices.
.

So, thirteen human vices that pose a threat to children in modern world, according to Shemyakin / Luzhkov:

Addiction- an unpleasant, with an ingratiating smile, the physiognomy of a bald man with broken wings, holding out a syringe.

Prostitution- the figure of a woman with the head of a frog opening her arms.

Theft- the figure of a man with a pig's head, carrying a bag of money.

Alcoholism- a cartoon image of Bacchus sitting on a barrel of wine, holding a goblet in his hands
.

Ignorance- the figure of a donkey in a vest with a rattle in his hands.

false learning- a caricature of Themis with a helmet over her eyes, an atom model and a two-headed puppet.

Pillory for those without memory in the form of a stylized guillotine. For those who forget their promises without having time to utter them, as well as the terrible lessons of past years and generations, without drawing lessons from them and without drawing conclusions.

Exploitation of child labor- a figure of a manufacturer with a bird's head.

Poverty- an image of an old woman begging for alms.

War- a figure of a knight in armor, with wings and a gas mask, holding a bomb. A sort of angel of death:
.

Propaganda of violence- Arms dealer.

Sadism- a figure in a cassock with the head of a rhinoceros.

Indifference- a multi-armed figure in a "case" like a sarcophagus, occupies a central place in the composition. For, indeed, perhaps one of the most terrible vices, which makes it possible for everyone else to flourish:
.

Addressing the future viewer, Mikhail Shemyakin wrote: "Children - victims of adult vices" was conceived and implemented by me as a symbol and a call to the struggle for the salvation of today's and future generations. For many years it has been affirmed and pathetically exclaimed "" Children are our future!" However, to enumerate the crimes of today's society against children, volumes would be needed. I, as an artist, urge you to look around with this work, to hear and see the sorrows and horrors that children experience today "And before it's too late, sane and honest people need to think. Do not be indifferent, fight, do everything to save the future of Russia."