Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli (Georgian: ზურაბ წერეთელი). Born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. Soviet and Russian painter, sculptor, designer, teacher, professor. The president Russian Academy arts since 1997. Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts (1988; corresponding member 1979). Hero of Socialist Labor (1990). People's Artist of the USSR (1980). Winner of the Lenin Prize (1976), two USSR State Prizes (1970, 1982) and the State Prize of Russia (1996). Full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland.

Father - Konstantin Georgievich (1903-2002), known in Georgia as a civil engineer, comes from the old Georgian princely family of Tsereteli.

Mother - Tamara Semyonovna Nizharadze (1910-1991), also a representative of the princely family. His mother’s brother, painter Georgiy Nizharadze, had a noticeable influence on young Zurab. Georgian artists - David Kakabadze, Sergo Kobuladze, Ucha Japaridze and many others - constantly visited his house, where the boy spent a significant part of his time. They became the first teachers of the hobbyist fine arts young men.

He graduated from the painting department of the Tbilisi Academy of Arts and worked at the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences.

In 1964 he studied in France, where he communicated with outstanding artists and.

Since the late 1960s, he began to actively work in the field of monumental art. Besides Russia, his sculptural works are located in Brazil, Great Britain, Spain, USA, France, Japan, Georgia and Lithuania.

In 1988 he was elected a full member (academician) of the USSR Academy of Arts.

Since 1997 he has been President of the Russian Academy of Arts.

In 2003, for the special services of Zurab Tsereteli to the Russian Federation, Russian President Vladimir Putin granted him Russian citizenship.

Author of more than 5,000 works of painting, graphics, sculpture, monumental and decorative art (frescoes, mosaics, panels), etc. As a monumental artist, he designed a number of large institutions, such as the Lenin Memorial in Ulyanovsk, a hotel complex in Izmailovo, a resort town in Adler, Riviera Park in Sochi, Palace of Trade Unions in Tbilisi, New Stage Bolshoi Theater in Moscow, etc.; as a sculptor he created many monuments, including “Friendship Forever” in Moscow, “Good Defeats Evil” in front of the UN building in New York, “Birth of a New Man” in Seville, “Break the Wall of Mistrust” in London, Monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya in Ruza and etc.

Famous works of Zurab Tsereteli

Monument to Peter I in Moscow was erected in 1997 by order of the Moscow Government on an artificial island poured at the fork of the Moscow River and the Vodootvodny Canal. The total height of the monument is 98 meters. According to the gallery owner and member of the Public Chamber M. Gelman, Tsereteli “cheated” when installing the monument by forging documents from the town planning council that limited the height of the monument to 17 meters. There is a version that this monument is a reworked and modified statue of Columbus, which Tsereteli unsuccessfully offered to buy the USA, Spain and other countries Latin America in 1991-1992, on the 500th anniversary of the discovery of the American continent by Europeans.

Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built under the leadership of Tsereteli. Instead of the original white stone cladding, the building received marble, and the gilded roof was replaced with a coating based on titanium nitride. Large sculptural medallions on the façade of the temple were made of polymer material. An underground parking lot was located under the temple.

Among the most famous monumental works Tsereteli should be highlighted: the monument “Friendship Forever” in honor of the bicentenary (1783-1983) of Georgia’s annexation to Russia, immediately after installation it received an ironic nickname among Muscovites - “Shashlyk” (Tishinskaya Square in Moscow, the author of the architectural part is famous poet Andrey Voznesensky); the monument “Good conquers Evil” in front of the UN building in New York; “Breaking the Wall of Mistrust” monument (London, UK); 6-meter Monument to Peter the Great in St. Petersburg; bronze sculpture “The Birth of a New Man” (Paris, France); sculptural composition “The Birth of the New Man” (Seville, Spain); "Birth of the New World", Columbus Monument in Puerto Rico (2016); Monument to John Paul II (France).

Author of monumental and decorative works (panels, mosaics, stained glass, decorative and play sculptures) in the resort complex in Pitsunda (1967), in the resort town of the All-Russian Central Council of Trade Unions in Adler (Sochi) (1973; Lenin Prize 1976), in the Yalta hotel complex Intourist" in Yalta (1978), in the Izmailovo hotel complex in Moscow (1980).

Tsereteli participated in the construction of the memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow (opened 1995), as well as in a number of other architectural and monumental projects in Moscow at the end of the 20th century, including the design of Manezhnaya Square. Zurab Tsereteli created a number of monuments to figures of the past and lifetime sculptural portraits contemporaries, many of which were donated by Tsereteli to various cities in the Russian Federation and abroad. Not all are actually erected.

On September 11, 2006, it was opened in the USA Monument "Tear of Sorrow" Zurab Tsereteli's works are a gift to the American people in memory of the victims of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The monument is a 30-meter bronze slab with a narrow oblong through hole, reminiscent of a fault, inside of which hangs a giant mirror drop, cast from the fragments of the steel beams of the twin towers melted during the terrorist attack. Initially, the author was going to give it to New York. But the city authorities did not want to see him. Then Tsereteli made attempts to erect a monument on the other side of the Hudson - opposite the site of the tragedy - in Jersey City. But even here, the municipality refused the gift, saying that most residents did not want to see this tear, and in the local press the future masterpiece was even dubbed “vulva.” Nevertheless, Tsereteli managed to find Bayonne for his monument - a place at the mouth of the Hudson River, on an abandoned pier of a former military base, where signs still adorn: “Caution, contaminated place!” The 175-ton bronze slab stands on the banks of the Hudson River opposite America's national symbol, the Statue of Liberty, and the site of the World Trade Center's twin towers.

In 2009, Tsereteli planned to install a 100-meter statue of Jesus Christ on Solovki, which caused reasoned objections from the management of the Solovetsky Museum-Reserve.

In 2009, a copper hare more than three meters tall was installed in Baden-Baden - a copy of the silver hare by Faberge, enlarged 30 times.

In 2012, in the French resort town of Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Tsereteli opened a sculptural composition dedicated to. The monument is part of a diptych - the other part of which is the monument. This monument was erected in Muchkap, the regional center of the Tambov region.

In 2013, a monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya by Tsereteli was erected in Ruza.

In 2015, a monument to Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill was opened in Yalta, based on the Yalta Conference.

Sculptural composition “Warrior-Skier”. Installed in Patriot Park in 2017.

In 2017, in Moscow, on Petroverigsky Lane, Tsereteli made the Alley of Rulers, consisting of busts of all the rulers of Russia.

In 2017, in the city of Apatity, a Monument to Pushkin was erected in the park named after Pushkin.

Tsereteli is also the director of the Moscow Museum contemporary art and director of the Tsereteli Art Gallery.

In mid-February 2010, Zurab Tsereteli was awarded the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor. In early June of the same year, the US National Society of the Arts awarded him a gold Medal of Honor. Z. Tsereteli became the first Georgian and Russian artist who received this award.

On March 11, 2014, Zurab Tsereteli’s signature appeared under the appeal of cultural figures Russian Federation in support of the policy of Russian President V.V. Putin in Ukraine and Crimea. The next day, however, Tsereteli's assistant stated in an interview with Georgian television that in fact Tsereteli had not signed the letter.

Personal life of Zurab Tsereteli:

Married. His wife is Princess Inessa Alexandrovna Andronikashvili.

Daughter - Elena (Lika) (born 1959), art critic.

Grandchildren: Vasily (born 1978), Zurab (born 1987), Victoria (born 2000). Great-grandchildren: Alexander (born 2003), Nikolai (born 2005), Philip (born 2008), Maria Isabella (born 2009).

The biography of Zurab Tsereteli is monumental, as is his work. The list of works of this outstanding artist includes hundreds of sculptures, monuments, panels, mosaics, and canvases all over the world; over 40 personal exhibitions of the monumentalist took place. The list of honorary titles, awards, bonuses and other merits of the master is long. Today Zurab Tsereteli lives in Moscow, heads the Russian Academy of Arts and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and continues to work fruitfully.

Childhood and youth

The most famous muralist of our time was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. The formation of young Zurab on the path of creativity was determined by the atmosphere in which the boy spent his childhood. The parents did not belong to the world of art: mother Tamara Nizharadze devoted her life to home and children, father Konstantin Tsereteli worked as a mining engineer and taught at a technical university.

But his mother’s brother, Georgiy Nizharadze, was a painter. While visiting his house, little Zurab not only learned to draw, but was also imbued with the aura of conversations about art, because leading people of that time came to visit his uncle. At the age of 8, Zurab entered the Tbilisi state academy in arts, which he graduated with excellent marks in 1958.

Creation

It seemed that time itself dictated the artist’s development in the style of the monumental genre. The era of the 60s, industrialization, the development of virgin lands, the solution of global problems, mass construction and resettlement - all this was reflected in Tsereteli’s desire to introduce novelty into what he was doing. And the first position - artist-architect - gave me such an opportunity.

Among the works completed at this time were artistic decorations for resort complexes in Georgia (Gagra, Sukhumi, Borjomi, Pitsunda). Mosaic painting becomes a feature of the master’s work. A striking example of this was the bus stops in Abkhazia, created during the early creativity in the early 60s and representing amazing art objects in the form of fantastic sea creatures.

Along with artistic and decorative work, Tsereteli participates in exhibitions. The first success was brought by the painting “Guardian of the World” at the exhibition of the same name in Moscow. In 1967, a personal exhibition of the master took place in Tbilisi. At the same time he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR.

At the same time, Tsereteli is actively expanding the geography of its activities. One by one, orders were received for the design of a wide variety of buildings and structures: the House of Cinema in Moscow (1967-1968), the Palace of Trade Unions in Tbilisi, the Seabed swimming pool in Ulyanovsk (1969), the resort complex in Adler (1973), the hotel " Yalta-Intourist" in Crimea (1978) and much more.

During the 70-80s, the master worked a lot and fruitfully. Since 1970, being the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has been engaged in decoration embassies of the Soviet Union abroad, travels a lot, meets famous foreign artists. There is also a lot of work at home, especially after being appointed chief artist of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. All this earned the master the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1980.

The artist began working on monumental sculptures back in the late 70s. The bright conclusion of the work was the sculptural composition “Happiness for the Children of the World.” In 1983, the “Friendship Forever” monument was opened in Moscow, marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of St. George between Russia and Georgia.

In the same year, in honor of this date, in his native Georgia, the artist built and opened the Arch of Friendship - a mosaic panel that to this day delights tourists on the Cross Pass near the Georgian Military Road.

The master dedicated a number of sculptures to prominent figures of history and modernity. Among the striking creations of this trend: a monument to the poetess in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (France) and Moscow, a monument in Apatity, a monument to John Paul II (France), in Moscow.

In 2017, the Alley of Rulers opened in the Russian capital - a gallery of bronze busts by Zurab Tsereteli depicting leaders Russian state from the era of Rurik to the revolution of 1917.

But the monument involved Tsereteli’s name in a scandal. The capital's public reacted extremely negatively to both the sculpture and the idea of ​​its construction, calling the former, as Izvestia wrote, “disfiguring the city.” The king is depicted at full height, standing on the deck of a giant sailboat.

The question of demolishing the monument was even raised, but today passions have subsided, and the monument continues to stand on an artificial island on the Moscow River, remaining one of the largest in the capital (height - 98 m, weight - over 2000 tons).

Tsereteli is no stranger to being criticized: the master’s works are sometimes accused of gigantomania and bad taste, as was the case, for example, with the “Adam’s Apple”, located in the Art Gallery he opened, or with the “Tree of Fairy Tales” in the Moscow Zoo. The author himself takes this calmly.

Personal life

While still studying at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, Zurab Tsereteli met his future wife Inessa Andronikashvili, who came from a princely family. The couple have been married for more than 45 years. In 1998, after the death of Inessa Alexandrovna, the artist organized the first personal exhibition, named after his wife.

The daughter of Zurab Konstantinovich and Inessa Alexandrovna, Elena, and her children Vasily, Victoria and Zurab live in Moscow. Today there are already four great-grandchildren in the Tsereteli family: Alexander, Nikolai, Philip, Maria Isabella.

Charity

Zurab Tsereteli's life is closely connected with charity. Some of the works were created by the master free of charge, as a gift to one or another city, institution, or foundation.

The artist participates in charity exhibitions and auctions, donating funds from sold works to the fight against childhood diseases.

By the way, in 2007, The Georgian Times included Zurab Tsereteli among the ten richest persons of Georgian nationality in the world, indicating the artist’s fortune at $2 billion.

Zurab Tsereteli today

In 2018, Zurab Konstantinovich turned 84 years old. But the rhythm creative life doesn't subside. The master creates, organizes exhibitions, gives master classes for children, gladly participates in interviews and poses for photos, but most importantly, he is full of new ideas and projects. In 2016, the Tsereteli house-museum opened in the village of Peredelkino near Moscow.

In 2014, the muralist became a full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, receiving the IV degree award. The sculptor calls the main secret of health and longevity permanent job“without any vacations or vacation breaks.”

Works

• 1997 - Monument to Peter the Great (Moscow, Russia)
• 1995 - Memorial “Tear of Sorrow” (New Jersey, USA)
• 1983 - Monument “Friendship Forever” (Moscow, Russia)
• 1990 - Monument “Good conquers evil” (New York, USA)
• 2006 - Monument to St. George the Victorious (Tbilisi, Georgia)
• 1995 - Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill (Moscow, Russia)
• 1995 - Monument “The Birth of a New Man” (Seville, Spain)
• 1995 - Monument “Tragedy of Nations” (Moscow, Russia)
• 2016 - Monument to Shota Rustaveli (St. Petersburg, Russia)
• 2013 - Sculptural composition dedicated to women (Moscow, Russia)

Muralist

Famous monumental artist, leading monumentalist in Moscow. President of the Russian Academy of Arts since 1997, director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art since 1999. In 1997, he became the author of the artistic design for the renewed Manezhnaya Square, and in 1995, the chief artist in the creation of the Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill. Author of the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill and the monument “300 Years of the Russian Fleet” on the Moscow River. In 1980 he was the chief artist of the Moscow Olympics, in 1970-1980 - the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hero of Socialist Labor. He has the honorary titles of People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of Georgia. Member of a number of academies, professor. Citizen of Russia and Georgia.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. In 1952 he entered the painting department at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. In 1958 he graduated from the academy and began working as an artist at the Institute of History and Ethnography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. Participated in various exhibitions. In 1964, he completed a training course in France, where he communicated with famous artists Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall.

In 1965-1967, Tsereteli was the main designer during the construction of the resort complex in Pitsunda. At the same time, by 1967, as the head of the artel, he established mass production of smalt for mosaic work. In 1970-1980 he was the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1970-1972 he created a number of mosaic and stained glass compositions in Tbilisi. In 1973 he became the author of a monumental ensemble for a children's resort town in Adler. This work brought Tsereteli fame both in the USSR and abroad. In particular, the famous Mexican artist Alfaro Siqueiros spoke positively about it.

In 1979, a monument to Tsereteli’s work “Science, Education for the World,” about 20 meters high, was erected in the American city of Brockport in New York State. There, in the same year, the monumental composition “Happiness to the Children of the World” was installed. According to some reports, Tsereteli was supposed to work together with Picasso to paint the UN building in New York, but this project was never realized.

In 1980, Tsereteli was the chief artist Olympic Games in Moscow. Also in 1980, Tsereteli created the monumental sculpture “Man and the Sun” about 80 meters high in Tbilisi, and in 1982 - the monument “Friendship Forever” in Moscow, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Treaty of Georgievsk and the entry of Georgia into Russia. Since 1985, he began working on the “History of Georgia” ensemble near Tbilisi. Finished work in 2003. In 1989, the Tsereteli monument “Breaking the Wall of Mistrust” was erected in London, and in 1990, the “Good Conquers Evil” monument appeared in New York.

In the early 1990s, Tsereteli came into conflict with the Georgian authorities and was forced to move to Moscow. Here, having received the support of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, he actually became the “number one muralist.” In 1995, Tsereteli became the chief artist in the creation of the Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Hill. He created the Victory Monument in the form of a monument to St. George the Victorious and a stele 142 meters high. In 1995-2000, Tsereteli participated in the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In 1997, he developed a general design solution for the updated Manezhnaya Square and the interiors of the Okhotny Ryad shopping and recreational complex. Also in 1997, a monument by Tsereteli “300 years of the Russian Navy”, or “Peter the Great”, 96 meters high, was erected on the Moscow River. Its installation caused a mixed reaction in society. In addition, in 1997, Tsereteli was elected president of the Russian Academy of Arts. In December 1999, he achieved the opening of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and became its director. In 2001, the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery opened.

In 2003-2010, Tsereteli erected many monuments in Moscow and other cities of Russia and the world, including monuments to the founder of the Academy of Arts Ivan Shuvalov in St. Petersburg, Princess Olga in Pskov, Honore de Balzac in the city of Agde in France, Cossack Kharko in Kharkov in Ukraine, General Charles de Gaulle in Moscow, Alexander Peresvet, hero of the Battle of Kulikovo, in Borisoglebsk, President of the Chechen Republic Akhmad Kadyrov in Grozny, Pope John Paul II in Ploermel in France, former Prime Minister of Japan Ichiro Hatoyama in Tokyo, Moscow composition "Wives of the Decembrists. Gates of Destiny" and a monument to the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan, as well as a huge copper hare in Baden-Baden. In addition, Tsereteli was involved in the design of new Moscow metro stations - "Victory Park" and "Trubnaya". Also in 2006, he erected a monument dedicated to the fight against international terrorism in the city of Bayon in New Jersey, opposite the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York.

Tsereteli's work evoked mixed reactions in society and among critics. He was reproached for monopolizing monumental projects in Moscow, violating the stylistic unity of the capital and creating his own works in a mass production process. Other critics spoke positively about Tsereteli's work and argued that he created his own style.

Tsereteli has been a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation since 2005. He was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, and has the honorary titles of People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of Georgia. The sculptor is the president of the Moscow International Fund for UNESCO, academician International Academy creativity, full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, full member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, professor at the Brockport University of Fine Arts and corresponding member of the French Academy of Fine Arts.

(born 1934) Russian sculptor, designer

All his life Zurab Tsereteli has been busy saturating cities with his sculptural compositions. In Moscow alone there are about a dozen of them. This is a column with script from the letters of Armenian, Georgian and Slavic alphabets on Tishinskaya Square, the sculptural composition “Tragedy of Nations” on Poklonnaya Hill, figures of animals in the Alexander Garden at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, sculptural fragments of crosses and doors, as well as the interior decoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, reconstruction of Manezhnaya Square designed by Tsereteli, his monument to Peter I.

Obviously, contemporaries should be grateful to the sculptor for his desire to please people with his art. However, the work of Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli evokes an ambiguous attitude towards itself. Some speak of him as a man of great talent, others believe that the sculptor achieved fame thanks to his organizational skills. “There are too many Tseretelis everywhere,” say his critics. And there really is a lot of it. Sculptural compositions of Zurab Tsereteli are installed not only in Moscow, St. Petersburg, in the sculptor’s homeland in Georgia, but also in other countries of the world. Tsereteli made three sculptures for the USA. His composition “Good Conquers Evil,” made from the remains of Soviet and American SS-20 and Zersching nuclear missiles, is installed in front of the UN headquarters in New York. Tsereteli's sculptures are located in London, Paris, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, in the capitals and cities of eleven countries around the world.

However, Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli knows how to defend his point of view on art. He has no doubt that time will put everything in its place and his descendants will be grateful to him for his functional art, which is aimed at the benefit of man.

It seems that Zurab Tsereteli had to defend his position all his life, and he fully mastered the art of compromise. “I was often criticized, but I always did my job. I did not allow myself to be distracted by sorting out relationships and conflicts. I have such a character: I wake up and don’t remember yesterday’s grievances. Creative person cannot be vindictive,” says the sculptor.

His problems with self-affirmation began when he was still student years. Zurab Tsereteli studied at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts and prepared a painting for graduation called “Song about Tbilisi.” However, the commission saw elements of convention in it, and Tsereteli was not allowed to defend himself. Someone else in his place would have been confused or would have continued to defend his point of view. But he chose a different path. Tsereteli persuaded his friend to pose for him and in two weeks he painted another picture called “ New person", depicting a strong athlete with a tennis racket in his hands. This time the painting fully complied with the principles of socialist realism and was made in the spirit of the then recognized poster art. This work completely satisfied the demanding commission. Zurab Tsereteli defended his diploma with honors, and thus the conflict was resolved.

After the academy, he had to go to work at the Institute of Ethnography and Archeology to support his family. He was already married then, and his wife was expecting a child. However, this time was not wasted for the sculptor. Together with scientific expeditions, he traveled the length and breadth of Georgia, learned its history, life, and customs of the people well, without which a true artist cannot become a true artist.

Finally, Zurab Tsereteli managed to receive an order to decorate the city of Pitsunda. This was his first big professional work. He based his project on a plot on an ancient theme about the Argonauts who sailed to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. His next work - a project for a children's town in Adler - was awarded the Lenin Prize.

Since then, Tsereteli has been rapidly growing and there has been no shortage of orders. He designed the Yalta Hotel in Crimea, worked in Miskhor, and became the chief designer for the design of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. By this time, Zurab Tsereteli was already settling in Moscow. In 1967, he received a studio on Tverskoy Boulevard, in which, according to the sculptor, Vladimir Vysotsky celebrated his wedding with Marina Vladi.

However, Tsereteli does not break his ties with his homeland and alternately lives in Moscow and Tbilisi. This continued until he had disagreements with the then President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who demanded that the sculptor not host US President George W. Bush in his Moscow workshop. By refusing to comply with this demand, Zurab Tsereteli became “an enemy of the Georgian people.” In Tbilisi, his statue “Ring of Friendship” was blown up, a house was set on fire, in which 100 paintings were burned and many other valuable things were destroyed. After this incident, Tsereteli finally moved to Moscow. Here the sculptor received as a gift from the Russian government a luxurious mansion and a plot of land in the very center of Moscow, on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street, which previously belonged to the German Embassy. This also caused disapproval in artistic circles, but Tsereteli believes that in this case justice prevailed, since his ancestors once owned this land, and now it has rightfully returned to him.

Tsereteli, in turn, donated his mansion in Tbilisi, which once housed the first representative office of Russia in Georgia Russian government, and now the Russian embassy in Georgia is located there.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli likes to say that all his wealth comes from his work and his friends. He works really hard. However, the sculptor has not only obvious and secret ill-wishers, but also Good friends. Among them are artists, scientists, and politicians. He considers the now deceased great artists of our time M. Saryan, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, D. Siqueiros to be his friends. Tsereteli says that Siqueiros specially came to Tbilisi to see his mosaic panel; he also went to Adler, where the sculptor was decorating at that time playground, and seemed to say: “My teacher Rivera once worked this way, but his plasticity was evil, and yours is kind.”

His family is small. His only daughter is married to the son of the former chief architect of Moscow M. Posokhin, and his grandson graduated high school at the UN.

Zurab Tsereteli is not offended by the authorities. He is a laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR. Currently is folk artist Russian Federation and President of the Academy of Arts.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli is still tireless, continues to work hard and is thinking about many new projects, not forgetting to repeat his favorite saying: “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”

The 360 ​​TV channel recalled the most controversial works of the sculptor.

Zhirinovsky was cast from bronze - the politician’s lifetime monument was presented by friends, and it was made by Zurab Tsereteli. The sculptor has long held the unofficial title of the main “Kremlin sculptor.” At the same time, Tsereteli’s fame in the country and abroad is very ambiguous. The 360 ​​TV channel recalled the controversial monuments to Tsereteli, which were abandoned by the customers.

Peter in a skirt

Photo: Evgenia Novozhenina/RIA Novosti

Even before its installation in 1997, the long-suffering monument caused a lot of controversy. According to rumors, initially there was a statue of Columbus on the boat, and Tsereteli unsuccessfully tried to sell the sculpture to the USA, Spain and Latin American countries.

Later, after installation, they tried to donate the monument to Peter to St. Petersburg, but the cultural capital refused the gift. They even tried to blow up the sculpture, but the terrorist attack was prevented by an anonymous call, and since then access to Peter has been closed.

In addition, ordinary Muscovites really didn’t like the monument. Residents of the capital organized pickets, rallies, protests, posted notices with the words “You weren’t standing here” and with requests to dismantle the 98-meter sculpture of the first Russian emperor from the Moscow River embankment.

And in 2008, the monument was included in the list of the ugliest buildings in the world. The rating was compiled based on voting results on the “Virtual Tourist” website.

"Louis", or "monument to the gendarme"

Near the Cosmos Hotel in Moscow there is another refusenik - a 10-meter monument to the leader of the French Resistance. The monument was intended as a gift, but Paris politely refused it. But on the other hand, President Jacques Chirac came to the opening of the monument to Charles de Gaulle at Cosmos in 2005, with whom many French media subsequently sympathized.

For example, “Le Figaro” published the following note: “... with his hands down and hunched over, a club-footed general rises, looking more like a scarecrow. Or like a robot. The entire Russian press has already made fun of the monument. From a distance, its silhouette is comical. One of the journalists, Dmitry Kafanov, says that the monument reminds him of Louis de Funes in the film about the gendarmes. But up close, the general’s face is frightening, all the torments of hell immediately flash before his eyes... Some compassionate souls, passing by the monument, sympathize with Chirac. Will he be able to resist laughing? Will he be offended? "What if such an unflattering portrayal of the hero who on June 18, 1940 called on the French to fight the Nazis causes a scandal? Or a diplomatic incident? Russians love to dramatize everything."

"Tear of Sorrow"

“Size matters” - Zurab often follows this rule when performing work. The artist sent the bronze sculpture with a titanium drop in the middle to New York as a sign of solidarity with the September 11 tragedy. According to the author's plan, a monument symbolizing the Twin Towers should stand at the site of the tragedy. However, the Americans saw a completely different symbol in this creation.

Here's what the Hudson Reporter writes: "... the monument looks like a giant vulva and would be offensive to women," "something between a scar and a female genital organ," "... the sculpture uses a banal symbol of sadness, and its banality is exacerbated by its large size." .

A group of activists wrote a petition to the New York authorities asking them not to install a structure at the site of the terrorist attack. The authorities met the residents halfway, then Tsereteli proposed erecting a monument to the city of Jersey City, located on the other side of the Hudson. But even there they refused the gift. In the end, the creation was installed in the state of New Jersey, neighboring New York, and now it flaunts on the abandoned pier of a former military base at the mouth of the Hudson River.

"Tragedy of Nations", a monument to the victims of Beslan or a procession of coffins

A colony of 8-meter tall victims of fascist genocide emerges from their graves and heads towards Kutuzovsky Prospekt. The tombstones on Poklonnaya Hill caused horror among Muscovites and requests to “move the zombies somewhere behind the museum.” Therefore, it was even decided to move the monument inside the park, away from the eyes of passers-by. However, critics called this sculptural composition " best job Tsereteli".

Zurab Konstantinovich subsequently used the coffins again, when creating a monument to the victims of Beslan. According to the plan, angels from the coffins carry children to heaven. Children's toys are scattered on the sculpture's pedestal. This monument would not have caused criticism from anyone, but Internet users heartily walked over Pinocchio sitting on the pedestal.

Riddles from Tsereteli

And finally, we invite you to think about the questions that many people have when looking at some of the works of Zurab Tsereteli

Riddle from Tsereteli No. 1: how did St. George the Victorious chop the serpent on honor with a thin spear?

Riddle from Tsereteli No. 2: What are the people doing in the photo

Riddle from Tsereteli No. 3: how many kittens will there be?

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