Why do people decide to erect a monument to literary heroes? Probably because many of these characters have done for us no less than the celebrities who once lived in reality. Every day they give happiness to readers all over the world, teach us to be faithful and kind, noble and courageous.
The erection of monuments to the heroes of works of poetry and prose is a tradition that spans more than one decade. In many cities on the streets and squares, in squares and parks there are sculptures dedicated to various characters.
Each monument to literary heroes has its own fate, its own history. The most interesting sculptures installed both in Russia and abroad, we will describe in this article.
Monument to the heroine of a fairy tale about a goldfish
Goldfish is one of the most auspicious and strong symbols that bring prosperity, good luck and prosperity to the home. Every kid from the books knows that she is the main performer of any desires.
Fishes are present in many folk tales. The literary tale of the goldfish was redesigned for the first time by the Grimm brothers. In our country, A. S. Pushkin created his work. It is called The Tale of the Golden Fish. As the analysis of these works shows, the fish is not so much a performer of desires, as it embodies the opportunity to start a new life, is a symbol of enlightenment. The image of the unhappy old man hiding the wise old man is the “spiritual” part of human consciousness, while the greedy old woman is our insatiable ego, which is immersed in worldly vanity. The ego requires various pleasures.
The goldfish monument is installed in many cities (Donetsk, Saransk, Berdyansk, Mamonovo, St. Petersburg, Adler, Lviv, Astrakhan, Kemerovo, Moscow).
Interestingly, psychologists identified a group of people afraid of the goldfish. Of course, not literally. The idea is that a person prefers to remain "with nothing", afraid to admit something unknown and the new in your life.
You can add to the list of merits of the goldfish that it has become the heroine of numerous jokes today, as well as the main participant in the Simoron rituals.
The monument located in Astrakhan is a goldfish embodied in bronze, which appears to be lying on the waves, also made of bronze. The sculpture is an advertising move by Megafon. The emblems of this operator adorn the pedestal of the monument.
A crown is polished on the head of a fish to shine. According to a belief that has already taken root among the inhabitants of Astrakhan, one should make a wish and rub it. Then it will come true. The opening of the monument was timed to the Day of the fisherman. It took place in 2011. The author of the sculpture is Marat Dzhamaletdinov.
Monuments to the lady with a dog
At the end of the 19th century, when human morals were not as loose as in the 21st century, but the breath of revolution was already foreseen by the culture of the world, a famous work by Chekhov was written. Resorts, including Crimean, where a person torn from the vicious circle of everyday life, fell into the enveloping scent of freedom, become the first places in which husbands, fathers, mothers, wives could taste life. Of course, the heralds of the new era were the masters of the literary word, who embodied the trends of new times into life with their pen.
The story "Lady with a Dog" is one of the most striking works that have become classics of the spa-romance genre. This happened thanks to the skill and talent of A.P. Chekhov (1860-1904). The work was first published in 1899 in the journal Russian Thought.
It is not surprising that the center of Yalta embankment was chosen to perpetuate the memory of the writer and the main character of this work. In 2004, as part of the centenary of Anton Pavlovich’s anniversary, the monument “Lady with a Dog” was erected. Its authors are Gennady and Fedor Parshiny. The sculpture depicts a slender female silhouette, dressed in a modest elegant dress with lace. In the hands of a girl an umbrella. She froze in a dreamy reverie, looking beyond the horizon. And next is a faithful dog with a smart sharp muzzle. He looks with devoted eyes at his mistress.
The background figure of Anton Pavlovich is also quite remarkable. He observes in a relaxed pose the creation of his own thought, which for a moment has come down from the literary pages. The finished look of this sculpture is complemented by a cloak thrown carelessly on the openwork of the fence, as well as a tablet with the phrase from the work "... a new face appeared on the embankment: a lady with a dog", which is located at the writer's feet.
Also in the city of Khabarovsk, on Amursky Boulevard, a monument is erected to this heroine of Chekhov's story. This is a bronze bench on which a woman sits in a dress with a deep cut and strapless. She has a hat on her head and high heel shoes on her feet. She strokes with her left hand the dog sitting next to her on the bench.
This sculpture is decorated with a square near the fountain, located next to the Druzhba movie theater on Amursky Boulevard. It was installed on the 150th anniversary of the city.
Monument in Voronezh to White Bim
We are now moving to Voronezh in order to look at the next monument. There are sculptures that make passersby stop and feel anxiety, tenderness, excitement. The monument to the White Bim belongs to them. It was discovered in early 1998.
G. N. Troepolsky (1906-1995 gg.) - Voronezh writer, author of the famous book entitled "White Bim Black Ear", published in 1971. Bim's sculpture is located at the entrance to the puppet theater. It was established on an autumn day when residents celebrated City Day.
Today, the monument to White Bim is one of the most popular among children. Bim is cast in metal. He sits in a pose in which loyal, intelligent and kind dogs are waiting for the owner who has departed for a while. This sculpture has no pedestal: Bim is simply on the ground. And the children love to stroke him, as if this dog is alive.
He really seems alive. When you see this sculpture, it is as if you feel the dog’s devoted and anxious look on you, as if asking: "Where is my master now?" However, Bim could not wait for him. The owner died and the dog was orphaned. Now Bim in a huge city was left completely alone.
Treepolsky’s book about the fate of White Bim was a huge success. Sometimes the writer jokingly said that he had released him in Voronezh, and since then the dog has been running. He had probably run around half the world. This story has been translated and published in dozens of countries. For example, the program of American colleges includes this work without fail. In our country, according to the story, a film was set, which was also a great success.
The authors of the monument are Ivan Dikunov and Elsa Pak. The author of the work often came to them during work, gave advice, and advised. Gabriel Troepolsky, unfortunately, was not destined to see his beloved Beam in the metal: he died without having lived to see the installation of the sculpture.
Monuments to Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes is a literary character created by A. Conan Doyle (1859-1930). Dedicated to his adventures, works are rightfully considered classics of the detective genre. Holmes and his deductive method have spread around the world. This detective is the most popular movie hero in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records.
Holmes Museum Apartment opened on Baker Street in London in March 1990. There are a lot of monuments to this hero.
The first monument to Sherlock Holmes
The first statue appeared in Meiringen (Switzerland) in 1988, September 10. In this city, in the building of the old English church, the museum-apartment of Sherlock was opened - a copy of the existing one in London. Holmes from bronze sits on a rock fragment, paving prudently a place for a tourist with a camera. He thinks about his last fight with Moriarty (her details are stamped on plaques).
Monuments to Holmes in Japan and the UK
In 1988, on October 9, a statue was opened in Japan (in Kariuzawa) to the great detective. Nobuhara Ken, the Japanese translator of Holmes, lived in this city. Just a month later than in Switzerland, this monument was opened.
Edinburgh reached the line in 1991. In the homeland of Conan Doyle, on June 24, the third monument to Holmes was unveiled. It is installed on Picardy Place.
In London, the Holmes monument was unveiled in 1999, September 24, near the Baker Street subway station. Sherlock looks thoughtfully into the distance. He is dressed in London weather - in a hat with small brim and a long cloak. Holmes is holding a pipe.
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: a monument in Moscow
In 2007, on April 27, in Moscow, on the Smolenskaya embankment, a monument opened by Andrei Orlov. This is the first sculpture depicting together Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson. The creation was attended by Vasily Livanov, a Russian actor who was awarded the Order of the British Empire by Elizabeth II for the embodiment of the image of the main character of the work. The monument to the literary heroes Holmes and Watson today is very popular among Muscovites and visitors. Many people like to be photographed against its background.
Monument to the frog princess in Moscow
In Moscow, in 1997, an imitation of the Neglinnaya River was created to decorate Manezhnaya Square near the Kremlin. It was it that flowed here in ancient times, but it was enclosed in a pipe in the 19th century. Zurab Tsereteli, a sculptor, "settled" the heroes of various Russian fairy tales along the banks of the river. Among his creations is a monument to the frog princess.
Other sculptures in honor of the frog princess
Another monument to the character is located in Svetlogorsk (Kaliningrad region). The sculpture is a female figure sitting on a stone. Her lips are folded for a kiss.
In Kaliningrad, a sculpture of the frog princess (children's park "Youth") is also installed. The frog is very cute and fabulous.
Monument to the literary hero Pinocchio
In honor of the 130th anniversary of the author of the novel "The Golden Key" by Alexei Tolstoy, a monument to Pinocchio appeared in Samara at the gates of the literary museum. Its author is Stepan Korslyan. The triumphant Pinocchio of bronze holds a golden key in his hand held high. A big book lies at his feet. Attending the opening ceremony was Dmitry Iosifov, the actor who played in the film “The Adventures of Pinocchio” by the protagonist. It was on the basis of the image from this film that a sculpture was created.
Monument to Joseph Schweik
More recently, in 2014, on August 24, a monument to Schweik was installed in the Czech Republic, described almost 100 years ago in the work of Yaroslav Hasek "Adventures of the Good Soldier Schweik" (1921). It is located near the town of Pisek, in the village of Putim. Some adventures of this hero took place here. Performed a bronze sculpture by F. Swatek. Dressed soldier in military uniform during the First World War.
Earlier, monuments to this brave soldier were erected in Slovakia (photo presented below), Russia, Poland and Ukraine. In total, thirteen monuments are known.
Monument to Gulliver
It was installed in St. Petersburg in 2007, November 2. The sculptor is Timur Yusof. The hero of the famous story of Jonathan Swift called "Gulliver's Travels" is located on the University Embankment. The monument depicts a whole series of protagonists of the work, decreasing in size. Each subsequent Gulliver is several times smaller than the previous one.
Monuments to Baron Munchausen
On May 11, 2004, the first Russian monument to Baron Munchausen was unveiled . It is located in the Republic of Kabardino-Balkaria, in the Munchausen Museum. The author of the project was the descendant of the baron Vladimir Nagovitsyn. This is a storyteller who creates works under the pseudonym of Vladi Nagov.
Monument to literary heroes can be very original. In Kaliningrad, for example, in Central Park is one of the most fun monuments. It is also dedicated to Baron Munchausen. There is a sculpture next to the Queen Louise Church. It became a gift to Kaliningrad on its 750th anniversary from Bodenwerder, the German city that is home to the Baron.
It is known that the real prototype of Munchausen was visited twice by Koenigsberg on the way to St. Petersburg, as well as on the way back. The author of the sculpture is Georg Petau. The Munchausen Monument is a steel wall in which the silhouette of this hero flying at the core is carved. On the one hand, the inscription “Kaliningrad” is inscribed on the pedestal, and on the other, “Koenigsberg” to emphasize the historical connection between the Russian and German peoples.