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1969 year    April

On April, 22, 1969 the monument “Lenin reading on foot” dedicated to the 100th jubilee of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was installed at Scientific Center in Zelenograd.

Sculptor Merabishvili M.K. (Tbilisi) and architect Thor B. I. (Moscow) are the authors of the monument.

The sculpture was finished in 1967 and took a second place at the contest dedicated to the 50th anniversary of October revolution.

The jury’s decision claimed that the author Mirabishvili managed to depict Lenin both as a philosopher and a leader. The sculpture is very laconic and at the same time it takes considerable space due to the wide step, slight turn of the figure and its movement forward.

Originally it was supposed to install a 12-meter-high sculpture “Two hands together” instead of Lenin monument. One of the hands is evidently mechanic, and the other holding an electron looks like a “real” one. According to the authoritative opinion of architect I. A. Pokrovskiy these two hands do make a strong impression. This is a very soft and relief figure in ruled surface, but it was rejected”.

The year of 1993 saw heated debate on the point whether Zelenograd needs the monument to Lenin.

Opinions divided. Some suggested that the monument should be transported to the place that Vladimir Ilyich frequently visited, moreover - Lenin had nothing to do with Zelenograd (local historian G. V. Ilyin’s opinion). Others proposed to lay him upside down so that he wouldn’t produce negative vibrations (architect L. Metaykina’s opinion), and some even suggested that the monument should be sold (Zelenograd citizen A. Luzin’s opinion).

T.V. Vizbul, a director of the State Zelenograd Museum of local history and lore, as well as architect Nekhlyudov spoke about the respect for one’s own history. The common sense prevailed and the monument was left at its place.

Here is the opinion of I. Boldov, an honoured architect of Russia and initiator of Zelenograd: “Some time ago there was a whole chapter concerning artistic decoration of the town in the architectural project of Zelenograd. Unfortunately it wasn’t put into practice. The monument to Lenin is one the fewest monumental works of art that the town actually disposes. The artistic impression of the monument is evident to everyone. Meanwhile this monument holds the square compositionally.

April, 22, 2009 saw the 40th anniversary of installation of the monument to Lenin in the square at Scientific Center. The monument lived through hard times of nineties. However it was made from non-durable material and as time went by the monument started crumbling.

In early December of 2009 the monument to Lenin was dismantled and sent to a special laboratory for examination. The results of the examination are going to determine whether the monument would be moulded afresh or just renovated.


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