Monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Moscow. Monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Kostroma

Even the most inveterate Muscovite is not able to name the exact number of monuments in the main city of our country. Sculptures of various sizes adorn or spoil our capital. They are dedicated to the legendary personalities and great historical events. Their variety is so great that it is impossible to describe all this. From their pedestals look at passers-by famous doctors, pilots, composers, revolutionaries, scientists, sculptors, rulers and even the founder of this beautiful city, which is our capital.

Until the middle of the last century, there were various monuments of Moscow on Tverskaya Square , but their fate was not long until it was decided to celebrate its 800-year anniversary in the main city of the country. In the post-war years, this was the first large-scale celebration, which was also planned to be made a dress rehearsal for another anniversary celebration - the thirtieth anniversary of the October Revolution. At the same time, a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky was founded in Moscow, which still stands here and pleases the eyes of visitors and residents, being a landmark of the capital.

A bit of history

It is generally believed that the main city of our country was founded in 1147, but this date is only the first mention of it in the annals. In fact, even then historians knew that at this place there was a village at least two hundred years before Dolgoruky, so the Prince could not establish him. The only riddle that has not been solved so far is the construction of the site: whether it was erected under Yuri, or before him. But nevertheless this date became traditional, and the figure of the prince was given special attention.

Creation of a monument

A year before the commemoration of the jubilee, an expedition to the Ukrainian capital was organized on the orders of Stalin in order to find the remains of Yuri Dolgoruky. At its head was an anthropologist and archaeologist Gerasimov. According to the idea of the head of state, the re-burial of the ashes was to be held at the celebration. But when studying this place, which is considered the official burial place of the prince, it turned out that it turned out to be false.

In the same year, a contest was announced for the best project, according to which a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Moscow will be executed. Despite the participation of prominent sculptors in the country, Orlov was the best, who then worked mainly with small porcelain plastics and did not do monumental sculpture at all. For this project, the sculptor was awarded the Stalin Prize - the highest award at the time.

Career takeoff Orlov. Legend of the origin of the monument

With the personal participation of the leader of the quarry, no one known artist quickly developed. It happened in a very short time between the end of World War II and the beginning of the "cold". Legend has it that during an exhibition of folk art, the American ambassador liked the clay cockerel, which was written by Orlov. Molotov gave him this toy, while the author promised her to the local Palace of Pioneers. After the exhibition, Orlov decided to find out the fate of his creation and wrote a letter to the organizers of the exhibition, but this correspondence did not give the result. Therefore, Orlov sent a letter with a complaint to the name of Stalin. These events coincided with the omission of the iron curtain, and Molotov was given a large knock-out for his preference for the Soviet pioneers of the American diplomat.

After that, the leader suggested that the sculptor be engaged in a project, along which a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Moscow will be executed. But due to the fact that Orlov had no experience, he was affiliated with co-authors Stamm and Antropov.

There is also a version that the author won the contest, and his project of this sights of Moscow (photo posted in the article) was indeed the most successful.

Approval of the final version of the monument. Another legend

After a close inspection of the model, the leader raised the question of why the prince sits on a mare, and not on a stallion, which would have given the image of the founder of the capital of masculinity. As a result, all necessary changes were urgently made by the authors. In the time of Khrushchev, this story received a kind of sequel.

Bookmark the monument

Monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Moscow was laid during the celebration of the 800th anniversary of the founding of the capital. Despite the ceremony, the city will not soon see this monument, mainly because of the extremely uncomfortable nature of Orlov. His co-authors tried to convince him that not always the techniques of small plastic are applicable in monumental art. In addition, the sculptor constantly clashed with the authorities, which, contrary to his will, wanted to mention on the monument to the Soviet government, but here the author defended his point of view. And the funding was not enough because of the several projects that began at that time, including the construction of Stalin skyscrapers.

Monument to Yuri Dolgoruky. Opening

In solemn atmosphere only seven years after the moment it was laid, the opening of the monument took place. It was produced in Mytishchi factory, and it cost the city budget five and a half million rubles. Since historians do not have reliable information about the image of the prince, thanks to the authors, he appeared before us in the image of a Russian hero, whose shield is the sign of St. George the Victorious, and on the body armor.

Kostroma. History of foundation

The brightest and most beautiful city, one of the representatives of the Golden Ring of our country, which includes the most ancient cities of our country, is Kostroma. Only five years after the foundation of the future capital, it was erected on the Volga by Yuri Dolgoruky. This version was suggested by the great historian Tatishchev, who linked this event to the active activity of the prince in the north-east of the country. He laid the city during the campaign of Yuri in the lands of the Kazan Bulgarians. But there is no evidence pointing to these facts, nor is there any justification for other versions of the city's formation.

Scientists still can not come to a consensus on the origin of the city name. Perhaps it came from the name of the Kostra River on which the village stands. But with this there are other hypotheses.

To date, Kostroma is a small but well-developed city that is famous for its light industry and other enterprises. This city is rightly called the cradle of the royal dynasty, and it was here that the Snow Maiden was born.

Monument to the founder of the city

In gratitude to its founder, after the 850th anniversary of the city, a monument was erected to Yuri Dolgoruky, where the recently-named Soviet and now Voznesenskaya Square is located. This truly solemn and long-awaited moment was due to the numerous sponsorship.

A precedent to this event was the visit of Patriarch Alexy II who gave Kostroma a capsule with the land taken from the burial place of the prince. At the site of the future monument, a solemn stone laying ceremony was held, consecrated by Archbishop Alexander. After this event, many residents of the city watched how the buried monolith was mitered.

What does the monument of the founder of Kostroma look like?

The size of the monument is amazing. It weighs four tons, and the height of the monument is four and a half meters. The material from which it is made is bronze of the highest quality. The project, which created a monument to Yuri Dolgoruky (left photo), belongs to the famous Moscow sculptor, known for his work (the restoration of "Worker and Collective Farm Woman", a monument to F. Shalyapin), VM Tserkovnikov. His co-authors were the artist Kadyberdeev and the architect Morozov.

A rather massive bronze sculpture, represented by 15 welded joints, was cast in the capital of Tatarstan. This work lasted more than two months.

The monument is represented in the form of the Grand Duke sitting on the throne. Pointing out that in the near future there will be a new city here, he extends his right hand in front of him. Like a cross, in his left hand Dolgorukiy holds a sword, emphasizing that he came here as a conqueror, but not a warrior. The head of Monomakh decorates the head of the prince. In the sun the monument shimmers and shines, as if cast from gold. This effect is achieved thanks to a special sandblasting method, which consists in cleaning with special sand.

Today, the square on which stands the monument to Yuri Dolgoruky in Kostroma is the most popular place for both city dwellers and guests of this city.