Soviet-era statues: Difference between revisions
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{{Short description|Aspect of art in the Soviet Union}} |
{{Short description|Aspect of art in the Soviet Union}} |
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'''Soviet-era statues''' are statuary art that figured prominently in the [[Soviet art|art of the Soviet Union]]. |
'''Soviet-era statues''' are statuary art that figured prominently in the [[Soviet art|art of the Soviet Union]]. Typically made in the style of [[Socialist Realism]], they frequently depicted significant state and party leaders, such as [[Joseph Stalin]] and [[Vladimir Lenin]]. |
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| ⚫ | Communist symbology was of great importance for [[Soviet propaganda|propaganda]] purposes. Such symbolism included other statues that were portrayals of realist allegorical figures in motion, figuratively striding forward into the new Soviet age, as well as Soviet role models, such as [[Nurkhon Yuldasheva]].<ref>''[[National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan]] (OʻzME)''. Birinchi jild. [[Tashkent]], 2000</ref> |
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Statues of prominent socialist figures - particularly of Lenin - were mass-produced and installed in villages, towns and cities across the [[Soviet Union]]. After [[World War Two]], the socialist states of the [[Eastern Bloc]] similarly produced a large number of statues. |
Statues of prominent socialist figures - particularly of Lenin - were mass-produced and installed in villages, towns and cities across the [[Soviet Union]]. After [[World War Two]], the socialist states of the [[Eastern Bloc]] similarly produced a large number of statues. |
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| ⚫ | |||
| ⚫ | Communist symbology was of great importance for [[Soviet propaganda|propaganda]] purposes. Such symbolism included other statues that were portrayals of realist allegorical figures in motion, figuratively striding forward into the new Soviet age, as well as Soviet role models, such as [[Nurkhon Yuldasheva]].<ref>''[[National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan]] (OʻzME)''. Birinchi jild. [[Tashkent]], 2000</ref> |
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===De-Stalinization=== |
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After the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, his successor [[Nikita Khrushchev]] began to relax the repressive policies of Stalin's government in a period known as the [[Khrushchev Thaw]]. This culminated in Khrushchev's 1956 [[Secret Speech]] denouncing [[Stalinism]]. Statues that represented Stalin's cult of personality were subsequently removed from most public spaces in the Soviet Union and its satellite states as part of a process of "[[De-Stalinization]]". |
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The only statue of Stalin in Budapest, Hungary, was destroyed by citizens during the 1956 [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian Revolution]]; no replacement was ever made. |
The only statue of Stalin in Budapest, Hungary, was destroyed by citizens during the 1956 [[Hungarian Revolution of 1956|Hungarian Revolution]]; no replacement was ever made. |
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==Post-Soviet developments== |
===Post-Soviet developments=== |
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{{see also|De-Leninization}} |
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Since the [[Revolutions of 1989]] and the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, Soviet-era statues and monuments have been removed from many public spaces being either destroyed, moved to less prominent locations, or in some cases sold to private collectors. |
Since the [[Revolutions of 1989]] and the [[dissolution of the Soviet Union]] in 1991, Soviet-era statues and monuments have been removed from many public spaces being either destroyed, moved to less prominent locations, or in some cases sold to private collectors. Soviet-era statues have become the subject of debate over the legacy of the Communist era in much of the former Eastern Bloc, and in some countries they have even been outlawed under [[Decommunization]] laws. |
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| ⚫ | Many prominent statues in the Eastern Bloc countries were removed in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of their socialist governments. Notable examples include the [[Monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky, Moscow|Monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky]] in Moscow, and the [[Lenin Monument (Berlin)|Lenin Monument]] in East Berlin. |
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A statue of Lenin which was installed in [[Poprad]], [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]] shortly before the [[Velvet Revolution]] was purchased by Lewis E. Carpenter, an American English teacher working in Poprad. In 1993 the statue was shipped to Seattle, Washington in the United States [[Statue of Lenin (Seattle)|where it stands to this day]]. |
A statue of Lenin which was installed in [[Poprad]], [[Czechoslovak Socialist Republic|Czechoslovakia]] shortly before the [[Velvet Revolution]] was purchased by Lewis E. Carpenter, an American English teacher working in Poprad. In 1993 the statue was shipped to Seattle, Washington in the United States [[Statue of Lenin (Seattle)|where it stands to this day]]. |
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* The Statue Park Museum in [[Memento Park]] in Budapest, Hungary displays sculptures from the Communist era between 1945 and 1989.<ref>[https://www.mementopark.hu/en/home/ Memento PArk: THE SPIRIT AND STATUES OF THE COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP]</ref> |
* The Statue Park Museum in [[Memento Park]] in Budapest, Hungary displays sculptures from the Communist era between 1945 and 1989.<ref>[https://www.mementopark.hu/en/home/ Memento PArk: THE SPIRIT AND STATUES OF THE COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP]</ref> |
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====Ukraine==== |
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{{see also|Decommunization in Ukraine}} |
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In some countries Soviet-era statues have become the subject of debate over the legacy of the Communist era, and in some countries they have even been outlawed under "Decommunization" laws. |
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{{see also|Demolition of monuments to Vladimir Lenin in Ukraine}} |
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| ⚫ | The [[Euromaidan]] protests in Ukraine saw a wave of Soviet-era monuments being destroyed by protesters; a notable example being the [[Vladimir Lenin monument, Kyiv|Vladimir Lenin monument]] in Kyiv, the destruction of which by [[Svoboda (political party)|ultranationalists]] was opposed by the majority of Kyiv's residents.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rb.com.ua/PR_Lenin_2013_engl.pdf |title=PRESS-RELEASE "ATTITUDE OF RESIDENTS OF Kyiv TO REMOVAL OF LENIN'S MONUMENT" In the period from 10 to 14 of December 2013 the company Research & Branding Group |access-date=5 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229030347/http://rb.com.ua/PR_Lenin_2013_engl.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[Statue of Lenin in Kharkiv]] - the largest statue of Lenin in Ukraine - was also toppled in 2014 by protesters including members of the [[Azov Battalion]]. |
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| ⚫ | Many prominent statues in the Eastern Bloc countries were removed in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of their socialist governments. Notable examples include the [[Monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky, Moscow|Monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky]] in Moscow, and the [[Lenin Monument (Berlin)|Lenin Monument]] in East Berlin. |
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| ⚫ | The [[Euromaidan]] protests in Ukraine saw a wave of Soviet-era monuments being destroyed by protesters; a notable example being the [[Vladimir Lenin monument, Kyiv|Vladimir Lenin monument]] in Kyiv, the destruction of which by [[Svoboda (political party)|ultranationalists]] was opposed by the majority of Kyiv's residents.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://rb.com.ua/PR_Lenin_2013_engl.pdf |title=PRESS-RELEASE "ATTITUDE OF RESIDENTS OF Kyiv TO REMOVAL OF LENIN'S MONUMENT" In the period from 10 to 14 of December 2013 the company Research & Branding Group |access-date=5 April 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131229030347/http://rb.com.ua/PR_Lenin_2013_engl.pdf |archive-date=29 December 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> |
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In 2015 Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]] approved laws that required the removal of all socialist symbolism in public places, with the exception of World War Two memorials.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32267075 |first= Vitaly |last= Shevchenko |title= Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols |work= [[BBC News]] |date=14 April 2015 |access-date= 17 May 2015}}</ref> |
In 2015 Ukrainian President [[Petro Poroshenko]] approved [[Ukrainian decommunization laws|laws]] that required the removal of all socialist symbolism in public places, with the exception of World War Two memorials.<ref>{{cite news|url= https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-32267075 |first= Vitaly |last= Shevchenko |title= Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols |work= [[BBC News]] |date=14 April 2015 |access-date= 17 May 2015}}</ref> As of 2016, 1,320 Lenin monuments and 1,069 monuments to other socialist figures have been removed, with the last remaining monuments being either within the [[Chernobyl Exclusion Zone]] or in [[Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine|areas under Russian occupation]]. |
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In August 2023 in the midst of the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]], the [[State Emblem of the Soviet Union|Soviet state emblem]] on the shield of the ''[[Mother Ukraine Monument]]'' was replaced with the [[Coat of arms of Ukraine|Ukrainian trident]] emblem.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lister |first=Tim |last2=Voitovych |first2=Olga |last3=Kottasová |first3=Ivana |last4=Noor Haq |first4=Sana |date=7 August 2023 |title=Ukraine replaces Soviet-era hammer and sickle symbol with a trident on Kyiv statue |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/07/europe/kyiv-statue-motherland-trident-symbol-intl/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 August 2023}}</ref> |
In August 2023 in the midst of the [[Russo-Ukrainian War]], the [[State Emblem of the Soviet Union|Soviet state emblem]] on the shield of the ''[[Mother Ukraine Monument]]'' was replaced with the [[Coat of arms of Ukraine|Ukrainian trident]] emblem.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Lister |first=Tim |last2=Voitovych |first2=Olga |last3=Kottasová |first3=Ivana |last4=Noor Haq |first4=Sana |date=7 August 2023 |title=Ukraine replaces Soviet-era hammer and sickle symbol with a trident on Kyiv statue |work=[[CNN]] |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/08/07/europe/kyiv-statue-motherland-trident-symbol-intl/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=7 August 2023}}</ref> |
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Revision as of 16:36, 9 August 2023
Soviet-era statues are statuary art that figured prominently in the art of the Soviet Union. Typically made in the style of Socialist Realism, they frequently depicted significant state and party leaders, such as Joseph Stalin and Vladimir Lenin.
Communist symbology was of great importance for propaganda purposes. Such symbolism included other statues that were portrayals of realist allegorical figures in motion, figuratively striding forward into the new Soviet age, as well as Soviet role models, such as Nurkhon Yuldasheva.[1]
Statues of prominent socialist figures - particularly of Lenin - were mass-produced and installed in villages, towns and cities across the Soviet Union. After World War Two, the socialist states of the Eastern Bloc similarly produced a large number of statues.
Removal of Soviet monuments
De-Stalinization
After the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953, his successor Nikita Khrushchev began to relax the repressive policies of Stalin's government in a period known as the Khrushchev Thaw. This culminated in Khrushchev's 1956 Secret Speech denouncing Stalinism. Statues that represented Stalin's cult of personality were subsequently removed from most public spaces in the Soviet Union and its satellite states as part of a process of "De-Stalinization".
The only statue of Stalin in Budapest, Hungary, was destroyed by citizens during the 1956 Hungarian Revolution; no replacement was ever made.
Post-Soviet developments
Since the Revolutions of 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, Soviet-era statues and monuments have been removed from many public spaces being either destroyed, moved to less prominent locations, or in some cases sold to private collectors. Soviet-era statues have become the subject of debate over the legacy of the Communist era in much of the former Eastern Bloc, and in some countries they have even been outlawed under Decommunization laws.
Many prominent statues in the Eastern Bloc countries were removed in the immediate aftermath of the collapse of their socialist governments. Notable examples include the Monument to Felix Dzerzhinsky in Moscow, and the Lenin Monument in East Berlin.
A statue of Lenin which was installed in Poprad, Czechoslovakia shortly before the Velvet Revolution was purchased by Lewis E. Carpenter, an American English teacher working in Poprad. In 1993 the statue was shipped to Seattle, Washington in the United States where it stands to this day.
Several "Sculpture Parks" have been established in post-Soviet states to display Communist-era statues in a museum environment:
- There is a Soviet Statue park (Grutas Park, promoted to tourists as Stalin World) in Lithuania.
- The open-air Muzeon Park of Arts in Moscow, Russia has over 600 Soviet-era statues.
- The Museum of Socialist Art in Bulgaria includes a statue park.
- The Statue Park Museum in Memento Park in Budapest, Hungary displays sculptures from the Communist era between 1945 and 1989.[2]
Ukraine
The Euromaidan protests in Ukraine saw a wave of Soviet-era monuments being destroyed by protesters; a notable example being the Vladimir Lenin monument in Kyiv, the destruction of which by ultranationalists was opposed by the majority of Kyiv's residents.[3] The Statue of Lenin in Kharkiv - the largest statue of Lenin in Ukraine - was also toppled in 2014 by protesters including members of the Azov Battalion.
In 2015 Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko approved laws that required the removal of all socialist symbolism in public places, with the exception of World War Two memorials.[4] As of 2016, 1,320 Lenin monuments and 1,069 monuments to other socialist figures have been removed, with the last remaining monuments being either within the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone or in areas under Russian occupation.
In August 2023 in the midst of the Russo-Ukrainian War, the Soviet state emblem on the shield of the Mother Ukraine Monument was replaced with the Ukrainian trident emblem.[5]
Gallery
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Socialist-realist allegories surrounding the Palace of Culture and Science, Poland. -
Relief from the Soviet military cemetery in Warsaw showing workers greeting victorious soldiers. -
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See also
References
- ^ National Encyclopedia of Uzbekistan (OʻzME). Birinchi jild. Tashkent, 2000
- ^ Memento PArk: THE SPIRIT AND STATUES OF THE COMMUNIST DICTATORSHIP
- ^ "PRESS-RELEASE "ATTITUDE OF RESIDENTS OF Kyiv TO REMOVAL OF LENIN'S MONUMENT" In the period from 10 to 14 of December 2013 the company Research & Branding Group" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 29 December 2013. Retrieved 5 April 2014.
- ^ Shevchenko, Vitaly (14 April 2015). "Goodbye, Lenin: Ukraine moves to ban communist symbols". BBC News. Retrieved 17 May 2015.
- ^ Lister, Tim; Voitovych, Olga; Kottasová, Ivana; Noor Haq, Sana (7 August 2023). "Ukraine replaces Soviet-era hammer and sickle symbol with a trident on Kyiv statue". CNN. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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