Mikhail Shemyakin: about freaks and people. Monument "Children - victims of adult vices" on Bolotnaya Square Children vices of adults monument

Sculptural composition "Children - victims of adult vices" - a rather rigid, but poignant monument, erected in the public garden on Bolotnaya Square in 2001. Since its installation, it has become one of the most famous and popular sculptural objects in Moscow.

The composition is dedicated to the influence of adult vices on the personality and life of children who are born completely pure, but then, getting into the adult world and finding themselves helpless in the face of its dangers, become their victims or grow up as vicious as their parents. The plot is conveyed with the help of 15 sculptures located on a large semicircular pedestal.

Children are depicted in the center of the composition - a small boy and a blindfolded girl; they sneak by touch with their hands out in front of them. Under their feet are books and a ball. The figures of children with all their appearance show that they need an intelligent guide, but he is not there - only those inherent in adults surround them. human vices. At the head of vices, Indifference rises above the children, which tries its best to ignore what is happening.

A lot of symbolism has been invested in the figures of vices, they are the living embodiment of troubles and dangers awaiting children. In total, the sculpture depicts 13 vices:

1. Drug addiction;
2. Prostitution;
3. Theft;
4. Alcoholism;
5. Ignorance;
6. False learning;
7. Indifference;
8. Propaganda of violence;
9. Sadism;
10. "For those who are without memory" (pillory);
11. Exploitation of child labor;
12. Poverty;
13. War.

The author of the sculptures did a good job, putting a lot of symbolism into them: for example, Drug Addiction and War, which begin and close the circle of vices, are made in the form of angels of death - the first, dressed in a tailcoat, offers a syringe with a courteous gesture, the second is chained in armor and is preparing to release from hands an air bomb. Prostitution is depicted in the form of a vile toad, spreading its arms in an inviting gesture, and Ignorance is represented by a kind of joker donkey with a buffoon's staff, who, judging by the clock in his hand, does not feel the limits and spends time on insignificant trifles. Pseudo-scholarship is shown as a robed and hooded "guru" who preaches false knowledge, Alcoholism is a disgusting pot-bellied man sitting on a barrel, and Theft looks like a richly dressed pig, furtively moving aside with a small bag. Sadism demonstrates a rhinoceros-man, at the same time a butcher and an executioner, Poverty - a withered old woman, the sculpture "For those who are without memory" is made in the form of a pillory. The figure dedicated to the propaganda of violence, with a false smile, offers children a wide choice of weapons, and symbolizing the exploitation of child labor, is made in the form of a sleek raven, with imaginary benevolence inviting to its factory.

Indifference is at the head of vices with closed eyes: it is given as many as 4 hands, with two of which it closes its ears, while the others are folded on its chest, standing in a characteristic protective pose. The figure tries its best to move away and not notice anything.

The space around the composition is never empty: to look at it, whole crowds often gather. For some, "Children - Victims of Adult Vices" is approved, others, on the contrary, say that the composition is too harsh, and the sculptures of vices are simply terrible, and they need to be removed from sight - one way or another, no one remains indifferent. Having made a lot of noise in the past, the composition remains rather ambiguous even now, thanks to which it has not lost its popularity and has been considered one of the most significant informal sights of Moscow for the second decade.

Sculpture "Children - victims of adult vices" located in the park on Bolotnaya Square (Repinsky Square). It can be reached on foot from metro stations. "Kropotkinskaya" Sokolnicheskaya line, "Tretyakovskaya" Kaluga-Riga and "Novokuznetskaya" Zamoskvoretskaya.

Luzhkov called me and said that he was instructing me to create such a monument. And he gave me a piece of paper on which the vices were listed ... At first I wanted to refuse, because I vaguely imagined how this composition could be brought to life. And only six months later I came to the decision that only symbolic images can stand up with dignity in this exposition, so as not to offend the eyes of the audience.
The result is such a symbolic composition, where, for example, the vices of debauchery are depicted by a frog in a dress, the lack of education is depicted by a donkey dancing with a rattle. And so on. The only vice that I had to re-figure in symbolic form was drug addiction. Because before our "blessed time" children never suffered from this vice. This vice in the form of a terrible angel of death, holding out an ampoule of heroin, stood up in my terrible collection of vices ...
I, as an artist, call with this work to look around, to hear and see the sorrows and horrors that children experience today. And before it's too late, sane and honest people need to think. Do not be indifferent, fight, do everything to save the future of Russia.

The monument "Children - Victims of Adult Vices" consists of 15 figures: two blindfolded children playing hide-and-seek are surrounded by a host of three-meter monsters with the heads of birds and animals. This is an allegory of drug addiction, prostitution, theft, alcoholism, ignorance, false learning, indifference, propaganda of violence, sadism, unconsciousness, exploitation of child labor, poverty, war. The sculptor explained that this is how it is customary to depict vices.

Shemyakin's work was criticized a lot and even called a monument to vices. It was said that the sculpture is harmful to the child's psyche, although children are looking at the monument on Bolotnaya Square with interest. And after the assassination attempt by the vandals, Shemyakin's sculpture was surrounded by a fence and access to it is open from 9 am to 9 pm.

Monument "Children - victims of adult vices" (Moscow, Russia) - description, history, location, reviews, photo and video.

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The sculptural composition consists of 15 sculptures. The boy and the girl are surrounded by vices of adults: drug addiction, prostitution, theft, alcoholism, ignorance, false learning, indifference, propaganda of violence, sadism, for the forgotten..., exploitation of child labor, poverty, war. And the children, blindfolded, play ball.

The first year after the opening, the sculptures could be approached closely. However, after the attempted vandals, the authorities decided to enclose it with a fence, set up guards and open it to visitors at certain hours. The gate behind which the monument stands is open from 9 am to 9 pm.

According to the author, sculptural composition was conceived as a call and a symbol for the struggle for the salvation of today's and future generations. Thus, Michael calls to look around and finally see what is happening in the world. And it is still not too late to reflect and start taking measures to correct the current situation.

The monument causes a mixed reaction. More than once, the composition has been criticized and accused that, in fact, it is a monument to the vices themselves. Nevertheless, this monument is among the most popular modern sights of the city.

An unusual monument is located in the city of Moscow and was made by sculptor Mikhail Mikhailovich Shemyakin. Its name contains the very essence of the sculptural ensemble - "Children - victims of the vices of adults."

Fully installation work on the installation of sculptures was completed in 2001.

In the center of the raised pedestal-platform there are sculptures of a boy and a girl, whose eyes are covered with a bandage. The plasticity of the figures is made in such a way that it seems that they are moving forward by touch with uncertain steps. Under the feet of the children - a book and an impromptu ball.

In a semicircle around the center of the composition there are sculptures of human adult vices in an ominous amount - 13:

• Addictionpresented in the form of a thin man dressed in a tailcoat and flaunting a bow tie. In one hand, a bag with a dose of the drug, and a syringe is clamped in the other.
• Prostitutionappears in the form of a sort of vile toad with an elongated mouth, bulging eyes and a huge bust. Her decrepit body is dotted with warts, and poisonous snakes curl around her waist.
• Theftrepresents a cunning pig with its back to the children, hiding a bag with a ringing coin in its paw.
• Alcoholismassociated with a half-naked man with a sugary physiognomy. He sits on a barrel of cheerful wine, holding a snack and a beer goblet in his hands.
• Ignorance appears in the form of a donkey - a kind of merry and carefree personality. There is a big rattle in his paws.
• Pseudo-science is represented by a sculpture of a woman in a hoodie and a blindfold draped over her eyes. In one hand she holds a scroll with some pseudo-knowledge, and on the other is a two-headed dog - the product of a false idea about science and its application.
• Indifference is the central figure of adult vices from which the rest are placed on either side. The sculpture has four arms, a pair of which covers the ears, and the second is crossed on the chest.
• Propaganda of violence somewhat reminiscent of Pinocchio, beloved by many children. It's just not kind fairy tale hero, but vice, which holds in its hand a shield with the image of a weapon. Next to this figure is a stack of books, among which you can see Hitler's Mein Kampf.
• Sadism is represented by a thick-skinned rhinoceros dressed in a butcher's uniform.
• Forgetfulness was sculpted in the form of a pillory, probably not finding an animated image for it.
• Exploitation of child labor appears as an image of an ominous bird with human face luring children to her factory.
• Poverty is represented by a withered old woman holding a staff in one hand and holding out the other for mercy.
• War is a certain person in a gas mask, dressed in armor. He hands the children a Mickey Mouse doll chained to a bomb.

It is worth noting that the monument "Children - Victims of Adult Vices" appeared in Moscow on the initiative of the then Moscow Mayor Yuri Mikhailovich Luzhkov. They say that he showed great interest in this work by Mikhail Shemyakin and even became a co-author of the image of "Sadism" (thick-skinned rhinoceros), spontaneously and on emotions in one of the discussions of the project, took the appropriate pose, which the sculptor, in the end, performed in metal.

Previously, access to this unusual sculptural exposition was open around the clock, but after it was damaged by vandals, the pedestal was surrounded by a fence with gates that open at strictly defined hours.

“Children are victims of the vices of adults” is a sculptural composition by the artist and sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin, set in a park near Bolotnaya Square, set in 2001. List of vices (from left to right): Drug addiction, Prostitution, Theft, Alcoholism, Ignorance, Pseudo-science (Irresponsible science), Indifference (center), Propaganda of violence, Sadism, Pillory for those without memory, Exploitation of child labor, Poverty and War .
For some reason, I don’t want to talk about this monument in my own words, I’d rather give a few quotes from the artist himself and not only about his life and how this composition appeared.

"Luzhkov called me and said that he was instructing me to create such a monument. And he gave me a piece of paper on which the vices were listed. The order was unexpected and strange. Luzhkov stunned me. Firstly, I knew that the consciousness of a post-Soviet person was accustomed to urban sculptures obviously realistic. And when they say: "Depict the vice" child prostitution "or" sadism "(a total of 13 vices were named!), You have great doubts. At first I wanted to refuse, because I had a vague idea of ​​how this composition could be brought to life And only six months later I came to a decision ... "

In my opinion, this is not a monument to vices, and not a monument to “children who are victims of vices”, but a monument to us adults, what we become, committing vicious acts knowingly or accidentally - with donkey heads, fat bellies, closed eyes and money bags. This is a very powerful monument, serious, by no means entertaining and of course not for children, but completely for adults. Natalya Leonova, local historian.

The monument was erected not to children, but to vices ... This awesome symbolism is quite in the spirit of Masonic lodges, secret orders such as the Rosicrucians, occult sects... Identifying themselves with them (children from the sculptural composition), our living children will learn the psychology of the victim and will not be able to resist violence, evil...
The meaning (of the installation of the monument) is to legalize that satanic content that has always been hidden, not pulled to the surface. To him, to this satanic element, they probably want to accustom, tame people, they want to show that it is not so scary, but very good ...
The main thing is not to reconcile with evil. Is it not enough that the monument was erected? How many monuments stood, and then they were demolished, and this happened even throughout our lives. It is necessary to demand that the "monument to vices" be removed from the Russian land. Vera Avramenkova, Doctor of Psychology, one of the authors of the expertise in the Pussy Riot case. Excerpts from an interview in 2001.

Mikhail Shemyakin worked as a postman, watchman, scaffolder in the Hermitage. In the 60s he was subjected to compulsory treatment in psychiatric hospital, after which he lived in the Pskov-Caves Monastery as a novice. In 1971, he was deprived of Soviet citizenship and expelled from the country.

I did not engage in any "dissidence", I was simply recorded as a dissident. And I just painted pictures and tried to see the world with my own eyes.

Shemyakin lives in Paris, then moves to New York. In 1989, the return of Shemyakin's work to post-communist Russia began.

“I serve Russia, but here today I still feel like a foreigner, an alien, because I don’t fit into this society. ...I live in Russia, which is not here, but somewhere higher. But, as they say, they don’t choose relatives, but I belong to this country in my heart and soul. I serve her and will serve her - this is my duty, this is my duty, this is my love for her, for the people, which I feel very, very sorry for.

It is better to watch Shemyakin not in Moscow, but in St. Petersburg, where his work is presented quite versatile: and monuments (including Peter and Paul Fortress), and window dressing at the Eliseevsky shop, and ballets at the Mariinsky Theatre. But even in Moscow there is an opportunity to get acquainted with another facet of his work - in company stores