The main vices of man. Mikhail Shemyakin: about freaks and people Monument on the Tretyakov Gallery 12 sins

A large, interesting and not very well-known monument is located in the very center of Moscow, in the park on Bolotnaya Square. It's called "Children - Victims of Adults' Vices." Although, in the classical sense of the word, it probably cannot be called a monument. This is a whole sculptural composition, a whole story that cannot be told in a few words.

He appeared in the capital on September 2, 2001, City Day. Its author is Mikhail Shemyakin. According to the artist, when he first conceived the composition, he wanted one thing – for people to think about the salvation of today’s and future generations. Many, by the way, at that time were against its installation near the Kremlin. They even assembled a special commission in the capital’s Duma, and it also spoke out against it. But the then mayor Yuri Luzhkov weighed everything and gave the go-ahead.

The monument really looks ambiguous and unusual. It is included in the top 10 most scandalous monuments in Moscow. The composition consists of 15 figures, two of which are small children - a boy and a girl about 10 years old. They are located in the very center. Like everyone else at this age, they play with a ball, with books of fairy tales lying under their feet. But the children are blindfolded, they don’t see that there are 13 scary tall figures standing around, reaching out with tentacle hands towards them. Each statue represents some kind of vice that can corrupt children's souls and take possession of them forever.

It is worth describing each in detail (from left to right):

• Addiction. A thin man in a tailcoat and bow tie, somewhat reminiscent of Count Dracula. There is a syringe in one hand and a bag of heroin in the other.
• Prostitution. This vice is represented in the form of a vile toad with bulging eyes, a deliberately elongated mouth and a magnificent bust. Her whole body is covered with warts, and snakes curl around her belt.
• Theft. A cunning pig who turned her back, clearly hiding something. In one hand she has a bag of money.
• Alcoholism. A fat, sugary half-naked man sitting on a barrel of wine. In one hand he has a jug with something “hot”, in the other a beer cup.
• Ignorance. A cheerful and carefree donkey with a large rattle in his hands. A living illustration of the saying “the less you know, the better you sleep.” True, here it is better to say “no knowledge, no problems.”
• Pseudoscience. A woman (probably) in a monastic robe with her eyes closed. In one hand she has a scroll with pseudo-knowledge. Nearby stands an incomprehensible mechanical device, and in the other hand is the result of the misapplication of science - a two-headed dog, which is held like a puppet.
• Indifference.“Murderers and traitors are not so terrible, they can only kill and betray. The worst thing is the indifferent. With their tacit consent, all the worst things in this world happen.” Apparently, the author completely agrees with this saying. He placed “Indifference” at the very center of vices. The figure has four arms - two crossed on the chest, and the other two covering the ears.
• Propaganda of violence. The figure resembles Pinocchio. Only in his hand is a shield with a weapon depicted on it, and next to it is a stack of books, one of which is Mein Kampf.
• Sadism. The thick-skinned rhinoceros is an excellent illustration of this vice, and besides, he is dressed in a butcher's outfit.
• Unconsciousness. The pillory is the only inanimate figure in the overall composition.
• Exploitation of child labor. Either an eagle or a raven. The Birdman invites everyone to the factory where children work.
• Poverty. A withered, barefoot old woman with a staff stretches out her hand, asking for alms.
• War. The last character on the list of vices. A man, clad in armor and with gas masks on his face, hands the children a toy - everyone's favorite Mickey Mouse, but the mouse is shackled in a bomb.

It is very difficult to unmistakably recognize a specific sin or vice in each figure, so the author signed each sculpture in Russian and English.

Initially, the monument was open permanently. But after those who liked to profit from non-ferrous metal started hunting for it, the composition was surrounded by a fence, security was assigned and visiting hours were introduced from 9 am to 9 pm.

People often come to the park on Bolotnaya Square. The newlyweds take pictures against the backdrop of fancy sculptures, without particularly paying attention to the meaning hidden in the sculpture. Many people criticize the composition and consider it ridiculous. Probably the most ardent opponent, Doctor of Psychology Vera Abramenkova. She believes that Mikhail Shemyakin erected a monument to gigantic vices; it was they, and not small children, who were the central characters. But most people treat the monument with understanding; they call it correct, for the place and for the time. The sculptor touched upon a problem that should not be talked about, but shouted about. Only Shemyakin did this not with the help of words; the author immortalized his views and beliefs in bronze.

“Children are victims of the vices of adults” is a sculptural composition by the artist and sculptor Mikhail Shemyakin, placed in the park next to Bolotnaya Square, staged in 2001. List of vices (from left to right): Drug addiction, Prostitution, Theft, Alcoholism, Ignorance, Pseudoscience (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 came to be.

"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 clearly realistic. And when they say: “Depict the vice “child prostitution” or “sadism” (a total of 13 vices were named!), you experience 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 - victims of vices,” but a monument to us adults, as we become, committing vicious actions consciously or accidentally - with donkey heads, fat bellies, closed eyes and money bags. This is a very powerful monument, serious, not at all entertaining and certainly not for children, but completely for adults. Natalya Leonova, local historian.

The monument was erected not to children, but to vices... This terrifying symbolism is quite in the spirit Masonic lodges, secret orders such as the Rosicrucians, occult sects... By identifying themselves with them (the children from the sculptural composition), our living children will internalize the psychology of the victim and will not be able to resist violence, evil...
The point (of installing the monument) is to legalize the satanic content that was always hidden and was not brought to the surface. They probably want to accustom people to this satanic element, to tame it, they want to show that it is not so scary, but very good...
The main thing is not to reconcile yourself with evil. Is it not enough that a monument has been erected? How many monuments stood, and then they were demolished, and this happened even during our lifetime. We must demand that the “monument to vices” be removed from Russian soil. Vera Avramenkova, Doctor of Psychology, one of the authors of the examination in the Pussy Riot case. Fragments from an interview in 2001.

Mikhail Shemyakin worked as a postman, watchman, and rigger in the Hermitage. In the 60s, he was subjected to forced treatment in a psychiatric hospital, after which he lived in the Pskov-Pechersky 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 registered as a dissident. And I was just painting pictures and trying 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, you don’t choose your relatives, and I belong to this country with my soul and heart. I serve her and will serve her - this is my responsibility, this is my duty, this is my love for her, for the people for whom I feel very, very sorry.”

It’s better to see Shemyakin not in Moscow, but in St. Petersburg, where his work is presented quite diversified: monuments (including Peter and Paul Fortress), and the design of shop windows at the Eliseevsky store, and ballets at the Mariinsky Theater. But in Moscow there is an opportunity to get acquainted with another facet of his work - in branded stores

Monument to Mikhail Shemyakin “Children are victims of the vices of adults.” Installed on Bolotnaya Square on September 2, 2001. The project for installing the sculptural composition was carried out by architects Vyacheslav Bukhaev and Andrey Efimov.
The sculptural composition includes: figures of children - a boy and a girl, who are frozen in motion, blindfolded, at their feet lie the books: “Russian Folk Fairy Tales” and A.S. Pushkin “Fairy Tales”, figures representing vices or evil are located in a semicircle modern world- drug addiction, prostitution, theft, alcoholism, ignorance, pseudoscience, indifference, propaganda of violence, sadism, instruments of torture with the signature “for the unconscious...”, exploitation of child labor, poverty and war.

Here is what Mikhail Shemyakin himself said about the history of the creation of the monument:
"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 clearly realistic. And when they say: “Depict the vice “child prostitution” or “sadism” (a total of 13 vices were named!), you experience 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 the decision that only symbolic images could stand up in this exhibition, so as not to offend the eyes of the audience.
The result is a symbolic composition where, for example, the vices of debauchery are depicted by a frog in a dress, and the lack of education is depicted by a donkey dancing with a rattle. And so on. The only vice that I had to re-shape in a 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, arose for me in this terrible gathering of vices.”

This is one of my favorite sculptures in Moscow. You can argue as much as you like about how Shemyakin realized his plan, many even say that this is a monument not to children - victims of vices, but to the vices themselves, there was a lot of debate about how it was impossible to install such a “horror” in the very center of Moscow, not far from the Kremlin and etc.
But, I believe that this sculptural composition is undoubtedly a talented work, the strength of the author’s presentation of ideas, frankness and honesty, which not everyone wants to deal with, and partly therefore causes rejection. In addition, allegorical figures personifying vices accurately convey the emotions that these vices evoke. The only thing I disagree with the author is that children are not born angels, they grow, acquire psyche, social norms and foundations with age and therefore it is very important that there is a truly adult next to the children significant person, and if this is not the case, then children grow, grow old, but do not mature, and the very evil that surrounds us appears, so I would clarify the name of the sculpture: “Children are victims of the vices of immature adults.”

Year of installation: 2001
Sculptor: M. M. Shemyakin
Architects: V. B. Bukhaev, A. V. Efimov
Materials: bronze, metal, granite

Monument “Children - Victims of Adults’ Vices” (Moscow, Russia) - description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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

The first year after the opening it was possible to get close to the sculptures. However, after the attack by vandals, the authorities decided to surround it with a fence, post guards and open it to visitors at certain hours. The grill behind which the monument stands is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

According to the author, the sculptural composition was conceived as a call and symbol for the struggle for the salvation of present and future generations. Thus, Mikhail encourages you to look around and finally see what is happening in the world. And it’s not too late to think about it and start taking measures to correct the current situation.

The monument causes mixed reactions. More than once the composition has been criticized and accused of being, in fact, a monument to the vices themselves. However, this monument is one of the city's most popular modern attractions.

In the article we will consider the monument “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults.” This is a rather interesting sculptural composition that definitely deserves our attention. You can find it on Bolotnaya Square in Moscow.

Acquaintance

The monument was created by Mikhail Shemyakin. The author tried to bring into reality the image of the struggle between good and evil. The sculptor created his composition to draw the attention of all concerned to the impact we have on the present and future generations. It's never too late to start over.

Description

In the center of the sculptural composition “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults” there are depicted a boy and a girl trying to move forward blindfolded. Under the children’s feet lie open books with fairy tales that have been read. They are surrounded by figures - those same vices. It depicts Drug Addiction, Theft, Ignorance, Alcoholism, Pseudoscience, Prostitution and Indifference. The last vice rises above the rest and is the most important. There is also Sadism, Child Labor, War, Pillory for those who have lost their memory, Poverty and Propaganda of Violence.

Mikhail Shemyakin worked on this composition at the personal request of Yu. Luzhkov. The mayor of Moscow also took an active part in the process of creating the monument. The press wrote that during one of the meetings between the architect and the mayor, the latter quickly jumped out of his chair to personally demonstrate how the figure of Sadism should look. As a result, this pose of Luzhkov was reflected in the metal.

After the sculptural creation was attacked by vandals, the city authorities decided to open the composition only at certain hours, surround it with a fence and place a guard. The grille goes up at 9 am and goes down at 9 pm.

Criticism

The sculpture “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults” on Bolotnaya Square has been criticized many times. Most often these were statements by particularly religious people. They don't like that vices are depicted too strongly. V. Ambramenkova - Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences and Researcher RAO believes that such a sculpture can have a negative impact on the child’s psyche. She also focuses on the fact that this is more of a monument to vices, rather than to children.

Drug addiction and prostitution

The description of “Children are victims of the vices of adults” will begin with the figure of Drug Addiction. The author of the composition showed this image in the form of Count Dracula, dressed in a tailcoat - such an angel of death. In his hands is a small bag of heroin and a syringe. Dracula offers, for an affordable price, how to “fly away” from the problems of this world.

Shemyakin depicts prostitution in the image of a toad, and in this sense there are some similarities with the image of the frog princess. At creation curvaceous and a seductive body, but it is all covered with nasty warts, and snakes are visible on the belt. In a broader sense than just prostitution, this sculpture refers to the hypocrisy and complete immorality of a person who does not experience sincere feelings. One well-known blogger wrote that hypocrisy must be understood as even its slightest manifestations: criticism behind one’s back, a lie, an insincere smile.

Theft

In the sculpture “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults” in Moscow, theft is shown by the author in the form of an ugly and cunning pig, waving its vile fingers, holding stolen money in its hand. Behind this creature’s back are bank details and a bag signed with the word “offshore”. IN modern life This vice is manifested not only in the fact that people give and take bribes, but also in the fact that for many the purpose of life becomes the accumulation of material wealth, and luxurious things begin to mean more than human feelings. Small child interprets all this in his own way, sees the picture in a different light and therefore accepts a false picture of the world as real.

Alcoholism, Ignorance, Pseudoscience

In the monument “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults,” alcoholism is depicted in the form of a cheerful mythical god who sits on a barrel with a smug expression on his face. This is an ugly old man with a big belly and a double chin.

Ignorance is shown in the form of a carefree, stupid donkey who holds a watch in one hand and a rattle in the other. This is an allegorical image of the fact that fun is given all the time, and not an hour.

The image of Pseudoscience is dressed in a monastic robe. He holds in his hands a scroll with supposedly useful knowledge, but the creature’s eyes are closed, and it itself does not know what it is doing. The point is that some knowledge harms humanity as a whole. This includes the production of dangerous weapons, genetic engineering, and an attempt to clone people, etc. To emphasize this, a mutated figure is depicted next to which Pseudoscience is leading like a puppet. To show the horror of pseudoscience, Mikhail Shemyakin suggests recalling a story that happened in America. Popular sedatives, advertised at every turn, caused women to give birth to children without arms and legs.

War and Poverty

This image is very similar to the droid from " Star Wars" Represents the angel of death. The image of war appears in which a gas mask is worn. He himself is in armor, and in his hands is a bomb sewn into Mickey Mouse. He offers it to children without a twinge of conscience.

In the monument “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults,” the image of Poverty is presented in the form of an old woman who stands leaning on a staff. She is barefoot and very skinny. Despite her almost complete powerlessness, she reaches out her hand, asking for alms. Here a debate arose between people about whether poverty could be considered a vice. Some recalled Ostrovsky's play, and others recalled Dostoevsky's words. The point is that it is possible to live in poverty. You can preserve your dignity, not the name of an extra piece of bread. But in poverty everyone is equal, and here you cannot remain special. But the one through whose fault others become beggars definitely deserves condemnation.

Child Labor Exploitation, Oblivion and Sadism

The architect presented it in the form of a bird with a huge beak. She invites those watching to follow her into the factory, where every wall has prints of children's hands. In a simpler sense, it means a meager childhood, routine at the most wonderful time in life, manipulation by a sense of duty.

Unconsciousness is depicted as a pillory along which snakes crawl. This means complete insensitivity to what happened in the past, to memory, to respect. The insensible pillar was enveloped by snakes, consciousness was clouded.

Sadism is shown in the form of a terrible rhinoceros, which looks at the person with open arms. Insensitive to the pain and feelings of other people, he uses a rope to support his huge, saggy belly. In an allegorical sense, this conveys the desire of adults to exercise their power over children, to teach them according to their own beliefs, even false ones. Many strive to dominate and suppress children, thus spilling out their complexes.

Propaganda of violence is depicted in the form of Pinocchio, who offers a variety of means to cause harm. By the way, today the propaganda of violence is most evident in games, cartoons and children's films.

Above all these monsters rises the main one - Indifference. This is the worst of vices, because all the others flow from it. This is a creature with an unconscious body, closed eyes and plugged ears. It is insensitivity and unwillingness to understand others that are the root of many troubles. The monument “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults” conveys the message that if, while committing evil, a person had come to his senses for at least 10 minutes, many sad events could have been avoided. After all, we all know how to “turn off” your inner voice and silently do what you need, even if it may harm someone else.