Who is Zurab Tsereteli? Sculptural works of Zurab Tsereteli

The biography of Zurab Tsereteli is monumental, as is his work. The list of works of this outstanding artist includes hundreds of sculptures, monuments, panels, mosaics, and canvases all over the world; over 40 personal exhibitions of the monumentalist took place. The list of honorary titles, awards, bonuses and other merits of the master is long. Today Zurab Tsereteli lives in Moscow, heads the Russian Academy of Arts and the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, and continues to work fruitfully.

Childhood and youth

The most famous muralist of our time was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. The formation of young Zurab on the path of creativity was determined by the atmosphere in which the boy spent his childhood. The parents did not belong to the world of art: mother Tamara Nizharadze devoted her life to home and children, father Konstantin Tsereteli worked as a mining engineer and taught at a technical university.

But his mother’s brother, Georgiy Nizharadze, was a painter. While visiting his house, little Zurab not only learned to draw, but was also imbued with the aura of conversations about art, because leading people of that time came to visit his uncle. At the age of 8, Zurab entered the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts, from which he graduated with excellent marks in 1958.

Creation

It seemed that time itself dictated the artist’s development in the style of the monumental genre. The era of the 60s, industrialization, the development of virgin lands, the solution of global problems, mass construction and resettlement - all this was reflected in Tsereteli’s desire to introduce novelty into what he was doing. And the first position - artist-architect - gave me such an opportunity.

Among the works completed at this time were artistic decorations for resort complexes in Georgia (Gagra, Sukhumi, Borjomi, Pitsunda). Mosaic painting becomes a feature of the master’s work. A striking example of this was the bus stops in Abkhazia, created at the stage of early creativity in the early 60s and representing amazing art objects in the form of fantastic sea creatures.

Along with artistic and decorative work, Tsereteli participates in exhibitions. The first success was brought by the painting “Guardian of the World” at the exhibition of the same name in Moscow. In 1967, a personal exhibition of the master took place in Tbilisi. At the same time he was awarded the title of Honored Artist of the Georgian SSR.

At the same time, Tsereteli is actively expanding the geography of its activities. One by one, orders were received for the design of a wide variety of buildings and structures: the House of Cinema in Moscow (1967-1968), the Palace of Trade Unions in Tbilisi, the Seabed swimming pool in Ulyanovsk (1969), the resort complex in Adler (1973), the hotel " Yalta-Intourist" in Crimea (1978) and much more.

During the 70-80s, the master worked a lot and fruitfully. Since 1970, being the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he has been involved in the decoration of embassies of the Soviet Union abroad, travels a lot, and meets famous foreign artists. There is also a lot of work at home, especially after being appointed chief artist of the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. All this earned the master the honorary title of People's Artist of the USSR in 1980.

The artist began working on monumental sculptures back in the late 70s. The bright conclusion of the work was the sculptural composition “Happiness for the Children of the World.” In 1983, the “Friendship Forever” monument was opened in Moscow, marking the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of St. George between Russia and Georgia.

In the same year, in honor of this date, in his native Georgia, the artist built and opened the Arch of Friendship - a mosaic panel that to this day delights tourists on the Cross Pass near the Georgian Military Road.

The master dedicated a number of sculptures to prominent figures of history and modernity. Among the striking creations of this trend: a monument to the poetess in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (France) and Moscow, a monument in Apatity, a monument to John Paul II (France), in Moscow.

In 2017, the Alley of Rulers opened in the Russian capital - a gallery of bronze busts by Zurab Tsereteli, depicting the leaders of the Russian state from the era of Rurik to the 1917 revolution.

But the monument involved Tsereteli’s name in a scandal. The capital's public reacted extremely negatively to both the sculpture and the idea of ​​its construction, calling the former, as Izvestia wrote, “disfiguring the city.” The king is depicted at full height, standing on the deck of a giant sailboat.

The question of demolishing the monument was even raised, but today passions have subsided, and the monument continues to stand on an artificial island on the Moscow River, remaining one of the largest in the capital (height - 98 m, weight - over 2000 tons).

Tsereteli is no stranger to being criticized: the master’s works are sometimes accused of gigantomania and bad taste, as was the case, for example, with the “Adam’s Apple”, located in the Art Gallery he opened, or with the “Tree of Fairy Tales” in the Moscow Zoo. The author himself takes this calmly.

Personal life

While still studying at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, Zurab Tsereteli met his future wife Inessa Andronikashvili, who came from a princely family. The couple have been married for more than 45 years. In 1998, after the death of Inessa Alexandrovna, the artist organized his first personal exhibition in Moscow, named after his wife.

The daughter of Zurab Konstantinovich and Inessa Alexandrovna, Elena, and her children Vasily, Victoria and Zurab live in Moscow. Today there are already four great-grandchildren in the Tsereteli family: Alexander, Nikolai, Philip, Maria Isabella.

Charity

Zurab Tsereteli's life is closely connected with charity. Some of the works were created by the master free of charge, as a gift to one or another city, institution, or foundation.

The artist participates in charity exhibitions and auctions, donating funds from sold works to the fight against childhood diseases.

By the way, in 2007, The Georgian Times included Zurab Tsereteli among the ten richest persons of Georgian nationality in the world, indicating the artist’s fortune at $2 billion.

Zurab Tsereteli today

In 2018, Zurab Konstantinovich turned 84 years old. But the rhythm of creative life does not subside. The master creates, organizes exhibitions, gives master classes for children, gladly participates in interviews and poses for photos, but most importantly, he is full of new ideas and projects. In 2016, the Tsereteli house-museum opened in the village of Peredelkino near Moscow.

In 2014, the muralist became a full holder of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, receiving the IV degree award. The sculptor calls constant work “without any vacations or vacation breaks” the main secret of health and longevity.

Works

• 1997 - Monument to Peter the Great (Moscow, Russia)
• 1995 - Memorial “Tear of Sorrow” (New Jersey, USA)
• 1983 - Monument “Friendship Forever” (Moscow, Russia)
• 1990 - Monument “Good conquers evil” (New York, USA)
• 2006 - Monument to St. George the Victorious (Tbilisi, Georgia)
• 1995 - Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill (Moscow, Russia)
• 1995 - Monument “The Birth of a New Man” (Seville, Spain)
• 1995 - Monument “Tragedy of Nations” (Moscow, Russia)
• 2016 - Monument to Shota Rustaveli (St. Petersburg, Russia)
• 2013 - Sculptural composition dedicated to women (Moscow, Russia)

(born 1934) Russian sculptor, designer

All his life Zurab Tsereteli has been busy saturating cities with his sculptural compositions. In Moscow alone there are about a dozen of them. This is a column with script from the letters of the Armenian, Georgian and Slavic alphabets on Tishinskaya Square, the sculptural composition “Tragedy of Nations” on Poklonnaya Hill, figures of animals in the Alexander Garden at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, sculptural fragments of crosses and doors, as well as the interior decoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior , reconstruction of Manezhnaya Square according to Tsereteli’s design, his monument to Peter I.

Obviously, contemporaries should be grateful to the sculptor for his desire to please people with his art. However, the work of Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli evokes an ambiguous attitude towards itself. Some speak of him as a man of great talent, others believe that the sculptor achieved fame thanks to his organizational skills. “There are too many Tseretelis everywhere,” say his critics. And there really is a lot of it. Sculptural compositions of Zurab Tsereteli are installed not only in Moscow, St. Petersburg, in the sculptor’s homeland in Georgia, but also in other countries of the world. Tsereteli made three sculptures for the USA. His composition “Good Conquers Evil,” made from the remains of Soviet and American SS-20 and Zersching nuclear missiles, is installed in front of the UN headquarters in New York. Tsereteli's sculptures are located in London, Paris, Tokyo, Rio de Janeiro, in the capitals and cities of eleven countries around the world.

However, Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli knows how to defend his point of view on art. He has no doubt that time will put everything in its place and his descendants will be grateful to him for his functional art, which is aimed at the benefit of man.

It seems that Zurab Tsereteli had to defend his position all his life, and he fully mastered the art of compromise. “I was often criticized, but I always did my job. I did not allow myself to be distracted by sorting out relationships and conflicts. I have such a character: I wake up and don’t remember yesterday’s grievances. A creative person cannot be vindictive,” says the sculptor.

Problems with self-affirmation began in his student years. Zurab Tsereteli studied at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts and prepared a painting for graduation called “Song about Tbilisi.” However, the commission saw elements of convention in it, and Tsereteli was not allowed to defend himself. Someone else in his place would have been confused or would have continued to defend his point of view. But he chose a different path. Tsereteli persuaded his friend to pose for him and in two weeks he painted another picture called “The New Man,” depicting a strong athlete with a tennis racket in his hands. This time the painting fully complied with the principles of socialist realism and was made in the spirit of the then recognized poster art. This work completely satisfied the demanding commission. Zurab Tsereteli defended his diploma with honors, and thus the conflict was resolved.

After the academy, he had to go to work at the Institute of Ethnography and Archeology to support his family. He was already married then, and his wife was expecting a child. However, this time was not wasted for the sculptor. Together with scientific expeditions, he traveled the length and breadth of Georgia, learned its history, life, and customs of the people well, without which a true artist cannot become a true artist.

Finally, Zurab Tsereteli managed to receive an order to decorate the city of Pitsunda. This became his first big professional work. He based his project on a plot on an ancient theme about the Argonauts who sailed to Colchis for the Golden Fleece. His next work - a project for a children's town in Adler - was awarded the Lenin Prize.

Since then, Tsereteli has been rapidly growing and there has been no shortage of orders. He designed the Yalta Hotel in Crimea, worked in Miskhor, and became the chief designer for the design of the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow. By this time, Zurab Tsereteli was already settling in Moscow. In 1967, he received a studio on Tverskoy Boulevard, in which, according to the sculptor, Vladimir Vysotsky celebrated his wedding with Marina Vladi.

However, Tsereteli does not break his ties with his homeland and alternately lives in Moscow and Tbilisi. This continued until he had disagreements with the then President of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, who demanded that the sculptor not host US President George W. Bush in his Moscow workshop. By refusing to comply with this demand, Zurab Tsereteli became “an enemy of the Georgian people.” In Tbilisi, his statue “Ring of Friendship” was blown up, a house was set on fire, in which 100 paintings were burned and many other valuable things were destroyed. After this incident, Tsereteli finally moved to Moscow. Here the sculptor received as a gift from the Russian government a luxurious mansion and a plot of land in the very center of Moscow, on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street, which previously belonged to the German Embassy. This also caused disapproval in artistic circles, but Tsereteli believes that in this case justice prevailed, since his ancestors once owned this land, and now it has rightfully returned to him.

Tsereteli, in turn, donated his mansion in Tbilisi, which once housed the first Russian mission in Georgia, to the Russian government, and now the Russian embassy in Georgia is located there.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli likes to say that all his wealth comes from his work and his friends. He works really hard. However, the sculptor has not only obvious and secret ill-wishers, but also good friends. Among them are artists, scientists, and politicians. He considers the now deceased great artists of our time M. Saryan, Pablo Picasso, Marc Chagall, D. Siqueiros to be his friends. Tsereteli says that Siqueiros specially came to Tbilisi to look at his mosaic panel, he also went to Adler, where the sculptor was designing a children’s playground at that time, and seemed to say: “My teacher Rivera once worked like that, but he had plastic art.” evil, but yours is kind.”

His family is small. His only daughter is married to the son of the former chief architect of Moscow M. Posokhin, and his grandson graduated from high school at the UN.

Zurab Tsereteli is not offended by the authorities. He is a laureate of the Lenin and State Prizes of the USSR. Currently he is a People's Artist of the Russian Federation and President of the Academy of Arts.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli is still tireless, continues to work hard and is thinking about many new projects, not forgetting to repeat his favorite saying: “The dogs bark, but the caravan moves on.”

The name of Zurab Tsereteli is known all over the world. He leaves no one indifferent: he is either loved with all his soul, or hated just as passionately. The sculptor lived a life filled with creativity, and today he continues to work intensively and is active in social activities.

Origin and childhood

Zurab Tsereteli was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi into a Georgian family with princely roots. His father belonged to an old princely family, as did his mother. The father of the future sculptor worked as a civil engineer, his mother kept house. As a child, Zurab spent a lot of time in the house of his maternal uncle, Georgiy Nizharadze, an artist and painter. A special creative atmosphere reigned in his house; Georgian artists often visited here: Sergo Kobuladze, Ucha Japaridze, David Kakabadze. They saw talent in the boy and became his first teachers.

Education

After school, the future sculptor Tsereteli entered the Tbilisi Academy of Arts at the Faculty of Painting. And all his life he considers himself first and foremost a painter, and only then a sculptor, monumentalist. Zurab graduated from his studies in 1958. After six years, during which he worked as an artist-architect at the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography at the Georgian Academy of Sciences, he went to study in France. During this trip, Tsereteli managed to communicate with a large number of famous artists and artists, including Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall, who highly appreciated the talent of the aspiring Georgian artist.

The path to great art

Since the late 60s, Tsereteli has been attracted by monumental creativity and mosaics. The sculptor is distinguished by great hard work and high productivity, which is why he manages to create such a large number of works. Among the first works that brought him fame were a design project for a resort complex in Pitsunda (1967), a series of mosaic and stained glass compositions in Tbilisi (1972), and an original children's resort town in Adler (1973). The implementation of such serious projects gave Tsereteli access to even more serious work. He carries out orders for the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where he worked as chief artist. Zurab Konstantinovich’s work on the design of the Olympics and on the development of the project for the Izmailovo hotel complex in Moscow in 1980 was significant.

Over the next 10 years, numerous monuments to Tsereteli appeared in Russia and abroad. He is more interested in metal structures; he makes many large-scale monuments and several experimental projects with stained glass. In the early 90s, Tsereteli moved to Moscow, where, with the active support of Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, he created many monumental compositions for the Russian capital.

Also, for many years, Zurab Konstantinovich has been creating sculptural portraits of his contemporaries, which are installed in many cities of the country and the world.

Tsereteli himself considers painting to be the most important part of his creativity. Over his long life, he painted more than 5,000 paintings on various topics. His works are in many private and public collections around the world.

Religious theme in Tsereteli's works

The most important theme in the art of Zurab Tsereteli is faith. He actively participated in the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, changing the original plan. This caused outrage among historians, but he took the side of the artist, and the sculptor’s adjustments remained. Zurab Konstantinovich repeatedly turned to religious topics. So, he created a monument to Pope John Paul II. But the largest one was the Artist conceived it for the Olympic Sochi, but it was not possible to install the monument there. Later, they tried to install Zurab Tsereteli's Jesus Christ in St. Petersburg, but even there he did not fit into the landscape. This is not surprising, because the height of the monument together with the pedestal is 80 meters.

Peter the First

The sculptor Tsereteli has always gravitated towards large-scale structures, and in 1997 he received a grandiose order from the Moscow government. He was commissioned to erect a large-scale sculpture on an artificial island on the Moscow River. This is how it appeared. Its height is 98 meters. The construction of the monument caused enormous outrage among the public, and after Luzhkov left the post of mayor, there were proposals to remove the monument. However, no one took on such responsibility and expenses, and the monument still stands in Moscow.

Famous works

In Tsereteli’s enormous legacy, it is difficult to identify the most significant works: their list is very long. However, the most resonant and large-scale creations include the following:

Memorial monument on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow;

Shopping and entertainment complex "Okhotny Ryad" in Moscow;

The monument “Friendship Forever”, dedicated to the Russian-Georgian;

Sculptures on Manezhnaya Square in Moscow;

The composition “Good conquers evil” in New York;

Two versions of the sculpture “The Birth of the New Man” in Paris and Seville;

Sculpture "Hare" in Baden-Baden;

Public opinion and criticism

Often Tsereteli’s monuments cause a great deal of resonance, criticism and even rejection. Many of his creations caused great public unrest and negative assessments from experts. Thus, his work on the Cathedral of Christ the Savior received a lot of criticism, in which the sculptor made very serious deviations from the reconstruction project, which violated the historical image of the object being restored. Only the lazy did not speak out about his monument to Peter the Great: Tsereteli was accused of violating the historical perspective of the city, of kitsch and bad taste. The famous work “Tear of Sorrow,” which the master wanted to donate to the United States in memory of the victims of September 11, caused a lot of controversy, which led to several cities refusing the gift, and the sculptor had to spend a lot of time finding a place for the monument. The same story repeated itself with the figure of Jesus Christ in Russia. Many art critics say that Tsereteli’s artistic abilities do not exceed the level of an average graphic designer. And psychiatrists seriously think about the artist’s complexes, looking at his passion for giant structures.

Modern Art Museum

Zurab Tsereteli, whose works have already been presented in many countries around the world, created a museum to promote his own creativity. Mayor Luzhkov allocated several buildings in the very center of Moscow for the Tsereteli Museum. The sculptor’s personal collection, consisting of 2,000 works of art, is housed here, and the collection is regularly replenished. Today the museum has an extensive collection of Russian art, including an interesting selection of works by Soviet nonconformists and contemporary artists. A separate building is occupied by a permanent exhibition of Zurab Tsereteli, located on three floors of the museum-workshop. Here you can trace the trends in the development of the master’s talent. The museum carries out extensive educational and outreach activities.

Social activity

Zurab Tsereteli always spent a lot of time and energy on social activities. He considers it his duty to help people and educate the younger generation. For some time he taught at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, and now gives master classes in educational institutions around the world. Tsereteli is the president of the International Assistance Fund, an honorary academician of many art academies around the world, he was appointed UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, and president of the Russian Academy of Arts. He was even a deputy of the State Duma and a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation.

Awards

For his vigorous and productive activity, the sculptor Tsereteli was awarded an incredible number of insignia, awards and prizes; it would take a very long time to list them all. The most significant awards include the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of Georgia, the USSR, the Russian Federation, Lenin and State Prizes. Tsereteli is a holder of the Orders of Lenin, Friendship of Peoples, and “For Services to the Fatherland” of the first, second and third degrees. He is also the holder of orders from Moscow, the Chechen Republic, the Orthodox Church and many countries of the world. He holds more than ten different honorary titles, the owner of more than ten different awards, 12 insignia from foreign countries.

Family

Sculptor Tsereteli is a happy family man. His wife, Inessa Aleksandrovna Andronikashvili, also belongs to an old princely family. The couple has a daughter, Elena, who today works as an art historian. Tsereteli has three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.

Muralist

Famous monumental artist, leading monumentalist in Moscow. President of the Russian Academy of Arts since 1997, director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art since 1999. In 1997, he became the author of the artistic design for the renewed Manezhnaya Square, and in 1995, the chief artist in the creation of the Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill. Author of the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill and the monument “300 Years of the Russian Fleet” on the Moscow River. In 1980 he was the chief artist of the Moscow Olympics, in 1970-1980 - the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hero of Socialist Labor. He has the honorary titles of People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of Georgia. Member of a number of academies, professor. Citizen of Russia and Georgia.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. In 1952 he entered the painting department at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. In 1958 he graduated from the academy and began working as an artist at the Institute of History and Ethnography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. Participated in various exhibitions. In 1964, he took a course in France, where he interacted with famous artists Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall.

In 1965-1967, Tsereteli was the main designer during the construction of the resort complex in Pitsunda. At the same time, by 1967, as the head of the artel, he established mass production of smalt for mosaic work. In 1970-1980 he was the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1970-1972 he created a number of mosaic and stained glass compositions in Tbilisi. In 1973 he became the author of a monumental ensemble for a children's resort town in Adler. This work brought Tsereteli fame both in the USSR and abroad. In particular, the famous Mexican artist Alfaro Siqueiros spoke positively about it.

In 1979, a monument to Tsereteli’s work “Science, Education for the World,” about 20 meters high, was erected in the American city of Brockport in New York State. There, in the same year, the monumental composition “Happiness to the Children of the World” was installed. According to some reports, Tsereteli was supposed to work together with Picasso to paint the UN building in New York, but this project was never realized.

In 1980, Tsereteli was the chief artist of the Olympic Games in Moscow. Also in 1980, Tsereteli created the monumental sculpture “Man and the Sun” about 80 meters high in Tbilisi, and in 1982 - the monument “Friendship Forever” in Moscow, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Treaty of Georgievsk and Georgia’s entry into Russia. Since 1985, he began working on the “History of Georgia” ensemble near Tbilisi. Finished work in 2003. In 1989, the Tsereteli monument “Breaking the Wall of Mistrust” was erected in London, and in 1990, the “Good Conquers Evil” monument appeared in New York.

In the early 1990s, Tsereteli came into conflict with the Georgian authorities and was forced to move to Moscow. Here, having received the support of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, he actually became the “number one muralist.” In 1995, Tsereteli became the chief artist in the creation of the Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Hill. He created the Victory Monument in the form of a monument to St. George the Victorious and a stele 142 meters high. In 1995-2000, Tsereteli participated in the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In 1997, he developed a general design solution for the updated Manezhnaya Square and the interiors of the Okhotny Ryad shopping and recreational complex. Also in 1997, a monument by Tsereteli “300 years of the Russian Navy”, or “Peter the Great”, 96 meters high, was erected on the Moscow River. Its installation caused a mixed reaction in society. In addition, in 1997, Tsereteli was elected president of the Russian Academy of Arts. In December 1999, he achieved the opening of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and became its director. In 2001, the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery opened.

In 2003-2010, Tsereteli erected many monuments in Moscow and other cities of Russia and the world, including monuments to the founder of the Academy of Arts Ivan Shuvalov in St. Petersburg, Princess Olga in Pskov, Honore de Balzac in the city of Agde in France, Cossack Kharko in Kharkov in Ukraine, General Charles de Gaulle in Moscow, Alexander Peresvet, hero of the Battle of Kulikovo, in Borisoglebsk, President of the Chechen Republic Akhmad Kadyrov in Grozny, Pope John Paul II in Ploermel in France, former Prime Minister of Japan Ichiro Hatoyama in Tokyo, Moscow composition "Wives of the Decembrists. Gates of Destiny" and a monument to the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan, as well as a huge copper hare in Baden-Baden. In addition, Tsereteli was involved in the design of new Moscow metro stations - "Victory Park" and "Trubnaya". Also in 2006, he erected a monument dedicated to the fight against international terrorism in the city of Bayon in New Jersey, opposite the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York.

Tsereteli's work evoked mixed reactions in society and among critics. He was reproached for monopolizing monumental projects in Moscow, violating the stylistic unity of the capital and creating his own works in a mass production process. Other critics spoke positively about Tsereteli's work and argued that he created his own style.

Tsereteli has been a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation since 2005. He was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, and has the honorary titles of People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of Georgia. The sculptor is the president of the Moscow International Foundation for UNESCO, an academician of the International Academy of Creativity, a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, a full member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, a professor at the Brockport University of Fine Arts and a corresponding member of the French Academy of Fine Arts.

Zurab Tsereteli is one of the most famous Soviet artists, and now the president of the Russian Academy of Arts. The talented and creative Zurab Tsereteli was able to express himself in almost all spheres of modern art - the author owns paintings, frescoes, mosaics, bas-reliefs, sculptures, monuments and other works.

However, with special inspiration, the master creates monuments of monumental art, investing in them his talent, experiences and soul. Despite the successful career and enormous popularity of the monumental sculptor, his works still cause mixed reactions not only among ordinary people, but also among art historians, art critics and colleagues in the creative workshop. What is the genius and ambiguity of the person of Zurab Tsereteli, we will understand in this article.

Biography of Zurab Tsereteli

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born on January 4, 1934 in the capital of Georgia. Both the father and mother of the future sculptor belonged to well-known princely families in Georgia, so the Tsereteli family belonged to the Georgian elite. Zurab Tsereteli's father Konstantin Georgievich was a successful construction engineer.

The mother of the future artist, Tamara Semyonovna Nizharadze, devoted herself to family and children. The key influence on the choice of the professional and creative path of the future master was Georgy Nizharadze, Tamara Semyonovna’s brother and a famous Georgian painter.

In the house of George Nizharadze, where Zurab spent a lot of time, the Georgian creative elite D. Kakabadze, S. Kobuladze, U. Japaridze and others gathered. It was they who involved the young man in the world of painting and art, taught him the basics of drawing and creating sculptures, and inspired him to be creative development.

The brilliant sculptor graduated from the Academy of Arts in Tbilisi, but his career path began with work at the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of Georgia. In 1964, Zurab Tsereteli underwent advanced training in France, where he became acquainted with the work of outstanding painters of the era P. Picasso and M. Chagall.

At the end of the 60s, the sculptor decided to develop in the field of monumental and sculptural art, after which hundreds of well-known monuments, sculptures, steles, monuments, statues, and busts were created, installed all over the world.

For his professional and personal merits, the sculptor was awarded a number of awards and titles: Hero of Socialist Labor, People's Artist of the USSR, laureate of the Lenin Prize, State Prizes of the USSR, State Prize of Russia, Knight of the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor.

From 1997 to the present day, Zurab Tsereteli has headed the Russian Academy of Arts. In 2003, Zurab Tsereteli received Russian citizenship for his professional achievements and services to Russia.

The brilliant sculptor is also successful in family life. Zurab Tsereteli is married to Inessa Alexandrovna Andronikashvili and has a daughter, Elena, who gave him three grandchildren. And in the early 2000s, the Tsereteli couple added four great-grandchildren.

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The most famous works of Zurab Tsereteli

The author's creative heritage consists of more than 5,000 works, each of which is original, distinctive and unique. The hands of the great artist belong to dozens of landscapes, portraits, mosaics, panels, bas-reliefs, busts and hundreds of sculptural sculptures. All the works of the Georgian sculptor are dedicated to the most famous persons in world history (Sh. Rustaveli, George the Victorious, M. Tsvetaeva, B. Pasternak, etc.) and the picturesque nature of Russia and Georgia.

Sculptures and monuments to the maestro were installed not only in his native Russia and Georgia, but also in France, Brazil, Spain, Lithuania, Great Britain and other countries. It was the sculptural sculptures that became iconic in Tsereteli’s work and the most famous works. Thus, the most successful works of Zurab Tsereteli are recognized as:

• The paired monument “Friendship of Peoples” is one of the sculptor’s earliest works. The monument was erected in Moscow in 1983 as a symbol of the 200th anniversary of the reunification of Russia and Georgia;
• Victory Stele - erected in 1995 on Poklonnaya Hill in honor of the victory over Nazi Germany. The height of the monument is 141.8 m and has a symbolic meaning - each day of the war corresponds to 1 decimeter;
• The sculptural composition “The Birth of a New Man” was installed in 1995 in Seville. This sculpture is considered one of the most famous works of Zurab Tsereteli throughout the world. A miniature copy of the monument was also installed in France;
• The monument “Monument to Peter I” was erected in 1997 on an artificially created island between the drainage canal and the Moscow River. The monument was commissioned by the Russian Government and dedicated to the memory of the great Tsar Peter I. The height of the monument is about 100 meters;
• The “Tear of Sorrow” monument was created by the sculptor as a sign of sympathy and memory of the victims of the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. The monument was erected in the United States, and President B. Clinton was present at its opening.
• The “History of Georgia” monument was erected near the Tbilisi Sea. Work on the sculpture is not yet finished. Today, the monument consists of three rows of columns on which there are bas-reliefs and three-dimensional images of the most famous and iconic people of Georgia;
• The sculpture “Good conquers evil” was installed in the USA in front of the main UN building in 1990. The sculpture became a symbol of the end of the Cold War;
• The monument “St. George the Victorious” was erected in Tbilisi (Georgia) in 2006. The equestrian statue of St. George the Victorious is located on a 30-meter column on Freedom Square.

In the field of architecture, Zurab Tsereteli also created brilliant works. Under his leadership, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior was built. According to the sculptor's idea, the building was decorated with massive medallions made of polymer alloys, the cladding was made of marble, and the roof was made of a coating including titanium nitride.

One of the last creations of the sculptor was the Alley of Rulers, which is located in Moscow, on Petroverigsky Lane. On the Alley there are busts of all the rulers of Rus', created by the hands of Zurab Tsereteli.

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Tsereteli's scandalous works

The sculptor’s work also includes controversial, even scandalous works. A number of the most famous monuments aroused indignation and criticism from both customers and townspeople, and the installation of the monuments was shrouded in rumors and protests. Thus, loud scandals accompanied the installation of the following monuments:

• Monument to Peter I - even before the installation, some Muscovites were against the installation of the monument in their city. Residents organized pickets and rallies and wrote requests to the President. Protests continued after the installation of the monument. There were also rumors that initially there was a statue of Columbus in the place of Peter, but it was never possible to sell the monument either to Latin America or to Spain. After this, Columbus was replaced by a statue of the first Russian emperor and safely installed in Moscow. The scandal of Tsereteli's statue was added by its presence in the Rating of the Ugliest Buildings in 2008. Opponents of the installation of the monument sarcastically nicknamed the monument “Peter in a Skirt.”
• The monument “Monument to the Gendarme” (or “Louis”) was installed in Moscow, next to the Cosmos Hotel. The monument was created in honor of the leader of the French Resistance, but the French authorities refused the gift, after which the monument was erected in Russia. Subsequently, both French and Russian media blasted the appearance of the statue to smithereens. Thus, the press wrote that the great leader looked more like a martyr or a slave, his face was distorted by all the torments of hell, and his silhouette generally looked comical. There was an opinion that the statue looked like Louis de Funes, a famous French actor who played the main role in a series of films about gendarmes. Journalists debated whether the monument would cause an international scandal or amount to a diplomatic incident.
• The sculptural composition “Tear of Sorrow” was presented to the American people as a sign of sympathy for the tragedy of September 11, 2001. The author himself symbolically depicted the twin towers in his creation, but the Americans saw a completely different meaning in the monument. Thus, in one American publication it was written that the monument is visually similar to the genitals of a woman, and installing it would be an insult to the fair sex. Initially, the installation of the statue was planned at the site of the tragedy, but after such critical comments, the monument was installed in the state of New Jersey on the Hudson River pier.
• The “Tragedy of Nations” monument is a symbolic statue dedicated to the victims of Beslan. The sculpture represents a procession of genocide victims rising from their graves. This sculptural composition caused a mixed reaction among the population and critics. Thus, art critics positively assessed the sculpture, calling it the best work of Zurab Tsereteli. But Muscovites were categorically against its installation and organized pickets and protests. The townspeople called the marchers “zombies” and “coffins” and demanded that this “horror” be at least moved away. Subsequently, the sculpture was dismantled and moved deep into the park on Poklonnaya Gora.

Another scandal surrounding Tsereteli’s work occurred in 2009, when it was planned to install a statue of Jesus Christ on Solovki. The management of the Solovki nature reserve argued against the installation of the statue. The monument was never erected.