Monument to Minin and Pozharsky. The first Moscow monument

For the first time, ideas about the construction of the monument were voiced by residents of the Nizhny Novgorod province, supported by Emperor Alexander I, and the Russian monumentalist Ivan Martos brought the idea to life in 1818.

A brass-copper sculptural group - a monument to Minin and Pozharsky - was installed on Red Square in front of the majestic cathedral.

The front high relief of the pedestal depicts sacrificial Russian patriots giving their most precious things to the Fatherland. The high relief on the back side is thematic sketches about the military campaign and Prince Pozharsky, driving the conquering Poles away from Moscow.

The Imperial Decree on fundraising throughout Russia, voluntary donations and the publication of the names of patrons of the arts, and a competition for the best man-made project preceded the creation of the sculptural composition of Minin and Pozharsky. The Russians identified the monumental creation with symbols of victory. It was decided to erect a monument in Moscow, and a marble copy of it was to appear in Nizhny Novgorod.

Foundry master Vasily Ekimov was entrusted with the monumental casting. For the first time in European history, such a grandiose monolith was cast at once (in 10 hours of smelting 1,100 pounds of copper and 5 days of cooling).

The initial design for the pedestal included the use of Siberian marble, but during the work process granite became the base. St. Petersburg stonemason Samson Sukhanov carved a pedestal from 3 solid granite blocks.

The location for the monument was determined by Martos himself, choosing a site in the middle of Red Square, opposite the entrance to the Upper Trading Rows. An interesting fact is that when creating the sculptural images, his sons posed for Ivan Martos.

The grand opening of the monumental sculpture to Russian heroes took place in early March 1818 and became a national holiday. In connection with this important event, a guards parade was held on Red Square with participation in the celebrations of the imperial family. Stepan Degtyarev wrote the oratorio “Minin and Pozharsky”.

In the early 30s of the twentieth century. The massive sculptural composition of Minin and Pozharsky became a “disturbance” for technical parades and demonstrations and it was moved to the Cathedral Shrine of the Temple.

There is a copy of the majestic monument in Nizhny Novgorod. The sculptural work of Zurab Tsereteli is only 5 cm smaller than its Moscow counterpart. A monument was erected under the walls of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, near the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. A small copy model is on display at the art museum in Taganrog.

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On September 6, 1817, a monument to Minin and Pozharsky arrived in Moscow. It was cast in St. Petersburg and delivered by water through Nizhny Novgorod. For the first time in the history of Moscow, a monument was erected in honor of national heroes, and not the sovereign.

Work on the creation of the monument began in 1804. They were led by the Russian monumental sculptor Ivan Petrovich Martos, and the casting was entrusted to Vasily Ekimov, the foundry master of the Academy of Arts. The manufacture of the monument required 1,100 pounds of copper, the melting time of which was about ten hours.

Who are Minin and Pozharsky? Where they lived? What are you famous for?

Let's look into history. They accomplished their feat almost four hundred years ago. It was a difficult time for Rus', called by the people “hard times.” Ancient Novgorod was captured by the Swedes. All of Rus' in the West and North-West was in the hands of the Polish-Lithuanian interventionists. Even in the capital there was a Polish garrison. The enemies ruled and committed outrages.

1611 was one of the most difficult in the history of Moscow and the entire Russian land. Russia was threatened with loss of independence. In addition, unprecedented troubles befell the Russian land: there was an unprecedented drought for several years in a row, there was a severe crop failure, and famine began. Entire villages died out.

It seemed that there was no darker time in history than this; it seemed that Rus' was perishing from all the misfortunes that had befallen it, and there was nowhere to wait for salvation. But it came!

At this time, a wealthy merchant Kuzma Minin lived in the city of Nizhny Novgorod (on the Volga). He called on Novgorodians to fight foreigners:

“Brothers! Let’s stand for the Russian land, take up arms without exception, give up our property, collect money for the army, liberate Moscow from foreigners!”

The people of Nizhny Novgorod perked up, gathered a militia and moved towards Moscow. Along the way, people joined the militia from all sides, and the army was led by Prince Dmitry Mikhailovich Pozharsky.

In 1612, Russian regiments approached the capital and here they fought with the Poles, fought bravely for three days and won, and soon the Kremlin was liberated from the last invaders who had taken refuge there.

This great feat of citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky remained forever in the people's memory.

“The crowd of residents was incredible”

The grand opening of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky took place on February 20, 1818. Troops were lined up on Red Square, filled with thousands of Muscovites, and a military parade took place. Amid the beating of drums and shouts of “hurray,” the cover was removed from the monument. One of the Moscow newspapers described this event as follows:

“During this solemn ceremony, the crowd of residents was incredible; all the shops, the roofs of the Gostiny Dvor, the shops built specifically for the nobility near the Kremlin wall, and the very towers of the Kremlin were strewn with people eager to enjoy this new and extraordinary spectacle.”

The monument made a great impression on the audience. It depicts the Nizhny Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin in a Russian shirt, calling on Dmitry Pozharsky to lead the militia and lead him to save the fatherland. Pozharsky, leaning on his shield, takes the sword from Minin’s hands.

The pedestal of the monument is made of three solid pieces of granite brought from Finland, and the famous bas-reliefs “Nizhny Novgorod Citizens” and “Exile of the Poles,” as well as the sculpture of Minin and Pozharsky itself, are made of bronze.

Interesting Facts

Interestingly, the monument also contains an image of the author of the monument. The pedestal of the monument is decorated with bronze reliefs on both sides. One of them shows a stylized image of the people’s militia expelling the Poles from Moscow, the other shows Nizhny Novgorod residents bringing donations to organize the militia. On the last bas-relief, the figure on the far left (a man sending his sons to the people’s militia) is Martos and his sons.

The significance of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky went far beyond the memory of the events of 1612. It not only became the first monument in Moscow, but also the first monument to depict a person from the common people.

In 1930, during the reconstruction of Red Square, the monument was moved to St. Basil's Cathedral. Already in our century, justice has triumphed in Nizhny Novgorod, where a copy of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky was erected opposite the fortress gates, from which the people’s militia once emerged.

In Moscow. This is the first monument in the capital, built not in honor of the sovereign, but in gratitude to the people's heroes. The monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square, created by the great Russian sculptor Ivan Petrovich Martos, became his best work. The sculptural composition reflects the patriotism and valor of not only two heroes of Russia, but also of the entire Russian people.

From the history

In 1803, the Free Society of Lovers of Literature, Science and Arts of St. Petersburg took the initiative to raise funds for the creation of a monument in honor of the heroes of the Nizhny Novgorod militia of 1612. The main figure of the composition was to be the national hero of the Nizhny Novgorod Zemstvo elder Kuzma Minin, and it was planned to install the monument in Nizhny Novgorod, since it was here that the Second Zemstvo Militia gathered.

For reference: In 1612, the Nizhny Novgorod merchant Kuzma Minin called for the creation of a people's militia and the expulsion of foreigners from Moscow. He proposed to appoint Nizhny Novgorod Prince Dmitry Pozharsky as the chief governor. A huge army was gathered near Nizhny Novgorod, for which people brought clothes, weapons and money. Under the leadership of these patriots, the people's militia with the icon of the Kazan Mother of God headed to Moscow and on November 4, 1612, Kitay-gorod was taken by storm and foreigners were expelled from the capital.

Creation of a monument

In 1808, a competition was held to complete the design of the monument, as a result of which the work of Ivan Martos won. Funds for construction were collected throughout Russia, and everyone could see an engraving depicting the future monument.

Ivan Martos worked on the sculptural composition for 14 years, from 1804 to 1817. It was planned to install it in 1812 for the 200th anniversary of the victory over the Polish-Lithuanian invaders, but the war with Napoleon prevented these plans from being fulfilled. At the same time, Russia's victory over the French caused a new wave of patriotism, the embodiment of which was the sculptural composition created by Martos.

Description

The main figure of the monument is the figure of Kuzma Minin - his raised hand points Pozharsky and the entire Russian people to Moscow, calling on them to protect it from the foreign yoke. The hero’s courageous torso and wide stride express his confidence and determination.

Dmitry Pozharsky is depicted sitting; he has not yet recovered from his wound, but has already responded to Minin’s call. In one of his hands is a shield with the image of the Savior, and the other hand is on a sword held out by Kuzma Minin.

The sword unites the figures of the two heroes, emphasizes their unity and expresses their readiness to lead the militia and lead the people in the fight against foreign yoke.

The works of Ivan Martos are mostly done in the classical style and therefore you can see that Minin’s face resembles Zeus and both heroes have antique robes. But, if you look closely, you will notice that the Savior is depicted on the shield. Kuzma’s shirt is trimmed with a pattern characteristic of Russian clothing, and his haircut is done with a brace, like a Russian peasant’s, that is, the author wanted to emphasize the important role of the Russian people in the victory over the occupiers.

The monument was opened on February 20, 1818. The ceremony was attended by Emperor Alexander I, his wife, Empress Elizaveta Alekseevna and a large number of Moscow residents. Initially, the sculptures were located in the center of Red Square, and later the composition was moved to St. Basil's Cathedral to make room for demonstrations and military parades.

In Nizhny Novgorod, instead of a monument, an obelisk was installed in honor of the heroes of the militia, and in 2005, on the initiative of Yuri Luzhkov, under the leadership of Zurab Tsereteli, a copy of the monument erected in Moscow was cast. This composition was placed under the walls of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, next to the Church of John the Baptist. It was from the porch of this temple that Kuzma Minin called on the people to unite and liberate Moscow.

The monument to Minin and Pozharsky on Red Square against the backdrop of St. Basil's Cathedral is a symbol of Moscow. This monument is dedicated to the heroism of the entire Russian people, united in the fight against the Polish-Lithuanian yoke.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, Moscow did not have a tradition of installing sculptural monuments: chapels and churches were erected in honor of significant events (for example, the Intercession Cathedral on Red Square, built in memory of the capture of Kazan). The first monuments in Russia appeared in St. Petersburg and were dedicated to its founder, Emperor Peter I. Over time, Muscovites also wanted to immortalize their heroes - the choice fell on Kuzma Minin and Prince Dmitry Pozharsky.

A proposal to create a monument to the leaders of the Second Militia, which liberated Moscow in 1612 from the Polish invasion, was made at the beginning of the 19th century by the Free Society of Lovers of Literature, Science and the Arts. It was initially planned to erect the monument not in Moscow, but in Nizhny Novgorod - the homeland of the militia. The model of the monument, on his own initiative, was made in 1804 by the sculptor Ivan Petrovich Martos, one of the most famous sculptors in Russia, who went a long way from the son of a poor landowner to a professor at the Academy of Arts and created the figure of John the Baptist for the portico of the Kazan Cathedral in St. Petersburg. In 1811, the initial decision was changed: the installation of a monument in Nizhny Novgorod was abandoned in favor of Moscow, the main location of the Second Militia. And after the end of the Patriotic War of 1812, the monument to Minin and Pozharsky acquired a new meaning: as a symbol of victory over the invaders and their expulsion from Moscow.

The monument was created after collecting donations, in which literally the entire country took part: the imperial family, nobles, merchants, townspeople, peasants - the size of donations ranged from 50 kopecks to 5,000 rubles, funds came from various provinces of Russia. The grand opening of the monument took place on Red Square on February 20, 1818 in the presence of Emperor Alexander I and with a huge crowd of people: people filled not only the entire Red Square, but also the roof of the Upper Trading Rows building and even the Kremlin tower.

The sculptor Martos formulated the general idea of ​​the monument as follows: “Minin rushes to save the Fatherland, grabs Pozharsky’s hand with his right hand - as a sign of their unanimity - and with his left hand shows him Moscow on the brink of death.” The new monument was erected in the very center of Red Square, opposite the main entrance to the Upper Trading Rows building. The choice of place is not accidental: Kuzma Minin, addressing the wounded Prince Dmitry Pozharsky with a call to lead the militia, points with his hand to the Kremlin, where the invaders are at that moment. Pozharsky leans on a shield with the face of the Savior Not Made by Hands, takes the sword from Minin’s hands and prepares to stand up. The pedestal is decorated with two bas-reliefs: on the front side there is a scene of collecting funds for the Second Militia, on the back side there is an attack and defeat of the Poles by the Russian army. In addition, on the pedestal there is an inscription: “To Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky, grateful Russia in the summer of 1818.”

In the first years after the revolution, there was a threat of destruction of the monument, and proposals were made to melt it down. Fortunately, these plans remained just projects. However, the authorities also could not leave the monument in its original place: officially the need to move was explained by the fact that the monument, being in the center of Red Square, creates obstacles for transport and demonstrations. But there was another reason: Minin now pointed directly at the mausoleum, in connection with which the townspeople began to have their own associations and sayings. As a result, in 1931, the monument to the heroes of the Second Militia “moved” from the center of Red Square to St. Basil’s Cathedral, where it remains today. In 2010–2011, a comprehensive restoration of the monument was carried out, which made it possible to strengthen it and prevent destruction.

By the way, Nizhny Novgorod still received its own monument: in 2005, Zurab Tsereteli created a slightly smaller copy of the Moscow monument to Minin and Pozharsky, which was installed near the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.

The sculptural monument in honor of the leaders of the people's militia, who put an end to the Time of Troubles in Russia at the beginning of the 17th century, enjoys the constant attention of guests of the Russian capital. He dedicated to “Citizen Minin and Prince Pozharsky”, as the inscription on the pedestal reminds. The monument was installed next to St. Basil's Cathedral on Red Square.

History of the creation of the monument

In 1802, students of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts received an assignment on a historical topic. They were asked to sketch a design for a memorial in honor of the feat of the people's militias led by the prince Dmitry Pozharsky and Nizhny Novgorod elder Kuzma Minin. A year later, the idea of ​​erecting a monument was expressed at a meeting of the very authoritative Free Society of Lovers of Literature, Science and the Arts. However, the emperor did not support her. Alexander I I was sure that it would not be possible to collect the required amount, and, as usual, there were no extra funds in the treasury.

The model of the monument was presented in 1804 by the adjunct rector of the Academy of Arts. By showing your own initiative, Ivan Martos already in the first version it deeply reflected the main message, which was the role of Minin and Pozharsky in the liberation of Russian land from foreign invaders. Despite the lack of imperial support, the residents of Nizhny Novgorod began collecting funds, and by 1808 the required amount was ready. Now Alexander I supported the petition of the Novgorodians and announced a competition for the best project. Martos’s work won, and the monarch ordered the installation of the future monument in Nizhny. The sculptor defended his point of view and obtained permission to erect a sculptural composition in the capital, where the main events of the Second People's Militia took place.

In 1811, the amount collected exceeded 135 thousand rubles, and the Committee of Ministers of the Russian Empire gave the go-ahead for the construction of the monument in Moscow. In the homeland of Kuzma Minin, an obelisk was installed using funds raised by Nizhny Novgorod residents. It can be seen next to the Cathedral of St. Michael the Archangel in the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. The ashes of the people's elder are buried in the temple.

Seven important years in the life of Ivan Martos

After the project was approved, a very important stage began in Martos’ life. The sculptor had to bring into reality a significant monumental work, which was supposed to become a symbol of everything heroic and patriotic that was and is in the Russian people. At the end of 1811, Ivan Martos began to implement the project, starting the creation of a small model of the future monument.

Erupted soon Patriotic War of 1812 did not stop the artist. He was helped in his work by his sons, who posed to create figures of militia leaders, and by sculptor Ivan Timofeev, who took on all the hard and dirty work. As a result, in 1815, both small and large models were presented to the public. Then the molds were removed from them, and the casting was entrusted to the foundry master Vasily Ekimov, who served at the Academy of Arts.

Ekimov used new technologies in his work and the production process looked very impressive:

Ekimov was one of the first among masters of his level to begin casting entire figures. Previously, such large monumental fragments were made in parts and then put together.

Before casting future sculptures, a mixture of beer and crushed brick was used to coat the wax blanks. The process was repeated 45 times, requiring fans made from natural feathers for drying.

To prepare the required composition from which the figures were supposed to be cast, the fire was continuously maintained in 16 furnaces. Within 10 hours, 13 tons of copper, 120 kg of tin and more than 700 kg of zinc were melted in them.

The casting process took only 9 minutes. On August 5, 1816, both figures as part of a single composition were cast simultaneously.

The author of the monument paid considerable attention to pedestal of the future monument. Martos found suitable granite in the Vyborg province. The sculptor entrusted the production of granite blocks for the pedestal to Samson Sukhanov. The famous stone sculptor created many unique works, including the Rostral columns and colonnades of St. Isaac's and Kazan Cathedrals in St. Petersburg.

The work was completed in May 1817, and the monument was to be transported to Moscow. The creators chose the waterway and transported the future monument along the Neva, Lake Onega, Sheksna and Volga. In Nizhny, he was solemnly greeted by Kuzma Minin’s fellow countrymen, and then blessed for the last stage of the journey - along the Oka and Moscow rivers. On September 2, 1817, the monument arrived at the walls of the Moscow Kremlin and work began on its installation in the very heart of the capital.

Symbol of the Russian spirit

The monument took about six months to build. Initially, it was planned to be placed at the Tverskaya Zastava on the square where the Belorussky railway station is located today. But Martos was convinced that the monument should stand in the very heart of the Fatherland. He achieved the realization of his own idea, and the sculptural composition took place on Red Square in front of the Upper Trading Rows. Minin and Pozharsky looked at the Kremlin; lanterns illuminated the composition in the corners.

The opening celebration has passed February 20, 1818 and was very lush. The walls and towers of the Kremlin could barely accommodate the entire city public who wanted to watch the ceremony. The event was accompanied by a specially written oratorio by the composer Degtyarev, and the combined guards regiments invited from St. Petersburg gave special solemnity to the event. The imperial family was present on Red Square in full force.

The public widely commented on the new monument, and almost all reviews of Ivan Martos’ work were enthusiastic. The sculptural composition on Red Square was called a symbol of Russian invincibility, and the names of the heroes, according to Belinsky, now could not disappear “in the ocean of eternity.”

Important Details

The initial ideas for the monument project differed significantly from the final version. So Minin appeared before the public in a tunic, Pozharsky wore a Roman helmet, and both of them held a sword, which served as the compositional center of the monument.

In the final version, Minin’s role is also dominant, as in the initial sketches, but the ideological plan looks more rigorous and complete. The Nizhny Novgorod elder calls on people to fight the invaders and hands the sword to Pozharsky. The prince must lead the people's militia, and his figure symbolizes the readiness to follow the call of Minin and the people of Nizhny Novgorod. The sword still represents the unity not only of the members of the sculptural group, but also of the entire Russian people.

On the bas-reliefs on the sides of the pedestal, made of Finnish red granite, the author of the monument depicted Nizhny Novgorod women and men bringing donations. They place them on the symbolic altar of the Fatherland in the hope that their values ​​will help save their homeland from the hands of foreign occupiers. The reverse side of the pedestal is dedicated to the victory of the people's militia. The battle scene depicts the fleeing, disgraced Poles, defeated by brave warriors led by Dmitry Pozharsky. The prince is depicted riding a horse, holding a sword in his hand, symbolizing the unity of the people during the Time of Troubles.

The height of the sculpture group is 4.5 m, the pedestal is about 3.7 m.

Copies of the monument in other cities of Russia

The people of Nizhny Novgorod finally got their Minin and Pozharsky. Historical justice was restored in 2005, when a copy of the capital’s monument was unveiled in the city. Its author is Zurab Tsereteli, and the Novgorod replica differs from the original only by a five-centimeter difference in height and less weight. The monument was erected at the foot of the hill in the center of Posad in front of the Church of the Nativity of John the Baptist. It was at this place in 1611 that Kuzma Minin called on the people to gather a militia and liberate the Russian land from the invaders.

A small copy of the monument adorns the museum in Taganrog. In the process of realizing his own idea at the beginning of the 19th century, it was carried out by the author of the monument, Ivan Martos.

The bronze mantel clock decorating the St. George's Hall of the Kremlin also repeats the theme of the monument to the leaders of the people's militia of 1612.

Another smaller copy was installed in 2017 on the territory kindergarten in the city of Irmino. The choice of location for the monument seems very strange, but is easily explained by representatives of the Greater Russia International Humanitarian Rally. The Stakhanov movement was born at one of the mines near the town in 1935, and the participants in the rally decided to celebrate this historical fact by donating Minin and Pozharsky to the city.

Moscow guides tell guests of the capital not only the history of the creation of the monument, but also many interesting details and facts:

- In the image of a father giving his sons to the militia, the author depicted himself and his children. Their figures can be seen in the background of the bas-relief on the left side of the pedestal. The profile portrait was made by Ivan Martos’ student Samuil Galberg. One of Martos’ sons took part in the Patriotic War of 1812, and the second was killed in France.

On Russian postage stamps The monument to Minin and Pozharsky appeared several times. This first happened in 1904, when a postal charity issue was held to support orphans of Russian army soldiers. In the USSR, a stamp with the monument was first issued in 1946.

In 2016, the Central Bank minted coin denomination of 5 rubles, the reverse of which depicts the famous monument on Red Square.

The image of the monument is also present in the design Taganskaya station Moscow metro. On the side of the hall and platforms in niches there are panels with a monument.

A bas-relief dedicated to the monument to Minin and Pozharsky can be seen in Treptower Park German capital. On one of the sarcophagi of the war memorial in Berlin there is a sculptural composition in which people donate property for the front against the backdrop of the monument.

The monument changed its registration in 1931. The beginning of the construction of the Lenin Mausoleum and the reconstruction of Red Square led to the fact that the monument was moved from the entrance to GUM to the Intercession Cathedral. Stalin signed the order for the relocation.

Nowadays, the memorial monument annually becomes the site of festive celebrations on the occasion of National Unity Day. The holiday was established in 2004 in memory of the deliverance of Moscow and Russia from invaders during the Time of Troubles.