It turns out that in the area of ​​​​Arbat Square you can find three monuments to N.V. Gogol. Many people know about the monument on Gogolevsky Boulevard, some - about the monument in the courtyard of the house number 7 on Nikitsky Boulevard. Who knows where the third one is?

1. The history of the first monument is as follows. In 1901, a competition was announced for drafting a monument to N.V. Gogol. At first it was supposed to erect a monument to the centenary of the writer's birth on Arbat Square. But even before 1905, the place was moved to Prechistensky (since 1924 Gogolevsky) Boulevard, the competition was canceled. The monument was ordered to N. A. Andreev and opened on the boulevard on April 26, 1909. Reviews about the monument were contradictory: the writer looked too gloomy, a tragic figure.
In 1952, the monument was dismantled and for several years was in the Donskoy Monastery.

2. Now this monument is located in the courtyard of house number 7 on Nikitsky Boulevard. On the right is house No. 7a, where Count A. Tolstoy lived - an acquaintance of N.V. Gogol.

3. This is a small courtyard surrounded by low houses and separated by a fence from the bustle of the city.

4. The monument was erected here in 1959 to mark the 150th anniversary of Gogol's birth. In the center of the courtyard-square we see the hunched, dejected figure of the writer, wrapping himself in a lionfish.

5. Bronze bas-reliefs encircle the pedestal of the monument. Among the figures one can recognize many of Gogol's immortal characters: Khlestakov, Korobochka, Chichikov, and others. For the bas-relief of Tarasa Bulba, the well-known journalist and writer V.A.Gilyarovsky posed for the sculpture.

6. It is hard to imagine that this monument was intended by the sculpture N. Andreev and the architect F. Shekhtel to be installed elsewhere. It looks very organic here in the courtyard of the house where he spent last years(1848-1852) of his life N.V. Gogol. During this period, he experienced a spiritual discord with himself and former like-minded people. Here he burned the manuscript of the second volume of the novel Dead Souls and died here on February 21, 1852.

7. Behind the noisy Arbat Square with an underground transport tunnel we find ourselves on Gogolevsky Boulevard, where the second monument to N.V. Gogol stands. His gaze is directed towards the house where he died.
(The photo was taken from the monument in the direction of Gogol's gaze.)

8. This is the work of the sculptor N.V. Tomsky. The writer here appears in a completely different form - semi-official.

9. The monument was erected at the beginning of Gogolevsky Boulevard (instead of the monument by N.A. Andreev) in 1952 on the centenary of the writer's death.

10. The sculptor himself considered this monument to be his most unsuccessful work.

11. It is interesting that on Gogolevsky Boulevard there were lanterns and gratings made according to the project of N.A. Andreev in 1909. They were part of a single artistic ensemble conceived by the author. The monument was surrounded by four bronze lanterns, at the base of which were three bronze lions supporting a huge ball decorated with masks.

12. It turns out that on both sides of the Arbat Square there were two monuments to N.V. Gogol, reflecting different periods the life of the writer and a different state of mind.
And where is the third monument?
He found in memorial museumHouse N.V. Gogol at Nikitsky Boulevard, house number 7a. This monument is the work of the sculptor N.V. Tomsky stood on the grave of N.V. Gogol in the cemetery of the Novodevichy Convent, where Gogol's ashes were transferred in 1931.

13. Initially, the writer was buried in the St. Danilov Monastery, where a Calvary stone topped with a bronze cross was installed on his grave.

14. In 2009, during the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the writer, the appearance of his resting place, already at the Novodevichy cemetery, was returned to its original form. The monument to the work of Tomsky ended up in the Gogol Museum, where it is currently located.

15. At one time, terrible rumors circulated in Moscow related to the burial of N.V. Gogol. It was said that when Gogol's grave was being put in order for the 100th anniversary of his birth, his skull disappeared. Allegedly, he was kidnapped by cemetery workers for a very famous collector. The second rumor arose when in 1931 the burial was transferred from St. Danilov Monastery to Novodevichy cemetery. Then there was talk that perhaps the writer was buried in a lethargic dream, alive. Allegedly, scratches were seen on the lid of the coffin and the remains were in an unusual position.

The long-suffering Nikolai Vasilievich Gogol... Talks about the transfer of monuments to Gogol and the reburial of the ashes of the writer continue to this day.
(Illustrations 1, 2, 14, 16 are taken from exhibits Gogol's houses.)

On April 26, 1909, an article by V.V. was published in the Novoye Vremya newspaper. Rozanov about the opening of the monument to N.V. Gogol: “Today in Moscow the Grand opening All-Russian monument to Gogol. Near the bronze monument to the first Russian poet, the great and incomparable Pushkin, in the ancient capital rises the same bronze monument to his younger friend and peer, the Ukrainian artist of the word, who became the second in importance, in strength and influence, the poet of all Russia. Great and Little Russia through these monuments, erected precisely in Moscow, this dear "heart of Russia", they spiritually merge into one and symbolically say that there is one Russia and one Russian people, like one soul, one voice, one will".

Despite the general approval of the idea of ​​creating a monument to the writer in the very center of Moscow, N.A. Andreeva caused an ambiguous attitude of contemporaries. Already on May 29, 1909, an article appeared in the Petersburg newspaper under the heading “Project to replace the unsuccessful monument to Gogol with a new monument”, which said: “There are rumors that a group of artists and well-known collectors who remained dissatisfied with the monument to N.V. Gogol in Moscow, intend to open a subscription and, when a sufficient number of Protestants have gathered, file a petition to replace this monument with another.

The dissatisfaction was somewhat just: instead of a triumphant writer, the Muscovites were presented with a thoughtful genius in a pose full of despair. Contemporaries called the monument "crow" or "bat". Artist M.I. Nesterov said that "there is no mercy for Andreev" because he portrayed Gogol "dying, in mortal anguish renouncing everything he had done." Ilya Repin was one of the few who expressed his approval of the bold idea: "Touching, deep and unusually elegant and simple."

Bas-reliefs decorating the pedestal, authorship of F.O. Shekhtel. They expressively convey the images of Gogol's heroes. Among the characters, Fedor Osipovich portrayed his contemporaries. Bypassing the composition, you can find portraits of writers V.A. Gilyarovsky, A.I. Kuprin and the architect himself.

Monument to Gogol by sculptor Nikolai Tomsky

The Soviet government, which came in 1917, was at first pleased with the image of N.V. Gogol on the boulevard, which from Prechistensky became known as Gogol. In the mournful figure of the poet, they saw "a victim of the tsarist regime."

It is believed that the sculpture seemed too pessimistic to I.V. Stalin, and by his decree the monument on the boulevard was changed. Monument to N.A. Andreev was transferred first to the Donskoy Monastery, and then to the courtyard of the N.V. Gogol on Nikitsky Boulevard. However, bronze lanterns and gratings, designed by N.A. Andreev, which were part of a single sculptural ensemble conceived by the author, remained on Gogol Boulevard.

The monument of the work of Nikolai Tomsky was more suitable for the concept of "faith in a brighter future" promoted in the USSR. About the figure of the writer, which now towered on Gogol Boulevard, they almost immediately composed an epigram:

Gogol's humor is dear to us,
Gogol's tears are a hindrance.
Sitting, he inspired sadness,
Let it stand now - for a laugh!

In the mid-2000s, a movement began to move the monument to the sculptor N.A. Andreev to a historical place. However, no decision has been made on this issue.

Monument to Gogol, created by N. A. Andreev

In a small square in the courtyard of the former house of A. S. Talyzin on Nikitsky Boulevard, there is a monument to the Russian writer Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol. Its author, sculptor Nikolai Andreevich Andreev, refusing all the conventional and idealizing techniques characteristic of monumental urban sculpture, created a living and controversial image a man whose work he knew and loved well. In the life of this monument, which has a century-long history (its opening, dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Gogol, took place on April 26, 1909), there was everything: stages of complete oblivion and rejection, and a time of rethinking and sincere admiration.

FOLLOWING PUSHKIN

The idea of ​​creating a monument to N.V. Gogol in Moscow was born on June 10, 1880 immediately after the opening on Tverskoy boulevard monument to A. S. Pushkin. Two days prior to this great hall The last Pushkin holiday was held at the Noble Assembly, organized by the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature, of which N.V. Gogol was a full member since 1836. The ceremony was attended by the best representatives of Russian literature and its researchers: I. S. Aksakov, P. V. Annenkov, Ya. K. Grot, F. M. Dostoevsky, A. N. Maikov, A. N. Ostrovsky, A. F. Pisemsky, Ya. P. Polonsky, M. I. Sukhomlinov, N. S. Tikhonravov, and I. S. Turgenev. The well-known dramatic writer A. A. Potekhin, a full member of the Society, concluded his solemn speech, saying: “Having honored Pushkin, we will console his great shadow with nothing so much as putting in these days of honoring his memory the beginning of a nationwide subscription to the monument to Gogol ... And let's wish, gentlemen, that Moscow be the pantheon of Russian literature, that a monument to Gogol be erected in the center of Russia - Moscow!

Potekhin's idea was unanimously supported: for short term A temporary Commission was created, and then a permanent Committee for the construction of the monument, headed by the Moscow Governor-General, Grand Duke Sergei Alexandrovich.
As early as August 1, 1880, a widespread subscription was opened in Russia “for the compilation of capital” for the construction of a monument to N.V. Gogol. Gogol's fund was formed from various sources. In his favor, performances were given in both capitals and in the provinces, collections from them came from Chernigov, Uralsk, Yekaterinburg, Kherson, Tula, Torzhok. The fundraising announcement was published in the press, and signature lists were sent to various institutions in Russia. P.P. Demidov, a large Ural breeder, personally donated 5,000 rubles to the monument and expressed a desire to send “all the copper, as much as needed to cast the statue and other decorations of the monument.” By the end of 1890, the capital reached 52 thousand rubles, and the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature decided to form a Committee for the construction of a monument to N.V. Gogol in Moscow, the first meeting of which took place on April 6, 1896. By this time, more than 70 thousand rubles had already been received in donations and interest, and the Committee considered the amount collected to be sufficient to begin the construction of the monument.

46 USELESS PROJECTS

At the mentioned meeting, the question of choosing a place for setting up a monument in Moscow was considered. Arbatskaya, Lubyanskaya and Teatralnaya squares, Strastnoy and Rozhdestvensky boulevards were considered in this capacity. How memorial place connected with the writer's stay in Moscow, the Committee gave preference to Arbat Square - in that part where it adjoins Prechistensky Boulevard. Through it, Gogol “often went to the church of St. Savva, then to the Maiden's field to his friend Pogodin. Not far from here, in the house of Count A.P. Tolstoy at Nikitsky Boulevard, 7a, the last years of the writer's life passed. After numerous discussions, the site for the future monument was approved.
Following this, a competition program for the best design of the monument was developed. Here is what the magazine “Art Treasures of Russia” wrote at that time: “A competition has been announced for staging a monument to Gogol in Moscow. The conditions are as follows. The monument is supposed to be made of bronze. Gogol should be depicted in a sitting position, in the costume of his time. The pedestal must correspond to the situation of the place (Arbatskaya Square, at the end of Prechistensky Boulevard) where the monument will stand. The front side of it will be turned to Znamenka. The monument will be surrounded by a park.<...>The form and size of the monument are provided to the drafter of the project. Allegorical figures are not allowed, as are bas-reliefs. Materials: granite, porphyry, bronze...»
As a result, 44 projects of the monument in models and two projects in drawings were submitted to the competition. On February 14, 1902, at the next meeting of the committee, the results of the competition were summed up. The projects of the monument to Gogol were put on public display in Historical Museum. Four projects were selected for awarding the prizes (among the nominee authors were academician of architecture P. P. Zabello, architect V. V. Shervud, sculptors S. M. Volnukhin and R. R. Bakh). Despite the fact that some of the works submitted for the competition were awarded, none of them was recommended for the construction of the monument. According to eyewitnesses, they all rather resembled "mantel clocks or pastry cakes."

WITH THE LIGHT HAND OF OSTROUHOV

In 1906, the newly elected Moscow mayor N. I. Guchkov became the chairman of the Committee for the construction of a monument to Gogol, and the activities of this body began new stage.
On February 13, 1906, I. S. Ostroukhov was invited to the first meeting of the Committee, chaired by N. I. Guchkov, who became one of its main and most active figures. At the same meeting, the committee decides: "... do not arrange a new competition, but entrust the drafting of the project to the sculptor Andreev, without binding it with any conditions other than cost."

N. A. Andreev

Andreev did not participate in the first competition, however, it was he who received such an honorable and profitable order. This happened thanks to Ilya Semenovich Ostroukhov. An artist and collector, a trustee of the Tretyakov Gallery for many years, he was well acquainted with Andreev and highly appreciated his work. It was Ostroukhov who facilitated the acquisition of Andreev's works for the gallery (in 1905, the Gallery Council bought Andreev's portraits of the writers Pyotr Boborykin and Leo Tolstoy), helped with private commissions, and even put forward (unsuccessfully) the candidacy of his ward for academician. Fortunately, Ostroukhov managed to prove that the competitions would lead nowhere, and convince the members of the Committee to give the order to Nikolai Andreev. The sculptor's wife, M. P. Gortynskaya, later recalled: "... Ostroukhov even suggested that if at least one of the members of the committee was against Andreev's sketch, the Committee had the right to turn to another sculptor." (It should be noted that Andreev more than once in his work turned to the image of the writer. In 1904, he made a bust of Gogol for a monument erected at the Mirgorod station, which was created at the expense of the Kiev-Voronezh railway, and two years earlier, on the 50th anniversary of the death of the writer, for the so-called "environments" of Moscow artists, the sculptor made a chamber bust).
The meeting appointed the artist V. A. Serov, the architect F. O. Shekhtel and the artist of the Maly Theater A. P. Lensky as experts to judge Andreev’s project.
Just two months later, already before the next meeting of the Construction Committee in April 1906, Nikolai Andreevich Andreev put up a project for a monument to Gogol in the garden at Ostroukhov's house in Trubnikovsky Lane. The project was approved, and the Committee assumed the obligation to pay the sculptor a reward of 30,000 rubles.
With Orlov, who has a large marble-cutting workshop in Moscow, a contract was signed for the production of all granite work on the monument, including the supply of granite for the pedestal, plinth, valance and bedside tables for the lattice. Two huge granite monoliths (about 1000 pounds each) for the pedestal were brought from Finland.
For the manufacture of metal parts of the lattice and lanterns, contracts were signed with the Moscow firm of E. Willer. It was decided that the bronze parts of the monument would be cast by the St. Petersburg firm A. Moran, successor." Bronze for the casting of the monument was provided by the heirs of P.P. Demidov, who also donated 110 pounds of bayonet copper to the committee.
Work on the construction of the monument to Gogol was carried out in the most active way. Initially, the sculptor worked on models in his workshop, which he rented in the courtyard of V. I. Orlov’s mansion in Bolshoi Afanasevsky Lane from 1900 (in 1957, a memorial plaque was installed here, at house 27, building 3). Andreev did everything himself: he sculpted a huge life-size figure of the writer from clay, and made sketches of bas-reliefs. Subsequently, according to Andreev's sketches, a lattice with wreaths and elegant lanterns with stylized lion masks were cast (their prototypes were lions from the pylons of the gates of the English Club on Tverskaya).
In the summer of 1906, on Prechistensky Boulevard began preparatory work on the construction of the foundation of the monument, in which gold and silver coins were placed, and on top - a copper plaque with an inscription.
Nine months later, a bronze figure, bas-reliefs and stones were brought here from the sculptor's workshop. Here is how one of the members of the commission describes the monument to Gogol after inspecting it on the spot: “The composition is as follows: Gogol sits thoughtfully, wrapped in a cloak from St. Nicholas, which he holds right hand; the whole figure is beautifully draped in the wide folds of this cloak; in the face of the great writer, the artist perfectly conveyed Gogol's subtle powers of observation, mysterious reticence and sparkling humor...” Everyone especially likes the bas-reliefs that divide the rectangular pedestal into two unequal parts in the form of a bronze belt.
There is a version that Fyodor Shekhtel, a member of the Commission, took part in the installation of the monument, who skillfully inscribed the monument into the urban landscape. But rather, Andreev simply took into account the advice of Shekhtel, who by that time was already a very famous and authoritative architect.

By the opening of the monument on the plaster model of Andreev, the St. Petersburg medalist A. Jacquard minted a planet - a commemorative medal in the amount of 303 copies (300 of them in bronze, 2 in silver, 1 in gold).
In March 1908, when the question arose of the celebrations on the occasion of the opening of the monument, an executive commission consisting of ten people was created under the Moscow City Duma, and under the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature, the Gogol Commission of fourteen enthusiasts.

THE BIRTH OF AN ARTISTIC IMAGE

The creation of the monument was preceded by a very important preparatory period - the period of the birth of an artistic image. Andreev began his work with a trip to the Poltava region, where he lived for a long time in the village of Shishaki, standing on the Psel River.
In Ukraine, Andreev met Gogol's sister Olga Vasilievna Gogol-Golovnya, who died a few months later.

This meeting played a fundamental role in the formation of the writer's artistic image. Andreev sketched several portraits of Olga Vasilievna, shoulder-length and full-length, but most importantly, he heard vivid memories of the "late" Gogol.
While working on the monument, the sculptor re-read the works of the writer. From the memoirs of M. P. Gortynskaya: “... In his studio, Gogol’s works and his portraits lay everywhere ... Nikolai Andreevich had a very good memory, and he often recited by heart entire passages from Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka or transmitted in Ukrainian his conversations with the inhabitants of Shishaky. Andreev "treated Gogol with exceptional love and considered him greatest writer". He called Gogol a sculptor in literature: “His characters are so embossed, all of them are summarized character traits, everything superfluous is discarded, and at the same time they are alive, although monumental.
To convey the external appearance, Andreev carefully studied the iconography of the writer. In the workshop of the sculptor were collected famous portraits Gogol: profile portrait by E. A. Dmitriev-Mamonov (one of the most accurate portraits of the writer, made shortly before his death)

Moller's works

And, of course, the portraits of Gogol by Alexander Ivanov, created for the painting "The Appearance of Christ to the People."

In order to study and understand the face of the writer more deeply, the sculptor made copies of them.
Like Gogol, Andreev searched for "nature" for his images for a long time. In the State Tretyakov Gallery there are several large and small albums filled with drawings of types of Ukrainian peasants different ages, portrait sketches and sketches.
During a trip to Ukraine, Andreev found many prototypes of Gogol's heroes for the bas-reliefs of the pedestal. On the drawings marked "Shishaki" - images of Ostap and Andriy, Chub, Vakula, Solokha, Rudy Panko. The landscape sketches made in Ukraine, which helped the sculptor in the formation of artistic images and the transfer of national color, are very interesting. In one of the letters, Andreev remarkably says that the types of bas-relief have finally “bred out” (that is, they were born into the world).
However, the sculptor found his characters in Moscow. So, in the Smolensk market, a thin, long-nosed sitter was found, from which Andreev sculpted the figure of Gogol.

Often artistic images sculptor - these are collective types, and not a portrait of one specific person. A newspaper reporter once asked Andreev about Gorodnichiy's prototype: "From whom?" The sculptor replied: “You never know! The type is very common ... "
Life itself suggested the images of Gogol's heroes. According to Andreev, it is known that he “peeped” Korobochka in the province, in the provincial government, where he once went on business. In a letter to Ostroukhov, talking about his trip to Ukraine, Andreev wrote: "Even the Box was found (in secret - the sister of Nikolai Vasilyevich Olga Vasilyevna)".
By the way, the names of many prototypes of Gogol's characters depicted in the bas-reliefs are not a secret. So, the actor Konstantin Rybakov served as a kind for Strawberry. For the image of Bobchinsky, a mask removed from the actor was used. Art Theater Ivan Moskvin, who was busy in the production of The Government Inspector in 1908.

The prototype of Dobchinsky was the actor Fedotov, who played this role at the Maly Theater.
The sculptor sculpted Taras Bulba from the "king of reporters" V. A. Gilyarovsky - long-whiskered, in an eternal astrakhan hat and zhupan, famous for his athletic physique and strength.

The image of Marya Antonovna, the daughter of Gorodnichiy, was taken from the portrait of the actress Asenkova, redrawn from the book “Russian Portrait Gallery. Collection of portraits of remarkable Russian people since the 18th century with their brief biographies.

Andreev brought the image of Oksana from The Night Before Christmas from Ukraine, but for her, his sister, Kapitolina Andreevna, and his friend E. A. Kost posed for him. Different people, outwardly dissimilar, often served as prototypes of the same hero.
The appeal of the Moscow mayor N.I. Guchkov (March 1907) to the office of the Moscow Imperial Theaters with a request to assist the artist N.A. the era of N.V. Gogol, necessary for him in his work on the execution of the bas-relief surrounding the monument.
Work on the monument took four years (1904-1909). As a result, the monument created by Andreev surpassed all, even the most daring, expectations and left no one indifferent. According to contemporaries, everything in it was "boldly new": the hitherto unknown image of the writer, and the artistic solution of the pedestal, and the interpretation of the very essence of the ceremonial urban sculpture as a whole. According to the conditions of the first competitions, the pedestal had to remain clean, and although Andreev was given creative freedom, the sculptor, knowing these conditions, retreated from them.
To the judgment of his contemporaries, Andreev presented not a ceremonial work, but a chamber, realistically conveyed psychological image of the writer. The figure of a seated, bent old man, wrapped in a cloak who had just burned his last work and knows that his time is numbered, was very different from the traditional interpretation of the images of monumental urban sculpture.

Despite Andreev's striving for large-scale generalized forms (after all, the sculptor was given the task of creating an urban sculpture organizing a city square and a boulevard), the monument makes an impression chamber work.
The figure of the writer is on a high cubic granite pedestal. On it is the inscription: G O G O L. In the lower part, the pedestal is decorated with a relief multi-figure frieze encircling it from four sides. The heroes of Gogol's works are depicted in bronze - lively, cheerful, dynamic. There is no plot in these friezes, it's just a kaleidoscope of images. They are made graphically, clearly in a planar manner, in contrast to the figure itself, which is interpreted in a realistic style.
The façade composition depicts the characters of The Inspector General. Khlestakov stood up on tiptoe, selflessly lying. The Gorodnichy family froze in front of him, followed by a line of officials with Bobchinsky and Dobchinsky in the center.

On the frieze to the right of the writer are images of the heroes of Mirgorod and Evenings on a Farm near Dikanka. Taras Bulba is depicted in the center, whose figure is a semantic accent in the composition, and therefore it is larger than other characters; next to him are the sons Ostap and Andriy, as well as Chub, Vakula, Solokha, Oksana, Ruda Panko.

The bas-relief, located on the back side of the pedestal, depicts the heroes of the "Petersburg Tales". According to the artistic interpretation, this part of the frieze is very different from the other three parts. The plasticity of the figures loses its graphic quality, becomes lighter, one might say impressionistic (remember that Andreev's work was largely influenced by the impressionist sculptor Trubetskoy).

The background figures are barely outlined in relief, they seem to dissolve in the St. Petersburg fog, in the light of the dim street lamps, while the modeling of the figures on foreground clearer and more voluminous. All the characters are in motion, just like the audience on Nevsky Prospekt: ​​Chartkov, with a painting under his arm; Bashmachkin, wrapped in a raincoat; gesticulating vigorously, in a theatrical pose Poprishchin; collective images Petersburg residents - a frivolous coquette, a dandy, a majestic lady, impassive officials and others. Ahead of all, Andreev depicted a young woman hurrying somewhere - an elusive, gentle image of a stranger.
Created by Andreev Gogol's heroes on the bas-reliefs are consonant with the writer's word in " dead souls ah ":" And for a long time it was determined for me by a wonderful power to go hand in hand with my strange heroes, to look around at the whole enormously rushing life, look at it through laughter visible to the world and invisible, unknown to it tears.

The monument stood peacefully and safely on Prechistensky (now Gogolevsky) Boulevard for more than half of the Soviet era. But, as it is believed, he irritated Stalin himself, since the dull Gogol did not correspond to the general ideology of optimism of the post-war era. The monument was removed in 1952 (or in 1951?). His place was taken by the new and more cheerful Gogol by Tomsky.

Andreevsky Gogol was exiled to the State Research Museum of Architecture, which is located in the Donskoy Monastery. There the monument was in good company. Sculptures were saved nearby triumphal arch, fragments of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Iberian Chapel, the Red Gate, the Sukharev Tower.
However, Andreevsky Gogol did not stay long in the Donskoy Monastery. In Khrushchev's "thaw" they remembered him and found a quiet place, not far from the former one. In 1956, it was moved to the courtyard of house number 7 on Nikitsky Boulevard. The new place was chosen very well: the writer lived in this house for the last years and died in it. Here, a few days before his death, he burned the drafts of the second volume of Dead Souls.

"Self-immolation" by Gogol. Painting by I. Repin (1909)

Now in Moscow (an unprecedented event for any city) at a distance of several hundred meters there are two monuments to the same person. But the monuments are completely different.

N. V. Gogol - one of the most mystical Russian writers. His works are loved by adults and children. An interesting creative personality knows how to fascinate not only with his stories. Looking at the monument to the writer, it is impossible to break away. Where can you see it? There are only 11 monuments to Gogol in the world. In this article, we will talk about each of them.

The first monument in Moscow

Nikolai Andreevich Andreev is one of the famous sculptors of the 20th century. It was he who made the first monument to Gogol in Moscow. This one of the most outstanding sculptures. After the opening (1909) the monument received a lot of negative reviews.

Citizens are not accustomed to seeing seated figures, especially those made in the style of realism. Everyone expected to see the figure of the writer in full height, solemnly towering over the boulevard. The monument to Gogol did not live up to expectations. N. A. Andreev departed from the standard academicism, showed imagination and initiative. In his sculpture, the Russian writer is depicted at the moment of mental anguish. Gogol lay down on a stone and thinks about something or regrets something very much. But, despite harsh criticism, Muscovites soon got used to the new monument. And at the end of the year, N. A. Andreev did not read critical reviews, but positive reviews of his work.

The second attempt to install the monument

The monument to Gogol on Arbat Square, sculptor N. A. Andreev, did not stand for long. JV Stalin did not like the monument, he considered it too pessimistic, and V. Mukhina was of the same opinion. Therefore, in 1950, a competition was announced for the manufacture of a new monument. The sculptor Nikolai Vasilyevich Tomsky won in it. The government liked his vision of a writer more.

The monument, opened in 1951, was made in full growth in a solemn pose. There was no detailed study at all. Criticism from the townspeople was again fierce. For 50 years, they have become so accustomed to the grieving figure of the writer, who struck everyone with a portrait resemblance, that they did not react well to the new monument to Gogol on Arbatskaya. Although the government expressed gratitude to the sculptor, N.V. Tomsky himself considers this sculpture one of his most unsuccessful works.

In Nizhyn

In 1881, the world's first monument to Gogol was unveiled. made it famous sculptor Petersburg P. P. Zabello. Why was the first monument erected in the city of Nizhyn? It was here that the Russian writer received his education. An interesting fact is also the fact that the sculptor P.P. Zabello grew up in the city of Nizhyn.

The monument to the writer is made in the form of a bust. Gogol bowed his head and looked down at everyone passing by, with a half-smile on his lips.

The writer is dressed in a raincoat. An interesting idea of ​​the sculptor was connected with this wardrobe item. P. P. Zabello laid out the folds of the cloak in the form of his profile. But to find a kind of autograph of the author will have to try.

In St. Petersburg

In the northern capital of our country, a monument to Gogol is located on Malaya Konyushennaya Street. The sculpture was made by M. V. Belov, a young talent. The monument to Gogol on Gogol Boulevard bears some resemblance to the sculpture of the writer in Moscow. But unlike the work of Tomsky, Belov worked out the figure of N.V. Gogol in great detail. The sculpture represents the writer in full growth. He thought about something, folded his arms over his chest and bowed his head.

Surprisingly, the initiative to open the monument belongs not to the city administration, but to patrons. Their names are written in reverse side pedestal. The bronze figure of the writer harmonizes well with the surrounding space. The monument was surrounded by an iron grate, and lanterns were made in the same style, which illuminate the figure of the writer at night.

In Volgograd

The monument to Gogol in this city was opened in 1910. It is still well preserved, although it was damaged by the events of the revolution and world wars. The monument to Gogol is considered one of the first erected in Volgograd. Its sculptor is I. F. Tavbia. Funds for the monument were collected by the townspeople who wanted to honor the memory of the great Russian writer in this way. Today, the bust of Gogol stands on a modern pedestal, but he himself appearance monument leaves much to be desired.

The writer's face and clothes are smudged from oxidized metal, and his facial features are slightly deformed from bullets. Today you can look at the bust of Gogol in the Komsomol garden.

In Kyiv

An interesting monument to Gogol was erected in the capital of Ukraine. The sculpture is not quite standard. Of course, it cannot be compared with the first monument to Gogol on Arbatskaya Square in Moscow, but it is still worth considering that it was erected long before the capital's monument. The author of the monument to Gogol in Kyiv is Alexander Skoblikov. His idea of ​​depicting a half-length sculptural portrait is original in that the writer's cloak falls beautifully from the pedestal.

Gogol's right hand holds the book, and the left hand holds the hem of the cloak. Hands are crossed among themselves, and the gaze is directed into the distance. One gets the impression that the writer is waiting for someone or peering at the people passing by.

In Kyiv, there are two more monuments that are directly related to Gogol. One of them is a monument to a rare bird. This unusual creature rises next to the Patona Bridge. In one of the works of N.V. Gogol, it was said that "a rare bird will fly to the middle of the Dnieper." But the sculptor Alexei Vladimirov decided that one would still fly, and the city administration agreed. Also in Kyiv there is a monument to the Nose. In its shape, it is very reminiscent of Gogol's nose. The sculpture is located on Desyatinnaya Street.

In Rome

The monument to Gogol in Moscow on Gogolevsky Boulevard cannot be compared with the sculpture that was erected in honor of the writer in Rome. In 2002 in the capital of Italy was opened new monument. What does N.V. Gogol connect with Rome? The Russian writer was fluent in Italian, and it was in the capital of Italy that a significant part of the work " Dead Souls". According to Gogol, it was far from his homeland that he could write about her honestly and without embellishment. This is not surprising, because nostalgia for Russia pushes people to rethink their life values. Today, the work of N.V. Gogol is in great demand among Italians. Many works of the Russian writer have been translated into Italian.

Zurab Tsereteli became the sculptor of the Gogol monument in Rome. The statue is made in the academic style. The writer is depicted without embellishment, he sits on a bench, and holds his own head in his hands with a smiling grimace.

In Kharkov

The bust of the great writer was made by the sculptor B. V. Eduards. The bust of Gogol was installed in 1909. The writer holds his notes in one hand, and a pen in the other hand. He tightly presses these precious things to his chest. Gogol's gaze is fixed on the viewer.

During the Great Patriotic War the bust was damaged. The bullet pierced the shoulder and arm, thereby deforming the sculpture. But during the restoration process, these defects were not removed, since they are part of the history of the city. You can admire the sculpture at Poetry Square.

In Dnepropetrovsk

The monument to Gogol simply could not be erected in this Ukrainian city. After all, the famous Russian writer was born and raised in Ukraine. This period of his life is reflected in many works. NV Gogol honored and remembered Ukrainian culture and traditions.

The bust of the writer in Dnepropetrovsk was installed in 1959. The sculptor of this monument is A. V. Sytnik. Monuments to Gogol by the middle of the 20th century. already decorated many Russian and Ukrainian cities. It is strange that the monument in Dnepropetrovsk does not stand out either for its scope or originality. N. V. Gogol is depicted in an academic style. The face of the writer and his clothes are well detailed. You can look at the bust of the great Russian writer at the intersection of Gogol Street and Karl-Marx Avenue.

In Kaluga

Despite the fact that the monument to Gogol in Kaluga was opened quite recently, in 2014, it enjoys great interest from both city residents and tourists. Until recently, a small obelisk stood in place of the bronze sculpture. The modern monument has a large scale - 2.5 m. The author of the monument is the Moscow sculptor Alexander Smirnov. The place for installation was not chosen by chance. After all, it was here, in Tsiolkovsky Park, that a Russian writer once lived and worked. Gogol's close friends gathered at his house and listened to excerpts from the second volume of Dead Souls, which, unfortunately, we do not have the opportunity to read.

An interesting fact about the monument: the initiator of its installation was the actor of the local theater Valery Zolotukhin. He was so imbued with the writer's work when he played in his play "The Government Inspector" that he persuaded the administration to seriously address the issue of installing a monument. And he got his way. The city administration not only opened the monument, but also arranged a holiday concert. A brass band played, dressed-up ladies and gentlemen in costumes made in the fashion of the 19th century walked around.

The sculpture installed in Kaluga depicts the writer at work. Gogol stands in thought next to the desk.

On it are laid out essays, and there are also a pen and an inkwell. The monument depicts Nikolai Vasilyevich at the moment of reflection. The writer stands, slightly hunched over, his gaze directed to the ground. It is interesting that A. Smirnov decided to portray Gogol not in a cloak, which is usual for the writer, but in a dressing gown.

In Poltava

Sculptor L. Posen created a monument to Gogol in 1915. But the writer sat on the pedestal on Gogol Street only in 1934. Why has there been such a delay? The first thing that interfered with the installation was Civil War. Then it was impossible to place a monument in connection with the outbreak of the First World War. But even after its completion, the government was against the installation of the sculpture. The fact is that N.V. Gogol was a nobleman, and the Bolsheviks considered it unnecessary to erect monuments, in any way reminding people of royal power. Despite all the troubles, the monument was put in its current place in 1934.

L. Posen created a sculpture in a sitting position. One leg of the writer is pushed forward, and the other is pulled up under him. The posture is clearly relaxed. This is how a person sits when he thinks deeply about something. The writer, apparently, is thinking about the book he has just read, because it is she who is in his hands.

The future of monuments

To date, there are 11 monuments to N.V. Gogol. But this is without taking into account memorial plaques, which are located in various cities. In memory of the great Russian writer, many museums were opened, which are a must-see for all admirers of Russian classics.

Every year the government spends quite large sums for road construction. Restoration of municipal buildings is being carried out, but for some reason monuments are rarely sent for restoration. City administrations have different opinions on how to maintain the sculptures in the proper form. Therefore, some monuments on this moment look excellent, while others, unfortunately, leave much to be desired. Undoubtedly, it pleases the fact that every year in Russia there are more and more patrons who support art. Therefore, let's hope that the monuments to Gogol and other outstanding figures of culture and art will not lose their presentable appearance, and they will be restored in a timely manner.

The monuments are contrasting in style and emotional impression: the monument on the occasion of the birth captures the posthumous image of the writer, and the monument on the day of death shows him in the prime of his life.

The idea of ​​erecting a monument to Gogol in Moscow arose after the opening of the monument to Pushkin. In August 1880, at the initiative of the Society of Lovers of Russian Literature, fundraising began. The required amount of 70,000 rubles was collected only by 1896. At the same time, a competition was opened, under the terms of which the monument was supposed to represent a bronze statue of Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol in a sitting position, in a costume from the writer's lifetime.

The monument was opened on April 26, 1909. There were so many people that in nearby houses rooms overlooking the boulevard were rented out for fabulous sums at that time. At 12:39 p.m., the veil was pulled off the monument, and the deathly silence- The audience was amazed. They were not ready for such a Gogol - devastated to despair. A wave of criticism immediately hit the monument.

I.V. especially disliked the “mournful” Gogol. Stalin, so they decided to replace the monument. It was not possible to do this before the Great Patriotic War, and they returned to competitions for a new monument only at the end of the 1940s.

Gogol's humor is dear to us,
Gogol's tears are a hindrance.
Sitting, he inspired sadness,
Let it stand now - for a laugh!

The project of N.V. Tomsky. And this is not surprising: in 1951 he created a marble bust of Gogol, for which he received the Stalin Prize.

An enlarged copy of this bust stands on the grave of the writer. She also became the starting point for the monument.

In 1951 Andreev's monument was removed from the boulevard, making room for a new monument. And on March 2, 1952, a new monument was opened. Now the image of the writer was interpreted in a new way: full of energy, standing upright on a high pedestal, smiling and radiating optimism. The pedestal was decorated with a detailed dedication: To the great Russian artist, words to Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol from the government of the Soviet Union on March 2, 1952. Because of this, an aphorism appeared. Only the Soviet government was able to put Gogol on his feet.

Only positive reviews were published in the official press, but among the Moscow intelligentsia, the monument was called stereotyped and inexpressive.

The invisible omnipotent hand of history rearranged the monuments, as chessmen, and some of them were completely thrown off the board. She rearranged the monument to Gogol by the brilliant Andreev, the very monument where Nikolai Vasilyevich sits, mournfully sticking his long bird nose into the collar of a bronze overcoat - almost completely drowning in this overcoat - from Arbatskaya Square to the courtyard of the mansion, where, according to legend, the mad writer burned fireplace the second part of "Dead Souls", and in its place she hoisted another Gogol - to his full height, in a short cape, on a boring official pedestal, either a vaudeville artist, or a head clerk, devoid of any individuality and poetry.

Tomsky himself did not appreciate his work very highly. Not surprisingly, proposals soon appeared to return the Andreevsky monument to Gogolevsky Boulevard.