The idea to erect a monument in Moscow to journalists who died in the line of work - in particular, in hot spots and while working on investigative journalism - was expressed by the capital's Union of Journalists: since the early 1990s, more than 300 journalists have died in Russia. In 2015, the idea of installing a memorial sign was approved by the Commission for Monumental Art, in May 2015 the corresponding resolution (No. 93) was adopted by the Moscow City Duma. Fundraising has begun. Moscow Mayor Sergei Sobyanin signed a decree on the erection of the monument "on the territory of the park located near the Central House of Journalists from the side of Arbat Square (Arbat)" - in the park near the northern exit of the Arbatskaya metro station on Vozdvizhenka, February 19, 2016.
In 2017, the Union of Journalists held a competition in which the work of the sculptor Boris Cherstvoy won - a bronze monument with slender candlestick figures, with flickering gilding on an uneven textured surface. In meaning, it a little resembles a church tetrapod, a funeral table for commemorating the dead, but the form is emphatically generalized, devoid of any specifics, including religious - a speech about commemoration for all. A beautiful and poignant monument, a collective candle.
The architectural part, which is mandatory for the installation of any monument in the city, has been dealt with by Alexey and Natalya Bavykin since 2017. According to Alexei Bavykin, the architect suggested that Boris Cherstvoy change the shape of the pedestal for the "candlesticks" from square to triangular. Fundraising has been going on for several years, and it continues now. In the meantime, the place of installation of the memorial sign was changed several times, while retaining, however, its place in the center of the city, in the area of Arbat Square, not far from the building of the Union of Journalists, determined in the decisions of the capital's leadership. During this time, the sculpture was completely finished. June 2020
the author of the sculpture, Boris Cherstvy, died - the installation of the sign also acquired the significance of the memory of its author.
The last, final place for the monument was found on a sharp triangular "island of safety" south of Nikitsky Boulevard, at the entrance / exit of the tunnel under Vozdvizhenka.
Since monuments cannot be erected on the territory of boulevards in Moscow for some time now, the architects have found a subtle and clever solution.
Alexey Bavykin, Alexey Bavykin and partners
It seems to me that the sculpture of my friend Boris Cherstvoy is very successful - a pure form with a clear message, a sculpture in the spirit of Brancusi. Eight "candles" create a group, not too close, but whole; it does not disintegrate into separate figures. And it is not overly figurative - in Moscow there are too many "realistic" monuments dating back to the tradition of the 19th century, and there is not enough fresh, living form without unnecessary literalism. What makes this monument very valuable not only because of its undoubtedly great importance as a token of memory for people who sacrificed themselves for the sake of the profession, in fact, for the sake of society, but also important as an example of an actual plastic language that should be used to express such meanings in our time.
Having established the triangular base of the monument on a triangular pedestal made of arch-concrete, whose shape successfully echoes the shape of the island, Alexey and Natalya Bavykin proposed to disassemble two (only two!) Fragments of the fence surrounding the boulevard, and led a concrete cantilever staircase into the gap formed. Its base is attached to the platform and descends to the ground of the boulevard, but does not touch it.
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zooming 1/4 Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 2/4 Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 3/4 Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 4/4 Plan. Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty. Memorable sign © Alexey Bavykin and partners
Further - the issue of improving the boulevard, where there is a path leading to the stairs from the path, which now connects two pedestrian crossings with traffic lights, allowing you to safely cross the car lanes and approach the monument.
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zooming 1/5 View from the side of the House of the Journalist Project proposal. Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 2/5 View from the side of the Arbat tunnel. Project proposal. Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 3/5 View from Nikitsky Boulevard 12. Project proposal. Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 4/5 View from the side of Nikitsky Boulevard 9 Project proposal. Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
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zooming 5/5 View from the side of the alley on Nikitsky Boulevard. Project proposal. Improvement of the southern part of Nikitinsky Boulevard with the installation of a memorial sign to journalists who died in the line of duty © Alexey Bavykin and partners
The subject of particular concern to the authors of the project was the safety of everyone who wants to get closer to the monument - by urban means they tried to create conditions that exclude the desire to cross the road in front of the automobile tunnel. Therefore, a concrete pedestal with corrugated edges is raised and surrounded by a metal fence. Inside which, on a triangular platform, there is, however, enough space to gather and lay flowers; it, we recall, gets a continuation in the space of the boulevard, connected to the pedestal by a cantilever staircase.
A monument is always an event, an accent, a spatial experience. The search for a place for the memorial sign has been going on for a long time and finally, in our opinion, the place has been found. But not everything is so simple: the installation of a memorial sign on the edge, in fact, on the territory of the road network on the island of safety, is a non-trivial move, including from the point of view of legislation. Now, in dialogue with colleagues from the Department of Cultural Heritage, the Moscow Committee for Architecture and the Prefecture of the Central Administrative District, we are working to overcome legal barriers, because we understand that the installation of a memorial sign in this place is not only a strong figurative move, but also an opportunity to develop the dead-end part of Nikitsky Boulevard.
Bavykin also emphasizes that the memorial sign is dedicated to all the dead journalists: "Boris Cherstyi believed that 8, unlike 7, is a sign of a multitude, therefore the sculpture has 8 figures." In other words, this is a monument not to specific, most famous heroes, but to everyone who was not afraid and did not deviate from the truth. Because the job of a journalist is to find, and speak, and substantiate the truth - and therefore, even if one key name comes to someone's mind, everyone must be remembered.
Perhaps it is worth adding only one thing - in this story, as in the church commemoration, one person and many, one and all, are mixed: when they write notes with names in the church, they think about a specific person, and when the priest reads them, that is figuratively conveys the remembrance to God, they turn into names for everyone else who did not know these people. As well as candles - we put them to someone of our own, and the next person who comes up sees only a candle and thinks about his own, although he does not forget, somewhere on the periphery of consciousness that other, completely specific people are remembered here. There is in this a certain essential facet of the general and the private, the personal and the public, the concrete and the abstract, which is well captured in the monument. Which also speaks for installing it (finally).
The last remark about the relation of the monument to the boulevard. He seems to be on the boulevard, but at the same time outside of it. Visible from cars, but inaccessible to those sitting in them - you need to park, get out, cross the road, walk. It is open and closed at the same time. He simultaneously stands on the ground and soars - because of the ladder, which does not touch the ground, but is lowered like a ladder from a steamer. Which creates another image - of a sailing funeral boat, a wreath with candles, which, we admit, is also a subtle and accurate solution for a memorial sign, since it emphasizes the presence of the dead with us and their remoteness from us at the same time. And finally, remember Böcklin's painting "Isle of the Dead": climbing the stairs to the triangular island, we seem to be able to communicate with those who are killed.
In a word, I would like to catch the opening of this sculpture; in Moscow, indeed, there are enough monuments, shall we say, optional. And this one is needed.
