Monument "Soldier"

Author
Sergey Kazantsev
Data
1976-1977
Size
Height 320 cm
Material
clay

Description
One of the first works of the sculptor S. Kazantsev, made after graduation from the Surikov Institute on the order of the Art Fund. The author calls this work long-suffering, because instead of making a figure 2.75 meters tall, he decided to make it 3.20 meters in size. At that time, the sculptor did not have his own workshop and he worked in a self-made pavilion in the garden behind a village house in the Moscow region, where he lived with his wife. Autumn came, and the Arts Council did not accept the clay soldier, who could crack from the first serious frost.

From the memoirs of the sculptor S. Kazantsev:
“I was not a member of the Art-union. Art Council deliberately gave me that order to wipe me out. Because for the same money it was possible to make a bust, not a huge figure. I did not have a workshop! I put a hand-made pavilion in front of a potato field in the village. For clay, I drove along the Kursk road, on a dump truck, gave the last money, 50 thousand or 5 thousand. It was a big money for me for that time. No one could tell me that it was better to make a soldier 2.75 meters high. But I with my foolishness did it in 3.25 meters higt. Head here or here ends, two big differences! The long-suffering work, I didn’t even have enough clay for Soldier –head! You see, I made some kind of cast iron on his head. It was a huge work, even did not have enough clay.

I did it in the field and it was October. It was already freezing. Artistic council didn’t accept my work, the Solder could have collapsed. I went out into the field and howled like a jackal that no one would hear. Because I could not understand what to do. And I have two babies. A community council does not accept! And also it was difficult to invite them, one day to move to nearest telephone place to call them”.

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