Description of the attraction
The monument to Fyodor Chaliapin was erected on the pedestrian street Bauman in front of the hotel "Chaliapin", not far from the Epiphany Church, where Fyodor Chaliapin was baptized on February 2 (old style) 1873. In the premises of the Epiphany bell tower there is a memorial hall and a small museum of Shalyapin's life and work.
The author of the "bronze Chaliapin" is the sculptor A. Balashov. The monument was solemnly opened in 1999, to the 125th anniversary of the birth of Chaliapin. The granddaughter of the famous artist, Irina Borisovna Chaliapina, was present at the opening. In her opinion, the sculptor succeeded well in conveying the resemblance to the artist. The monument opened in Kazan turned out to be the first monument to Chaliapin in the world.
The sculpture blended well with the environment of the city center. It is equally organic next to the hotel, made in the style of modern-orange classics, and with the old architecture of the bell tower.
There are many Shalyapin places in the center of Kazan. All of them are located in the center. Fyodor Chaliapin was born on Rybnoryadskaya Street (now Pushkin Street). The family was not rich and moved frequently. In childhood, Fedor lived in the village of Ometyevo, which has now become one of the districts of the city, and in the Tatar Sloboda, not far from the modern Circus, and in the Admiralty Sloboda. He lived in Sobachiy Lane (now Nekrasov Street), on Georgievskaya Street (now Sverdlov Street). Here was the sixth city primary school, where Fyodor Chaliapin studied.
A serious milestone in Shalyapin's life was his work as a clerk in the Kazan district zemstvo council in 1886. Chaliapin's father served in this council since 1873. The building of the council was located on Zhukovskogo street, 4. Now the building houses a music school. Fyodor Chaliapin was noticed as a child with a beautiful voice and excellent ear for music. At various times he sang in the choirs of eleven churches in Kazan. Having become a famous singer, Chaliapin visited Kazan many times both on tour and to meet with old friends.
Since 1982, Kazan has hosted an international Shalyapin opera festival. On the birthday of Fyodor Chaliapin, fans of his talent gather at the monument on Bauman Street. The famous dramatic bass-baritone of the singer invariably sounds, and the monument is buried in flowers.
