Description of the attraction
In the central part of the city of Murmansk, namely, at the intersection of Pushkinskaya and Vorovskaya streets, in a small public garden there is a monument dedicated to S. M. Kirov. - a person who did a lot during the late 1920s and early 1930s for the rapid development of the Russian Polar Region, as well as its capital, Murmansk. The monument is especially interesting from the point of view of the fact that it became the first in the city, which was cast from "the bronze of many puddles". On the other hand, this monument is the first sculptural portrait that appeared in Murmansk. In addition, the opening of the monument coincided with the 20th anniversary of the liberation of the region from the White Guards and interventionists.
Kirov Sergei Mironovich is a party and important statesman who was born in 1886 and, as a young man, entered the ranks of the revolutionary movement. Kirov's real name is Kostrikov. It should be noted that Kirov was an active participant in the Civil War. Since 1921, Kirov worked in the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party. By decree of Stalin at the end of 1926, Sergei Mironovich was sent by the Leningrad Regional Committee to the post of first secretary. Kirov successfully coped with all the tasks and was accepted into the ranks of the Politburo, after which his popularity began to grow rapidly. On the evening of December 1, 1934, in Smolny, where the Leningrad City Committee and the Regional Committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks were located, S. M. Kirov was shot in the back of the head by order of Stalin because of Kirov's great popularity in the party.
It is known that Kirov often visited Murmansk, which is why it was decided to erect a monument in this city. Work related to the construction of the monument took place at a fast pace in order to be in time for the coincident date of the stay of Soviet power in Murmansk. Initially, it was necessary to prepare a pedestal. This work was entrusted to proven specialists of the regional construction trust. It is worth noting that the base of the monument was almost 5 meters high and was built of concrete, after which it was plastered. On February 21, a large sculpture was lifted to a prepared platform, after which, in a couple of hours, workers assembled and hid it from prying eyes with a canvas blanket.
The height of the sculpture was 3.2 meters. It was cast in Moscow, according to the project of the eminent sculptor Z. M. Vilensky, who soon received the title of not only a people's artist, but also a laureate of the USSR State Prize. The artist was able to clearly convey all the inherent individual features of Kirov, depicting him in the process of movement with his right hand raised in a confident gesture. Kirov's clothes consist of a tunic, which is neatly belted with an army belt, trousers tucked in from high boots. The mobility of the figure is clearly emphasized by the unbuttoned overcoat, as if blown by the wind. The sculptor managed to show, in combination with monumental severity, the figure of a respected party leader and a deep sense of extraordinary humanity. Vilensky managed to accurately convey the direct, soulful and soft face of Kirov, which is very difficult to meet and which became the true skill of the artist.
On the opening day of the monument, residents of the city gathered for an open rally dedicated to this event. Teachers, port workers and fishermen approached the podium in columns, which aroused great interest from the audience, in turn, the sounds of the orchestra, numerous portraits of Soviet leaders only lifted the mood of Murmansk residents. The long-awaited moment of the opening of the monument came, and the silk veil was torn off - at that moment the shining monument appeared on the display of the people. From that moment on, the monument to S. M. Kirov. became one of the most important attractions of the city.
As you know, time is often merciless, which is why the restoration of the monument took place more than once. Throughout 1958, restoration work was carried out, during which the shape of the pedestal was slightly changed, which has since been lined with granite slabs. In the mid-1980s, the central alley adjacent to the monument was paved and finished with granite slabs a staircase that led to a large administrative building located on Sofya Perovskaya Street.
Today the monument to S. M. Kirov. it collapsed enough, therefore it requires repair and restoration work.
