Monument to Evgeny Leonov. New adventures of the Little Mermaid
The monument to the wonderful actor Yevgeny Leonov, unfortunately, became the object of attention of attackers. In October 2015, the monument was stolen from its place on Mosfilmovskaya Street and then found sawn into pieces at a non-ferrous metal scrap collection point. The criminals were found, but the Moscow Avenue of Stars lost one of its, perhaps, best attractions.
Theater and film actor Evgeny Leonov is known for many of his works - including his role in the serial film about the life of working youth “Big Change”, and the image of a would-be trainer in “Striped Flight”, and even voicing the role of Winnie the Pooh in the cartoon by Fyodor Khitruk. However, to create the monument, sculptor Ekaterina Chernyshova chose an equally striking image - the role of an Associate Professor from the comedy “Gentlemen of Fortune,” filmed according to the script by Georgy Danelia and Victoria Tokareva.
The Bronze Associate Professor repeated Leonov’s famous “I’ll poke out your blinkers” gesture from the scene in the prison cell, where the kind and gentle director of the kindergarten had to present himself to the local “public” as a ruthless criminal “authority”. The monument was erected in 2001, thirty years after the film was filmed and released.
The Docent's bronze fingers and nose were polished to a shine by numerous touches. It was believed that if you rub the monument, it will bring good luck in financial matters.
The Walk of Stars (or Walk of Fame of Russian Cinema), where until recently there was a monument to Yevgeny Leonov, was also opened in 2001. Its pavement consists of slabs with handprints of Russian cinema stars. There are more than twenty such prints in total, and the first in this collection was the “imprint” of Nikita Mikhalkov’s hand.
MOSCOW, September 10 – RIA Novosti. Head of the Moscow Department of Culture Alexander Kibovsky, directors Nikita Mikhalkov, Mark Zakharov, actor Sergei Nikonenko, singer Joseph Kobzon unveiled the restored monument to Yevgeny Leonov on City Day, noting the actor’s invaluable contribution to national culture.
A large number of people gathered on the Square of Stars opposite the main entrance of the Mosfilm film concern in anticipation of the opening of the monument to their beloved Soviet artist. Before the start of the official ceremony, a brass band in tracksuits with the inscription “USSR” on their jerseys, exactly the same as those worn by the characters in the film “Gentlemen of Fortune,” performed tunes from the cult Soviet film.
The missing assistant professor is among us
The monument to Leonov in the image of the Associate Professor, the main character of Georgy Danelia’s film “Gentlemen of Fortune” was opened as part of the XXIII Moscow Film Festival in 2001. In 2015, the monument was stolen, sawn into pieces and sold for metal. In May of this year, the court sentenced the kidnappers to 2.5 years in prison.
The ceremony was opened by actor Sergei Nikonenko, giving the floor to “our chief cinematographer, Nikita Mikhalkov.”
“Happy holiday to you, Happy City Day and the Year of Cinema! Evgeny Pavlovich was a great artist and an amazing personality. Georgy Nikolaevich Danelia asked to convey gratitude to those who stole this monument, because today there is another reason to remember his picture and Evgeny Pavlovich Leonov. I’m ready to open a monument to Leonov every year if he goes missing,” said Mikhalkov, chairman of the Union of Cinematographers.
Kibovsky emphasized that opening a monument with a tragic fate on City Day is a very joyful event.
“There were barbarians who encroached on the memory of this wonderful artist. Evgeny Pavlovich is constantly present in our lives. His skill is colossal and his service to the theater was great,” said the head of the Moscow Department of Culture.
The artistic director of the Lenkom Theater, where Leonov served for many years, noted the fantastic talent of the actor, “radiating an atmosphere of joy and goodness.”
Winnie the Pooh and all, all, all: the main animated roles of Evgeny LeonovSeptember 2 marks the 90th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding actor Evgeny Leonov. The artist has repeatedly voiced cartoons. RIA Novosti remembered his most famous works“Evgeny Pavlovich contributed a lot to the construction of our theater, he remains within our walls, his spirit and his aura are with us,” said Zakharov.
He told how he once asked Leonov when he became a people's artist. “He answered: “From the Don Tale,” and I think after the Belorussky Station,” Zakharov added.
Kobzon said that he felt happy because he had the good fortune to personally communicate with Leonov, a modest and very kind man.
“If the Associate Professor were among us, he would say that sanctions should not be applied to those who destroyed the monument,” added Moscow City Duma deputy Evgeny Gerasimov.
New Moscow tradition
The cover was removed from the monument and children immediately covered it.
“Look how much the children love our Evgeniy Pavlovich, maybe their parents will show them films with his participation today at home,” Gerasimov noted.
Mikhalkov, laughing, suggested starting a new Moscow tradition.
“The film was called “Gentlemen of Fortune,” which means you need to rub your fingernail and good luck will come to you,” Mikhalkov said.
The tradition was supported by applause.
In honor of the opening of the monument, red, blue and white balloons soared into the sky.
The monument to Leonov in Moscow is installed on the Alley of Movie Stars, located next to the Mosfilm film studio. Here you will see not only tiles with handprints of famous Soviet and Russian film masters, but also a popular monument to Leonov, a famous theater and film actor, loved by many generations of viewers.
The history of the creation of the monument to Leonov
The sculpture of the beloved actor was created by order of Mosfilm. With a request to sculpt the figure of Evgeniy Pavlovich, the film studio turned to the artist Ekaterina Chernyshova, who immediately accepted this offer.
Initially, the actor’s widow and his son Andrei wanted the sculpture to depict a lyrical hero, such as the locksmith Kharitonov from the film “Autumn Marathon,” but then the family, together with the artist, decided to create a figure of Evgeniy Troshkin, an Associate Professor from the comedy “Gentlemen of Fortune.”
Ekaterina Chernyshova bought a copy of the film and a book about the actor and, after working on them, completed a sketch that was approved by Evgeniy Pavlovich’s relatives. The artist began work and in 2001 the monument to Leonov in Moscow was cast in bronze.
Its opening took place in June 2001, when the XXIII Moscow International Film Festival (MIFF) was held in the capital and the Alley of Movie Stars was opened in the park on Mosfilmovskaya Street.
It’s sad, but the author of the monument, Ekaterina Chernyshova, was not invited to the opening ceremony of the Alley of Movie Stars. The artist was not offended and later made sculptures of Nikulin from “Operation Y”, Papanov and Mironov from “12 Chairs”.
Monument to Leonov in Moscow - description
The monument to Leonov in Moscow was erected on the Alley of Movie Stars in a public garden not far from the film studio building at the intersection of Mosfilmovskaya and Pyryeva streets.
The sculpture depicts Evgeny Troshkin during his confrontation with a prisoner in prison. At this moment, the hero of the film tears his T-shirt and utters the famous phrase: “I’ll tear your mouth, I’ll gouge out your eyes.” You can see a variety of tattoos on the hands of the sculpture.
Alley of Movie Stars in Moscow
There is an Alley of Russian Stars in many Russian cities, including Kaliningrad and Vyborg, Vitebsk and Kazan, Izhevsk and Saratov, Stavropol and Krasnoyarsk.
In the capital, one of the alleys of movie stars is located near the Mosfilm film studio, where there are slabs with handprints of many famous and beloved filmmakers, including Georgy Danelia and Alexandra Abdulov, Armen Dzhigarkhanyan and Elina Bystritskaya, Oleg Basilashvili and Vyacheslav Tikhonov, Liya Akhedzhakova and Nikolai Karachentsov .
This Alley differs in this from the alleys near the Rossiya Concert Hall and on Arbat, where only the names of film masters are laid down, and not their imprints.
The decision to create the Alley of Movie Stars was made in the spring of 2001, and its grand opening took place on June 25, 2001, on this day the first memorial plate was installed, on which the President of the MIFF, actor and film director Nikita Mikhalkov, adhering to the Hollywood tradition, left his handprint and autograph on cement.
For reference: Usually this ceremony takes place according to the following scheme: the hero of the occasion arrives in a luxury car, greets the assembled audience and gives autographs to everyone. The organizers bring out a slab of fresh cement, into which the movie star dips his hand and then signs.
It must be said that leaving hand or foot prints in Hollywood is much more prestigious than receiving an Oscar or having a star on the Walk of Fame.
The number of Stars on the Walk of Fame and the number of Oscar winners number in the thousands, and only about 200 famous personalities, including Charlie Chaplin and Marilyn, have received the honor of leaving their imprints on the concrete at the TCL Chinese Theater (formerly Grauman's Chinese Theater) on Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles. Monroe, Clint Eastwood and Johnny Depp, Al Pacino and Jackie Chan.
Monument to Leonov in Moscow – address
Address - Mosfilmovskaya street, building No. 8, Alley of Movie Stars square.
Monument to Leonov in Moscow - how to get there
- By metro to Sportivnaya, Victory Park or Kyiv stations
- By minibus No. 110m and 11m, 20m and 329m, 394m and 525m
- By bus No. 67 and 119, 205 and 205k
- Trolleybus No. 7 and 17, 34 and 34k to the Mosfilm stop.
In the life of the outstanding artist, beloved and adored by the audience, Evgeniy Leonov, not everything was so simple. He was dissatisfied with himself and his roles, he lacked love and it seemed that he was not worthy of it.
In 2014, it was 20 years since the famous actor passed away. The monument to Leonov in Moscow - a sculpture of a funny and kind Associate Professor reminds us of the work of an actor who knew how to hide complexes and fears, doubts and loneliness with his smile.
Monument to actor Yevgeny Leonov in the image of the hero of one of the most famous Soviet film comedies “Gentlemen of Fortune”.
The sculpture was installed on the “Alley of Movie Stars” on Mosfilmovskaya Street, not far from the entrance to the Mosfilm film studio, in 2001.
Author of the monument Ekaterina Chernysheva captured Leonov at the moment when his hero makes a “goat”, intending to “gouge out the blinkers.” There were even tattoos on the monument, which were shown on Leonov’s character in the film.
After a signal about the disappearance of the monument, an investigative team arrived at the scene. The service dog picked up the trail and led the operatives to the beginning of Mosfilmovskaya Street. Then the trail ended - apparently the thieves used the car.
As the head of the press service of the GUMVD in Moscow told TASS Andrey Galiakberov, In connection with the theft of the sculpture, a criminal case was opened under the article “Theft”. The damage is estimated at 160 thousand rubles.
The comedy film "Gentlemen of Fortune" was directed by Alexander Sery in 1971. And it became the leader in Soviet film distribution in 1972 - the film was watched by more than 65 million viewers.
Evgeny Leonov played two roles in the film - a repeat offender thief nicknamed Associate Professor and the head of the kindergarten, Evgeny Ivanovich Troshkin, who is like two peas in a pod.
The seven-time abducted Chizhik-Pyzhik
The theft of a monument is, alas, a common event. The Chizhik-Pyzhik sculpture in St. Petersburg can be considered a kind of record holder for the number of thefts in Russia.
The monument to the hero of the famous song was erected in 1994 on the Fontanka, near the Mikhailovsky Castle next to the 1st Engineering Bridge, opposite house No. 12/1. Not far from this place was located in the 19th century the Imperial School of Law, the adventures of whose students, according to legend, formed the basis of the well-known text.
The idea of installing the monument belonged to the writer Andrey Bitov, and it was brought to life by a director, screenwriter and sculptor Rezo Gabriadze together with the architect Vyacheslav Bukhaev.
During the existence of the monument, it was stolen at least seven times. In some cases, Chizhik-Pyzhik was returned, in others the sculpture was created anew.
Interesting fact - in the best films Rezo Gabriadze, such as “Don’t Cry!”, “Mimino”, “Kin-dza-dza!”, starred Evgeny Leonov, whose monument disappeared in Moscow.
Monument to Chizhik-Pyzhik. Photo: Commons.wikimedia.org / Julianna
New adventures of the Little Mermaid
Monuments suffer from thieves and vandals around the world. One of the most long-suffering sculptures is the statue of the Little Mermaid, installed in the port of Copenhagen. Monument in honor of the heroine of a fairy tale by a Danish writer Hans Christian Andersen, created by a sculptor Edward Eriksen, was opened on August 23, 1913.
Since the 1960s, the Little Mermaid has been attacked regularly. In 1964, her head was sawed off, which could not be found later. In 1984, through the efforts of two teenagers, the statue lost its arm, which they were able to find and return. In 1990, a new attempt to steal the head was thwarted, but the sculptors had to eliminate the consequences of a deep cut in the neck. In 1998, the head was finally stolen, but then it was anonymously planted at the local television center building. In 2003, the statue had to be replaced after unknown assailants blew up its pedestal. In 2006, all parts of the Little Mermaid remained intact, but someone added a new part by attaching a dildo to her hand. It’s not worth listing little things like painting Andersen’s beauty in all imaginable and inconceivable colors and wrapping it in all kinds of flags and items of clothing - there are dozens, if not hundreds, of such cases.
In 2007, desperate Copenhagen authorities threatened to move the Little Mermaid further into the harbor to stop the vandalism. As a result, the statue was left in its original place, but it is now being closely monitored.
Monument to the Little Mermaid, located opposite the B&W hall in Copenhagen. Photo: RIA Novosti / Vladimir Astapkovich