Аннотация: The Dialogue on the Monument to the Russian Expeditionary Force (in Paris)
The Dialogue on the Monument to the Russian Expeditionary Force (in Paris)
- I was interested in the announcement of the laying of flowers to the monument to the soldiers of the Russian expeditionary force in Paris (on November 11, 2018).
- What interested you?
- For some reason I felt interest: "what does the monument look like?" Once, I, it seems, saw him. Not the monument itself, but its photos.
- So.
- I was surprised by several circumstances. First, strangely enough, about this the laying of flowers I found messages in the Internet with some difficulty.
- It's a coincidence.
- Secondly, the photos themselves - those that were "attached" to the found messages - were made so that the figures of the participants in the laying of flowers were visible, but the monument itself was not visible.
- It's a coincidence.
- Thirdly, my attempts to find photos of the monument led to success only after persistent and relatively long attempts. There are some questions to the found photos. For example, the inscription in Russian (on the monument) on the found photos was not fully represented. If you compare with the French text, it turns out "The Memory of the soldiers of the Russian expeditionary force, who fought on the fields of France in 1916 - 1918". One of the articles says: "The full name of the monument: Memorial to the soldiers and officers of the Russian expeditionary force who fought in the allied armies in 1915-1918.'
- And what?
- It seems to me (we will not consider the version of someone's deliberate dishonesty) that the creative idea was such. To show a Russian soldier. At the same time - to show a peaceful person, to show of a man who love a peace. How to combine these two intentions? Next to a Russian soldier a peacefully grazing horse is. In one of the materials found on the Internet, it says: "SUROVTSEV [sculptor]: ... I depicted a simple, our ordinary man, who calmly, peacefully stands at the horse, who drinks water. ( ... ) We did not want to do in the center of Paris the person with a rifle, who is swinging a grenade or going to the attack. ( ... ) He is, of course, depicted in the uniform of a Russian soldier. He is with a shashka which was typical for non-commissioned officers." In other material is mentioned "The March [(a song and) a music, - rhythmic] of the expeditionary corps "The Horse is nice" ". Another opinion: "The sculptor depicted in his work a young officer. Near with him his fighting comrade, Donskoy stud [the horse of the Don breed]. In the guise of a warrior we can to guess the image of a simple Russian man. He's looking into a distance and, of course, remembers his home and loved ones." Another statement: "The author of the Paris memorial is a famous Russian sculptor Vladimir Surovtsev. In Surovtsev's composition "The Spring" young Russian officer holding a French helmet with a Russian double-Headed eagle. The taken-off helmet - a symbol of memory about the died fellow soldiers."
- What do you dislike about the creative idea you have read about?
- Perhaps, authors of a plan did not understood, did not take into account the scale of those actions which will take place (passed) in Paris on November 11, 2018 on the occasion of the 100 anniversary of the end of World War I.
- A carrying out such large-scale actions they could not to suppose.
- The nature of the monument in comparison with the scale of events - the World War I, the participation in the battles of the Russian expeditionary force - can cause bewilderment in someone. The monument can seem to someone simple, modest.
- The modesty and simplicity can be referred to shortcomings?
- Events were grandiose. To characterize these events - I will emphasize: in the center of Paris - through a figure of a serviceman and a horse who is peacefully standing near him?
- What are you suggesting?
- There is no limit to perfection. Perhaps the symbolic figure of the colour guard [a soldier assigned to the protection of regimental colours - flags and banners] of the Russian expeditionary corps with the [stylized] flags of Republican France and Imperial Russia would look expressively? A solemn Stella?..
- All these are subjective impressions and opinions...
- It would be desirable that photos could be finding without effort, and the monument would characterize grandness of events, solemnity of moods of those who come to a monument ...
- How many people, so many opinions...
- Yes!
November 14, 2018 09:11
Translation from Russian into English: November 14, 2018 10:11. Clarification of the translation: July 3, 2020 08:28.
Владимир Владимирович Залесский 'Диалог о памятнике воинам Русского экспедиционного корпуса (в Париже)'.