Trotsky, in the folds of the skirt, or How did the sculpture "Worker and Collective Farm Girl"

• Trotsky in the folds of the skirt, or How did the sculpture "Worker and Collective Farm Girl"

July 1 marks the 127 th anniversary of the Soviet sculptor Vera Mukhina, the most famous of which is the product of the birth of a monument "The Worker and the Collective Farm Woman". He was called a symbol of the Soviet era and the standard of social realism, even though at the time the sculpture almost rejected due to the fact that in the folds of her dress peasant someone fancied silhouette enemy nation L. Trotsky.

The project of the Soviet pavilion architect B. Iofana

In 1936, the Soviet Union was preparing to participate in the World Exhibition of Art and Technology in Paris. Architect Boris lofan offered to perform the Soviet pavilion as a springboard dynamic striving upward, with the sculpture on the roof. Boris lofan explained his idea: "In arisen in my conception of the Soviet pavilion was portrayed as the triumphant building displaying its dynamic rapid growth of the achievements the world's first socialist state, the enthusiasm and vitality of our great era of building socialism ... to anyone at first glance at our pavilion I felt it - pavilion of the Soviet Union ... The sculpture seems to me made of light metal light, as it were flying forward as the unforgettable Nick Louvre - cruise by food ".

The Soviet pavilion at the exhibition in Paris 1937

The very exposition was rather meager, in fact was the main exhibit hall. Worker and Collective Farm hosts personified Soviet territory - the proletariat and the peasantry. On the idea of composition Iofana prompted ancient statue "Tiranobortsy". Connect the hammer and sickle - also did not find Iofana and Fly, in the works of some artists, this idea has already had its embodiment. The architect designed the overall project, and find him a concrete solution had a sculptor.

Left - Tiranobortsy. V in. BC. e. Right - Vera Mukhina sculpture Worker and Collective Farm * *

In the summer of 1936 among sculptors contest was announced, which presented their projects Andreev, M. Manizer, I. Shadr and Mukhina. The main finding of Mukhina was apparent ease and lightness of a massive sculpture, which managed to achieve thanks to the "flying" over the figure of the mother. "A lot of controversy aroused introduced me to the composition waving from behind a piece of cloth, symbolizing those red cloth, without which we can not imagine any mass demonstrations. This "scarf" was so necessary that without it falling apart the whole composition and relationship with the building of the statue, "- said Mukhin. Her project was approved, with the condition "suit" figures, originally conceived naked.

Projects Sculpture V. Andreev and M. Manizer

The plaster model B. Iofana and sculpture project Mukhina

In early 1937, the factory in which the assembly was held, did denunciation Mukhin, stating that the work can not be completed as planned, because the sculptor constantly interrupts and require fixes, and in some places the steel frame shell clearly enemy of the people seen the profile of Trotsky. Then, on the denunciation did not respond, but on his return from the exhibition pavilion of the Soviet arrested Commissioner J. Mezhlauk and several engineers who have worked on the creation of the statue.

Vera Mukhina in the workshop, the 1940s.

On the left - the assembly of the statue at the pilot plant. Right - assembled sculpture

The dimensions of the statues were impressive: it reached a height of 23, 5 meters and weighed 75 tons. For transportation to the exhibition the sculpture was cut into 65 pieces, and loaded on 28 platforms. After assembly in Paris a statue created a furor. French schedule F. Masereel admitted: "Your sculpture struck us. We spend the evening talking and arguing about it. " Picasso admired the look of stainless steel on the background of purple sky of Paris.

The assembly process of the statue

Romain Rolland wrote: "At the International Exhibition, on the banks of the Seine two young Soviet giant elevate the hammer and sickle, and we hear from their breasts pouring heroic hymn that calls the peoples for freedom, unity and lead them to victory."

The working model sculpture

After the exhibition the sculpture was once again dismantled and moved to Moscow. There she recovered from thick sheet steel and installed at a much lower pedestal in front of the All-Union Agricultural Exhibition. In 1947, the statue "Worker and Collective Farm Girl" became a symbol of the studio "Mosfilm". And Vera Mukhina deservedly received the title of unofficial first lady of the Soviet monumental sculpture.