News

News

A Monument to the Glorifier of the Quiet Don

Every year, on February 21, on the memory day of Mikhail Sholokhov, the people of Vyoshenskaya and admirers of the great writer from different parts of the country come to the embankment of the River Don to lay flowers to this bronze bust.

The monument was erected in Vyoshenskaya on May 23, 1981, on the eve of the birthday of M.A.Sholokhov.

The pedestal bears the words: “Hero of Socialist Labour, writer Sholokhov Mikhail Alexandrovich for the outstanding achievements in development of Soviet literature is awarded the Order of Lenin and the second Gold Medal “Hammer and Sickle” by the order of the USSR Supreme Soviet Presidium of May 23, 1989”.

The project was designed by Anatoly Novikov (1926–1994), a sculptor, Honoured Artist of the RSFSR, Lenin Prize winner, and Vladimir Klimov (1933–2002), an architect, the USSR State Prize winner. By that time both the artists had been well known by their talented works: A.Novikov took part in creating a monument ensemble “For the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” at the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, and V.Klimov took part in creating the monument to the Unknown Soldier in the Alexandrovsky Garden by the Kremlin Wall in Moscow.

In November 1980, the authors of the project came to Vyoshenskaya on the writer’s invitation. They showed their draft, where Sholokhov was portrayed wearing a shirt-blouse. Having scrutinized the given variant Mikhail Alexandrovich asked: “Put a field-shirt on me.” The creators of the bust fulfilled his wish.

Harmoniously blended into the architectural ensemble of the Don embankment the monument shows a striking portrait likeness and depth of the image created. We see a genius and at the same time a man thoughtful and musing, whom you want to share your secrets with and who is ready to listen to you and understand. And that was our Sholokhov, a truly national writer, whose life was devoted to serving the Country till his last breath.

Yelena Dyachenko