Monument to Chapaev in Samara (Samara, Russia) - description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.
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The Chapaev monument in Samara can easily be called one of the most emotional and striking in the city. It is located on the square of the same name opposite Samara drama theater. The sculpture was installed in 1932 in honor of the 15th anniversary October revolution. The authors are sculptor Matvey Manizer and architect Joseph Langbard.
For a long time, the monument to Chapaev in Samara remained one of the largest in the entire USSR. Its height is 10 meters, the dimensions of the base are 17 by 22 meters.
The monument is a whole sculptural group - a total of 8 people are depicted. This is Vasily Chapaev, a sailor with a machine gun, a commissar, a partisan, a soldier and a woman with rifles and two more soldiers. For a long time, the monument remained one of the largest in the entire USSR. Its height is 10 meters, the dimensions of the base are 17 by 22 meters.
The monument to Chapaev was made in Leningrad and then sent to Samara. One of the first to see the sculpture was the famous statesman and political figure Sergei Kirov. He liked it so much that he asked the authors to make an exact copy for installation in Leningrad. Today, a copy of the monument is located in St. Petersburg near the Military Academy of Communications named after. Budyonny.
Interestingly, Samara residents really like the sculpture. Firstly, townspeople often make appointments here, and secondly, every now and then they try to steal Chapaev’s saber.
One of the expressive and beautiful monuments of Samara is the monument to the legendary division commander, hero Civil War Vasily Chapaev. This sculptural composition was discovered in November 1932 in honor of the 15th anniversary of the October Revolution on the square in front of the Samara Academic Drama Theater named after. Gorky. Before the installation of the monument, the square was called Paris Commune, a sculpture dedicated to the Third International was installed on it. However, they decided to rename the square, as a result of which it began to bear the name Chapaev Square.
In terms of its size, the sculptural composition was one of the largest in the country - the height of the monument itself is 10 meters, the base is 17x22 meters. The entire sculptural composition is cast from bronze; it took about 12 tons. The pedestal consists of two platforms. You can climb to the first one by steps on both sides; on the second, the sculptural composition itself is installed.
Historical reference
The authors of the sculptural composition dedicated to the Chapaevites led by the division commander are the architect I. Langbard and the sculptor M. Manizer, who was also the author of the sculptures of V.I. Lenin and V.V. Kuibyshev. Chapaev's son Alexander, who looked like his father, posed for the sculptor. This complex sculptural composition was made in Leningrad. Before shipping, it was assembled to evaluate the work done. The sculpture made a great impression on S.M. Kirov and he came up with a proposal to cast an exact copy and leave it in Leningrad. This is how a double of the monument appeared, which can be found on the square in front of the building of the Budyonny Military Academy of Communications in St. Petersburg.
It seems to be the most feared Samara monument... But has everyone looked at it in detail? For myself personally, I learned a lot of new things.
The monument to Chapaev by Matvey Manizer on the square named after the division commander has been seen by almost everyone who has been to Samara or Kuibyshev since its opening on November 6, 1932 (then the square was called the Paris Communards).
Chapaev himself has long been no longer associated with the real historical division commander. By and large, in the minds it is no longer red and white. His personality traits and exploits are presented through the prism of the Soviet blockbuster of the Vasilyev brothers of 1934 and numerous anecdotes that appeared after the triumph of the film. Pelevin also gave the commander a post-modernist spark, making this character relevant for modern youth. Now Chapaev is a mustachioed man demonstrating tactical schemes using potatoes; a character howling with Petka for the heart of the machine gunner Anka and a cart with an inscription about the power of the night and the power of the day.
This is probably why this sculptural composition is truly loved by the residents of the city.
The monument is equally loved not only by fans of the monumental, but also popular among non-ferrous metal hunters. During the 2000s, the division commander’s saber was requisitioned twice, and once even a Maxim machine gun was requisitioned from his retinue.
First of all, I respect this work for two things. Firstly, it clearly demonstrates the ethno-social cross-section of the Volga region. In addition to Russian types, there are Tatars and Bashkirs. And Chapaev himself was half Mordvin-Erzya, half Chuvash. So, almost a complete set. Secondly, the monument is very democratic. If you wish, you can climb up to the sculptural composition itself and examine everything in detail. What I loved to do as a child and did not fail to take advantage of last fall. The result is the following photos.
A little history: Matvey Manizer worked on the monument in Leningrad. Prototypes of sculptural figures posed for him there. Before sending the monument to the Volga banks, it was examined by Kirov, who was very impressed. The monument turned out great. In addition, it was the first multi-figure composition made at Soviet power. Kirov desired the same miracle for Leningrad. A copy was cast just before the start of the war, and installed at the Military Academy of Communications already during the blockade.
For the monument, Manizer received the title of Honored Artist.
The architect of the Kuibyshev pedestal is Joseph Langbard, who became famous primarily for his constructivist buildings in the Belarusian SSR.
The production of the monument was paid for by former fighters of the Chapaev division and the Samara proletariat.
Leningrad copy of the monument. Photo from here.
Specifications: the weight of the monument is 12 tons. Material - bronze. Height - 10 meters. The base of the pedestal is 17 x 22 meters. The figures are one and a half times human height.
Now let's look at the monument:
General form. Here you can see all the characters with the exception of the sailor trailing in the rearguard. Pay attention to the condition of the pedestal. And these, by the way, are cultural monuments federal significance.
The same thing, but on the reverse side.
Vasily Ivanovich himself. It’s not easy to capture him, because he hangs over the crowd on his dashing horse. The sculptor based the image on Chapaev’s son Alexander, who, they say, bore a striking resemblance to his father.
The commissar rushes ahead of the divisional father into battle.
Behind the commissar there is a figure of a Bashkir fighter rising from the ground.
The prototype was the Bashkir poet Gaisy Yusupov, who died during the Great Patriotic War.
Tatar fighter. Social origin - Volga loader. Purely Samara Tatar type. After all, as you know, the loaders' business in Samara was firmly held by the Tatars who lived on Alexei Tolstoy Street. In the past - Kazan, which is typical.
The Tatar's face can only be seen by birds. But the nipple is visible to everyone.
Peasant partisan. Symbolizes Russian roots.
First five. Pull your tickets. .
The only lady. By the way, I thought that in terms of gender composition, the composition of the monument corresponds to the main characters of the fairy tale “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.”
The model was generated in the image of a former weaver with the surname Tkachev, characteristic of this profession. Later E.V. Tkacheva became deputy chairman of the Samara City Executive Committee, and even later was accused of right-wing Trotskyist activities.
The last two figures, closing the composition, symbolize the regular units of the Red Army emerging from hordes of armed ragamuffins:
Fighter. This guy is always unlucky. For some reason, when listing the figures of a sculptural composition, people always forget about him.
But the sailor, who closes the composition, is often the center of attention. Especially after stealing his machine gun from the gun carriage. Notice how he gracefully arches his back when viewed from this angle.
If you look at the sailor from the other side, he doesn’t look so flirtatious.
Of course, the proximity of a university, even if it is the Academy of Arts and Culture, cannot but affect the horse’s genitals. The genitals of bronze horses never give rest to students in our country.
In general, the condition of the monument of federal significance can be assessed as a solid “B”. The worst situation is with rifle belts. I already wrote about problems with the pedestal.
Monument in the square complex:
In my opinion, the monument fits very well among the low buildings surrounding it. Fortunately, when it was erected, the Soviet authorities had not yet developed a strong desire for cyclopsism. And, even more so, it’s joyful that this is not the Tseriteli format.
It looks very impressive against the backdrop of the Volga sunsets.
It should be noted that for a long time the Regional Party Committee was located on the square. And the monument is located in such a way that Chapai seems to be leading his brigade to storm it. This served as a reason for numerous jokes among ordinary people.
Few people remember this, but there are graves under the monument. Here in December 1917, those who died at the “hands of counter-revolutionaries” were buried. Previously, this plaque hung on the pedestal of the monument, but has now been moved to the wall of one of the nearby houses.
Bonus-track: You can see a 3D panorama of Chapaev Square along with the monument.
“Monument to Chapaev” was the first multi-figure sculptural composition created under Soviet rule.
Monument Chapaev, standing on the square of the same name, together with the “gingerbread” building of the Samara Drama Theater, is often captured by the cameras of Samara residents and city guests. However, if you look at this sculptural composition in more detail, you can learn a lot about it.
The twelve-ton bronze monument was made in Leningrad by the sculptor Matvey Genrikhovich Manizer, the author of other Samara monuments - for example, Lenin and Kuibyshev. But, undoubtedly, Chapaev and his fighters are the most successful creation of the sculptor made for the city. I really liked the finished monument in Leningrad Sergei Kirov, and in 1933 he ordered the production of a copy of it. The twins of the Samara Red Army soldiers still stand in St. Petersburg near the Military Academy of Communications. Muscovites are familiar with Matvey Manizer from the numerous bronze figures decorating the Ploshchad Revolyutsii metro station. Although they were made later, they have many similarities with the bronze Chapaevites. It was for the monument to Chapaev that Manizer received the title of Honored Artist of the USSR. Worked on the pedestal of the Samara statue Joseph Langbard, best known for his constructivist buildings in Belarus. The pedestal-tribune was plastered and painted black. Architect Karkaryan completed the project of facing the pedestal with polished black labradorite and coordinated it with Manizer.
The Kuibyshev monument was inaugurated on November 6, 1932 on Parisian Communards Square (the former name of Chapaev Square). This was the first multi-figure sculptural composition created under Soviet rule, and it amazed the townspeople gathered for the opening.
Almost all bronze fighters had real prototypes.
Monument to Chapaev
All figures of the monument are made the size of one and a half human height. Each of the eight figures either reflects the local Volga-Ural revolutionary flavor, or has a symbolic meaning. The detachment is headed by the division commander himself - with a saber and on a rearing horse. The sculptor sculpted the face of the military leader from Chapaev’s son, Alexander Vasilievich, who by all accounts looked very much like his father. Some other figures also had their own prototypes. For the only female figure (Anna the machine gunner) walking behind the commander, a weaver posed for Manizer Tkachev, who was at that time deputy chairman of the Samara City Executive Committee. After the opening of the monument, her career was cut short when she was accused of right-wing Trotskyist activities. But the figure of the former weaver, of course, has not disappeared from one of the main squares of the city.
It was for the monument to Chapaev that the sculptor Manizer received the title of Honored Artist of the USSR.
Manizer separately reflected the local ethnic flavor. From the indigenous peoples of the Volga region, in addition to Chapaev himself, the figures of a Bashkir and a Tatar are represented. Thus, representatives of the most numerous nationalities of the region appeared in the composition. It should be noted that when the monument was erected, the city was the administrative center of the large multinational Middle Volga region.
A Bashkir poet posed for the figure of a Bashkir rising from the ground Gaisy Yusupov, who died during the Great Patriotic War. The figure of the Tatar was made from one of the Samara Volga loaders. It was the Tatars who lived on Kazanskaya Street (now Alexei Tolstoy Street) who made up a significant part of the staff of the city trading piers. The Russians are represented by the figure of a bearded partisan in a papakha. The composition is completed by the figures of a soldier in a Budennovka with a Mosin rifle and a sailor with a Maxim machine gun. They symbolize units of the newly emerging regular Red Army.
Near the monument there are burial places of 12 people – “fighters against counter-revolution” and security officers.
Previously, this building housed the regional committee of the CPSU, which served as a reason for a considerable number of jokes from the townspeople. Now the bronze Chapaev is directing his army towards the Academy of Culture. Also, in general, symbolic...
Few people know, but near the monument there are burial places of 12 people - “fighters against the counter-revolution” and security officers. Before Chapaev and his fighters “settled” in the square, near the graves there was a plaster monument to the Third International (the author is a Samara sculptor Kopylov), installed in the first post-revolutionary years and quickly fell into disrepair. I would like to believe that, unlike the first monument on the square, Manizer’s sculptural masterpiece will decorate Samara for much longer - it fits so organically into its diverse architectural ensemble.
