Fallen Soviet statue to rise again
Published 23 July, 2008, 04:21
It was a Soviet icon from the 1930s, the celebrated ‘Worker and Farm Girl’ statue, which became the unmistakable logo of Russia’s major film studio Mosfilm. Moscow authorities promise the huge sculpture, dismantled in 2003, will be restored to its full glory.
The 24-metre-high work or art in stainless steel by Vera Mukhina triumphed when put on show for the first time at the 1937 World Fair in Paris. It became a symbol of the socialist dream for millions in the Soviet Union.
The sculptor’s granddaughter, Marfa Mukhina, says the work has iconic status.
“It is a universal legacy like the Statue of Liberty, or Christ the Redeemer in Rio, or Rodin’s ‘The Thinker”, Mukhina said.
The statue was dismantled in 2003 to be repaired for the 2010 World Expo but Moscow's bid to host it lost out to Shanghai.
This year should have seen it back to its former glory – overlooking a car park at an exhibition centre. But it still remains hidden from view.
Head of Cultural Heritage Committee Valery Shevchuk says the restoration work is a long and complicated process: “every one of the 40 parts had to be cleaned and varnished, inside enforcement had to be designed, we even brought in space scientists to do the calculations,” Shevchuk said.
Officially the restoration is ongoing but many are beginning to wonder whether the famous sculpture will ever see the light of day again.
Whether it’s bureaucracy, a lack of funding or just slow progress, the story of the statue spotlights yet another issue – Russia is still looking for a place for its Soviet legacy.
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