Children Are the Victims of Adult Vices

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Children Are the Victims of Adult Vices
Children Are the Victims of Adult Vices.jpg
Artist Mihail Chemiakin
Completion date2001 (unveiled)
Type Bronze sculpture
Location Moscow, Russia
Coordinates 55°44′45″N37°37′10″E / 55.745935°N 37.619376°E / 55.745935; 37.619376

Children Are the Victims of Adult Vices is a group of bronze sculptures created by Russian artist Mihail Chemiakin. The sculptures are located in a park in Bolotnaya Square, Balchug, 2,000 feet (610 metres) south of the Moscow Kremlin behind the British Ambassador's residence. [1]

Contents

The monument consists of 15 sculptures. In the center of the composition are two blindfolded children. At their feet are two books: Russian Tales and Alexander Pushkin’s Fairy Tales, as well as a globe. The figures of children are surrounded by sculptures in the form of anthropomorphic monsters, personifying "adult" vices:

The sculpture was commissioned by then-Mayor Yuri Luzhkov and sponsored by the state-owned oil company Rosneft. It was unveiled in 2001 amid some controversy. Some Muscovites worried that the graphic imagery would frighten children. [2] [3] Chemiakin said that, "[The sculpture] ... was conceived and carried out by me as a symbol and a call to fight for the salvation of present and future generations." [4]

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References

  1. Yablokova, Oksana (29 June 2001). "Moscow to Raise Monument to People's Sins". The Moscow Times (via Highbeam Research). Archived from the original on 22 October 2012. Retrieved 12 January 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Moscow divided over vices statue". BBC News . 6 July 2001. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  3. Shishova, Tatiana (5 December 2001). ""ПАМЯТНИК ПОРОКАМ" ШЕМЯКИНА С ТОЧКИ ЗРЕНИЯ ПСИХОЛОГА (an interview with doctor of psychological sciences Vasilevnoy Abramenkovoy)" (in Russian). www.pravoslavie.ru. Archived from the original on 25 December 2001. Retrieved 26 December 2008.
  4. Darina, Nikonov. "The children – victims of adult vices" (in Russian). www.log-in.ru. Retrieved 26 December 2008.