I explored the Tretyakov gallery area a couple of times during the first sunny weeks of May. It was lovely just getting out of the small flat and spending some time outside in the sunshine.
One afternoon my exploring took me past the gallery and down some side streets towards the Moscow River. I walked past some beautiful old buildings and came across a small church on the side of the road. I don’t know what this church is named but it was lovely inside and smelled of incense and rose oil. I love that most of the churches are filled with icons and candles, makes it feel very mystical inside.
Close to this little church I found the Socialist sculpture park. I didn’t realize you had to pay to enter the park so I just walked in and it must have looked as if I belonged because nobody stopped me. It was only on my second visit here that I was stopped and made to pay the entrance fee. Luckily for me I had my head phones in and didn’t say a word as I handed over my money so the lady took me for a Russian and I ended up paying half of what foreigners pay to enter.
The Park was established by the City of Moscow in 1992 and currently displays over 700 sculptures that had been brought here from all over the city when they tried to get rid of all the communist statues.
In October 1991, when the Soviet Union collapsed, smaller socialist realism statues of Soviet leaders and unidentifiable workers and peasants were removed from their pedestals, hauled to the park and left in their fallen form. The park became a big statue dumping ground.
Most of them were turned upright later, although they were all missing their original pedestals and some were broken beyond repair.
In 1995, Muzeon added a World War II section - these sculptures, of the same socialist realism vintage, were never displayed in open air before then. In 1998 the park acquired 300 sculptures of victims of communist rule made by Evgeny Chubarov, and was installed as a single group.
I think the most stunning of these fallen statues is a bust of Stalin (whose nose has been broken off). There are a couple of statues of Lenin and some Soviet emblems. The saddest part is that they have a whole section that is filled with the heads of statues that were destroyed while being moved here.
I don’t understand how they classify what statues are communist as there are even statues of fairy tales here. I also couldn’t believe it when I found a patch where statues of t animals were displayed, never thought animals were communists.
This park is right next to the Moscow River and I love just sitting here with a book or just to walk around whenever I have the time.
