Monument to Iosif Kobzon unveiled in Moscow

On the eve of the 85th anniversary of the birth of People’s Artist of the USSR, Soviet and Russian pop singer Iosif Kobzon unveiled the monument. The monument is located in the square near the Armory Lane.

The authors of the sculptural composition really stopped the moment: the singer finished his performance, lowered the microphone, and in a second, a standing ovation will burst out. The figure of the legendary musician is made of bronze, the stage and pedestal are made of gray granite. The monument depicts Kobzon, proudly standing on the stage with a microphone in his hands, and the pedestal personifies a music record. The height of the monument is about 3.5 meters. He successfully fit into a cozy square, and decorated our city.

The preparations for the installation of the monument became known in March last year, the commission on monumental art under the Moscow City Duma unanimously supported this initiative. Sculptor Dmitry Klavsuts and architect Denis Bobylev worked on the creation of the monument. This team of authors won the competition for the best design of the monument.

The opening was attended by State Duma deputy Alexander Zhukov, cardiac surgeon Leo Bokeria, special representative of the President of the Russian Federation for cultural cooperation Mikhail Shvydkoy, head of the Moscow Department of Culture Alexander Kibovsky, widow of the maestro Nelli Kobzon, daughter Natalya Rappoport-Kobzon, many popular artists and singers, ordinary citizens.

The ceremony was hosted by People’s Artist of the RSFSR Anna Shatilova: “Perhaps, the most important award for Iosif Kobzon was the love of the audience – he received this love in full, she helped him live, work, create, engage in huge charitable activities, honestly and beautifully serve his country. Bravo Kobzon!” At the command of the legendary announcer, the canvas was removed from the monument to the sounds of the Russian anthem performed by Joseph Davydovich.

“Flowers at this monument will be not only today. This is a great ambassador and lobbyist for culture. There is no one to replace him, – Alexander Kibovsky summed up, – of course, today is a very joyful day. And it is very significant that we open this monument on the eve of the birthday of Joseph Davydovich, and on the eve of the birthday of our beloved city. And with this ceremony, we, in fact, give a start to all festive events. Yes, Iosif Davydovich has not been with us for several years, but he still remains with us, because he was a man of enormous proportions! Kibovsky noted the great importance of Kobzon’s personality, recalling that Kobzon always answered questions about the predominantly patriotic core of concert programs with a reworked formula: “There is such a profession – to love the homeland,” seeing the artist’s duty in glorifying the state. It is no coincidence that the leitmotif of all memorable speeches was not only Kobzon’s contribution to domestic pop music, but also social, political, and charitable activity.

According to Mikhail Shvydkoy, the strength of our country was felt in Kobzon’s songs: “Iosif Davydovich was a great artist, a man of extraordinary courage, he expressed with his songs the enormous energy of a great country. Today we are unveiling a monument that he highly deserved. We all understand that he has never been and will never remain only a bronze monument, because his songs will sound as long as there is music at all, they will be in our hearts and will make us better.”

State Duma Vice Speaker Alexander Zhukov also noted that Iosif Kobzon and his work will forever remain in the hearts of people: “It is great that we opened this monument in the very center of Moscow. This beautiful square, where there is a house nearby, in which he lived with Nelly. I think Muscovites will come here and remember him. He is always in our heart.”

Chairman of the Moscow City Duma Alexei Shaposhnikov said that Kobzon was an honorary resident of Moscow, a prominent politician and cultural figure: “By opening this monument, we set an example for young people and the younger generation, how to be a citizen and patriot of their homeland. We are happy that this monument appeared in Moscow,” said Shaposhnikov and added that, passing by this monument, Muscovites and residents of the capital will pay tribute to the memory of the artist.

“Today, in the year of the 85th anniversary of Joseph Kobzon and on the eve of his birthday, we opened this monument. We are happy! We did it with the help of all our friends, relatives, colleagues, deputies, thanks to the Moscow government. Many people ask why did you choose this place? We loved this place very much, and behind this house is the Hermitage Garden, where Joseph had his first performance – his first solo performance, in 1961, in this house, when he arrived in Moscow, he rented a small room. And he lived here, so I’m happy that this place is really not just like that, it seems to me that it is intended for Joseph, and this area and space, ”said the singer’s widow Nelly Kobzon.

She added that the monument consists of several parts. In addition to the monument, 14 stone slabs imitating vinyl records with the names of the artist’s songs are installed along the perimeter of the square. On each of them is a QR code, using which you can listen to one or another song on your smartphone. Nelly Kobzon noted that this is the first musical monument in the Russian capital.

Iosif Kobzon’s repertoire included about 3 thousand songs that made up the musical chronicle of the second half of the 20th century. Among them are almost all the masterpieces created by the famous composers Dunaevsky, Blanter, the brothers Pokrass, Novikov, Solovyov-Sedym, Fradkin, Feltsman, Tulikov, Pakhmutova, Tukhmanov and others. Who does not know popularly favorite hits – “Smuglyanka”, “And in our yard”, “Dark Night”, “Old Maple”, “Where does the Motherland begin”, “I love you, life”, “In the city garden” and a lot others. And the legendary ones, causing frost on the skin and tears in the eyes of everyone, amazing “Moments” and “Victory Day” is simply impossible to imagine performed by anyone other than Kobzon!

In addition to pop music, Kobzon was active in political and social activities, taught at the Gnesinka and the Institute of Theater Arts, and was engaged in business. He is also remembered for his peacekeeping and charitable activities. One of the first he came to the building of the capital’s Theater Center on Dubrovka for negotiations during the neutralization of the Barayev gang on October 23-26, 2002.

Kobzon died on August 30, 2018 at the age of 80 after a long illness, and was buried at the Vostryakovsky cemetery in the Russian capital.

“There are not many places in the center of Moscow around which there would be such space and breadth. For such a scale of personality, this is exactly the kind of monument that should be. So that it stands in a good, wide and spacious place, so that it can be seen from afar, and so that that breadth of soul, this space around this monument emphasizes these qualities of Joseph Davydovich, ” well expressed everyone’s opinion Muscovites, the head of the capital’s department of culture, Alexander Kibovsky.

Mikhail Kovalev.

Photo of the author.