The cigar found a hero

On November 22, a monument to Fidel Castro was unveiled on Novopeschanaya Street in Moscow. The ceremony was attended by the presidents of Russia and Cuba. Special Correspondent “Kommersant” Andrey Kolesnikov believes that it turned out to be piercing and – most importantly – it could not fail.

On that day, Moscow was covered, as you know, by freezing rain, that is, everything was in the ice from top to bottom, to the very clouds, and even, it seems, the air, frozen in the wind.

And one could only imagine how the members of the Cuban delegation that came to open the monument to the legendary Fidel felt here on the Sokol. But they held on and did not look for warm places for themselves. Although, didn’t they now want more than anything in the world, as, indeed, all Muscovites without exception, to be somewhere in Cuba right now?

Journalists, however, were sheltered by the Georgian restaurant “Kolkhi” on the corner of Novopeschanaya and Salvador Allende, which, as best he could, united with the Island of Freedom the longing for her parrot Jaco Pika, who understands too well that she will not see the age of Freedom, and therefore from time to time uses the win-win phrase “Pour it up, bro!”, which is pronounced so clearly and with such feeling that it remains just to nod gratefully and perform.

Moreover, Russian President Vladimir Putin at that time was opening the future of the Yakutia and Ural icebreakers via video conference and, by all indications, was in no hurry to go to Novopeschanaya.

Finally, the signal was given: “They are coming!”, And two columns joined at the monument: journalists and members of delegations. Everyone wanted to be in the front row, so even the sculptor Alexei Chebanenko and the architect Andrei Bely were pressed.

“Thank God, I managed to participate in the competition organized by the Russian Military Historical Society to create a monument, the creation of which was initiated by the Ministry of Defense,” said Alexei Chebanenko. “We created many versions of the great Fidel.

I wanted to see each one, of course. And maybe even install. But they say he did not like the idea of ​​a monument to himself, although, as we see, he could not completely avoid it.

– We wanted to pass it in the prime of life! He infected everyone around with enthusiasm! – said Alexey Chebanenko.

— But how to convey such enthusiasm in bronze? I wondered.

“Show him to the young, as our parents remember!” – the sculptor exclaimed. – When he came to Moscow in 1963, after the Caribbean crisis! Young, perky!.. This is a great man who is born once in a century!

No, Fidel, once captured, has not yet released Alexei Chebanenko.

“He should be firmly standing on two legs,” added the sculptor. “Not in contraposto, not in any other way, but firmly standing!” The wind blows in his face!

I involuntarily turned around to see for myself. Yes, the material that was used to hide the monument so far covered his figure and face. There was a beard spread across the face. But maybe it was something else.

He looks into the distance. He is with a cigar, because Fidel without a cigar is the same as Cuba without Fidel,” Alexei Chebanenko dropped the aphorism as if he had many more of them.

“This image that Lesha made,” Tatyana Samarskaya, director of the Grekov Studio, where he works, entered, “was supervised by Defense Minister Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu. And so he came … He is a creative person, he often came … And now he says: “This is exactly how I remember him! That’s what he was!”

It became clear that he would.

With such Fidel, they won the competition, announced by order of the Ministry of Defense.

— Here (at Fidel Castro Square.— “b”) Initially, we planned to place it, of course, in the center,” Andrey Bely continued. “But there are communications here. And it just happened.

Yes, it was impossible not to pay attention to the fact that Fidel was standing closer to one side of the road, as if he had moved away to let someone through.

“So we turned it around so that the background after it was exactly the park,” the architect explained.

However, now it turned out that Fidel was walking from the park straight to the entrance of the neighboring house on some revolutionary business of his own.

At the same time, a cigar is clamped in his hand (in such cases, the sculptor should, as you know, be careful and prevent a situation where one cigar is in a person’s hand and the other in his teeth. Incidents of this kind happened with Vladimir Ilyich’s cap: her when the monument was opened, they suddenly noticed on the head and in the hand of the leader at the same time).

– The monument itself, if you take it with a pedestal, – added Andrei Bely, – clearly fits into the cube. Cuba fits in a cube! It has a size of 3.65 by 3.65 (meters.— “b”), and from tile to top – also 3.65! Part of the rock on which he stands breaks off, and then an accurate map of Cuba is visible!

Nothing is impossible for Alexei! – exclaimed Tatyana Samarskaya. – This monument – in half a year, a monument to Marshal Vasilevsky – in a month !!!

– In the asset – a monument to Efremov … – the sculptor looked down.

But not Michael? – just in case, I clarified.

The time has not yet come, perhaps.

“To Mikhail Efremov,” Aleksey Chebanenko shook his head. “But to another. Commander. Valiant General!

The emphasis was on “valiant”.

Yes, the other Mikhail Efremov has so far distinguished himself with other valor. For them, monuments are not erected, but demolished.

– And the monuments to Margelov, Shokalsky! .. – the sculptor continued. – A monument to the militia of Moscow, four divisions … Everything was commissioned by the Ministry of Defense … It was opened in Yasenevo, but it was supposed to stand right here, in front of the fountain! ..

The Ministry of Defense attacked at least in Moscow. Surrounded by her monuments.

Among the guests, I now noticed the philosopher Alexander Dugin. He said that at a time when Cuba remained faithful to the ideals of socialism, “but we didn’t!”.

– Under such conditions, Fidel Castro becomes a geopolitical figure! – exclaimed Alexander Dugin. – There is a war of civilizations, and the importance of Cuba is growing before our eyes! And remember, our missiles will be in Cuba again! Don’t believe? Ask this monument!

I really wanted to find out something from him, ask him, find out the most important thing, because after him there was no one to talk to either … Yes, just at least look into his eyes … But no, they dragged him into sackcloth from head to toe .. But maybe Alexander Dugin still knew at least something …

“The Eurasian movement was the initiator of the erection of this monument,” Alexander Dugin explained in response to my question.

I was surprised: it seems that the sculptor said that the initiators were the Ministry of Defense and the Military Historical Society.

– They wondered why there is no monument to Fidel Castro, did not find it – and decided to act! Alexander Dugin slashed the cold air with his hand like an ice pick. “A year ago, on the eve of the NWO!”

That is no coincidence, he made frankly understand.

“We found a sculptor…” said Alexander Dugin. “We and the old society of Russian-Cuban friendship… We searched and found it!”

But what about the competition, I wanted to ask, about which the sculptor himself spoke, but what about the Ministry of Defense?.. Oh, okay, maybe Alexander Dugin found some other sculptor…

It was reported here that both presidents, Russia and Cuba, are already here. They got out of the cars, approached the monument, from which the fabric was finally pulled off. Bronze was soaked, it seemed to me, with greenery. Fidel was indeed young, as the apparently ageless Sergei Shoigu knew him to be, and he does not look like his later self. But he really was striving for something, and in general he was mobile and even, it’s true, one might say, alive. I thought it was the sculptor’s luck. Yes, and Fidel himself was lucky.

Bronze, however, was already very green, but so what? In the summer, however, it will not be conspicuous, and the winter will someday end, although now there is no such impression.

Vladimir Putin, of course, delivered a speech:

– Fidel and his associates have always selflessly defended the sovereignty of their native country; they did not allow it to be broken by the intervention of mercenaries, sanctions, financial and economic embargo, attempts at external isolation! — Vladimir Putin uttered the words he had suffered over the past year. — We defended the right of Cuba to its own model of development in accordance with national values, and not values ​​imposed from outside! We have ensured that the world takes into account the opinion of Cuba and respects its interests!

This, however, cannot yet be said about Russia. But after all, a special military operation is still in full swing. All is not yet lost.

– For many generations of our fellow citizens, the image of the Comandante has always been covered with romantic glory, courage, victories! – said Vladimir Putin. – In the words of the famous Soviet song “Cuba – my love!” our sincere, enthusiastic feelings were reflected not only to the Island of Freedom and the entire Cuban people, but also directly to Fidel, whose power, energy and unbending will attracted and still attract to him like a magnet!

The chilled Cuban guests around me greedily hung on every word of Vladimir Putin and everyone seemed to understand, although it turned out later that almost none of them knew the Russian language.

“Dear friends, I was lucky enough to meet with Fidel Castro on several occasions, and many hours of conversations with him remain in my memory, especially our last conversation in July 2014,” Vladimir Putin continued. “He spoke about things surprisingly in tune with the times!” The time of the formation of a multipolar world order: that independence and dignity are not traded, that every nation has the right to free development, to choose its own path, and in a truly just world there can be no place for dictatorship, robbery and neo-colonialism! His encyclopedic knowledge, deep understanding of the essence of events, sharpness of mind, accuracy of assessments were striking.

Yes, not a single random word. The commandant would also understand.

“Our country has always supported the freedom-loving Cuban people and the leadership of the republic. And we know it’s mutual! Vladimir Putin finished.

He, however, closed the Lourdes base in Cuba. It was a big gesture. Cubans appreciated.

– Fidel had warm relations with the Soviet and Russian leaders! – said Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel. – He admired Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova! .. He visited the USSR many times … Until the last day he caught news from Russia … Dear comrades! Today we confirm to you: the new generations of Cubans, who consistently hold government positions in the country, are committed to the ideals of friendship and solidarity with the Russian Federation! Russia knows that she can count on Cuba! Eternal glory to the historical leader of the Cuban Revolution, Commander-in-Chief Fidel Castro Ruz!

— Gloria!!! gasped the Cubans around me.

Their eyes burned. They looked at the Comandante. He looked through the snow and the wind somewhere else.

I felt some kind of tenderness for these people now. And, by the way, envy. They were adamant. They were ready to go to the very end with their Comandante.

Yes, Gloria. What else can you say.

— Do you also think that Russian missiles will return to Cuba? – I then asked the leader of the Communist Party of the Russian Federation Gennady Zyuganov.

“I think not, and there is no need for that,” Gennady Zyuganov laughed. “The new missile systems make it possible to resolve all issues successfully from our national territory. Quite! Recently they showed: the American shuttle returned, which flew over the planet and filmed everything … We did it more than 30 years ago! I watched how our Buran was launched! .. Without pilots, it landed with an accuracy of 30 centimeters with a very strong side wind!

— Did you see him? I asked Gennady Zyuganov, nodding at Fidel.

– I like him! – admitted the leader of the Communist Party. – He is the one who came to us then!

— In vain gave the base? I asked Gennady Zyuganov directly.

“You shouldn’t have given it away…” he sighed.

After 30 minutes, there was no one at the monument. The commander was left alone. Undefeated. Unconquered. The only one in all of Moscow with a cigar in his hand.

And he was above all these conversations.

A meter and a half.