The monument to Etush, Yakovlev and Lanovoy was weighed before installation: one and a half tons

Unknown details about the bronze sculpture near the Vakhtangov Theater

September 6 at noon on the Old Arbat opened a monument to three great artists – Vladimir Etush, Yuri Yakovlev and Vasily Lanovoy. One for three, but what! So, from the solemn moment, the Vakhtangov Theater began its 102nd season. With details – browser “MK”.

-Three luminaries froze in bronze in a small courtyard near the Simonovskaya stage, which is across the Arbat from Vakhtangovsky. Although the verb “froze” is the least suitable for this sculptural composition – Vladimir Abramovich, Yuri Vasilyevich and Vasily Semenovich seem to be walking, talking, laughing. It’s a living monument, not a monument of greatness, which does not require any proof – they are great, and that’s it. And bronze only emphasized their beauty and charm. Everyone has their own, and the authors of the composition, artist Maxim Obrezkov and sculptor Philip Trushin, captured and conveyed this for sure. For two years, the young sculptor worked on the images of great artists, made seven options, but started work only when the relatives of the artists came to an agreement among themselves. And this was perhaps the most difficult stage of the work.

– Do you like the monument? – I ask Elena Etush.

– That’s not the right word. The day before, I arrived at the plant in Khimki, where a monument was being cast. And when they began to prepare him for loading, I saw how all the people who work there, of different specialties and, moreover, from different regions, ran to take pictures with him – everyone liked him so much. Everyone recognized the artists, said how much they love them, they know all the roles ….

Before loading, the bronze trinity, as expected, was weighed – it pulled one and a half tons! Strongly, although in the aggregate the talent and contribution to the history of our art by Lanovoy, Yakovlev and Etush are immeasurable. The Trinity was delivered to the Arbat on Monday evening. They removed it from the car with a crane, installed it on a pedestal, cemented it and put it in a hard box for the night.

Half an hour before the opening, admirers of the talent of artists began to gather near the Simonovskaya stage, Vakhtangov of different generations, officials came. From the Ministry of Culture of Russia, in whose subordination is Vakhtangov, – Deputy Minister Alla Manilova, from the cultural department of the capital – its head Alexander Kibovsky, from the Investigative Committee – its head Alexander Bastrykin. Exactly at noon, the leading artist of the theater and rector of the Shchukin Theater Institute Yevgeny Knyazev and People’s Artist of the RSFSR Irina Kupchenko pulled the canvas from the monument.

It must be said that the courtyard of the Simonovskaya stage, where the sculpture has now settled, was not chosen by chance.

We decided on the place right away, – director Kirill Krok said. – For each of the artists, the Simonovskaya stage meant something: Vasily Semenovich every day from home went to the Vakhtangov Theater through this courtyard, Vladimir Abramovich, although he did not play here, he looked in. Well, Yuri Vasilievich at one time after the death of Yevgeny Simonov directed the Simonovsky Theater. I think that they will be comfortable and good here.

According to Cyril Krok, the monument was made entirely with the money of the theater – its cost is about 16 million rubles.

Published in the newspaper “Moskovsky Komsomolets” No. 28863 dated September 7, 2022

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The monument to Etush, Yakovlev and Lanovoy was weighed before installation: one and a half tons