Cherepovets is the largest city of the Vologda Oblast, as well as an important industrial center of the North-West region of Russia. It has been leading its rich and interesting history since the middle of the 14th century. In our article you will find photos and descriptions of the most famous sculptural monuments of Cherepovets.
Meet Cherepovets
The city is located 125 kilometers from Vologda, at the confluence of the Yagorba River in Sheksna. Almost 320 thousand people live here. It is the largest city in the Vologda Oblast, both in terms of population and area.
Cherepovets was first mentioned in documents for 1362 in connection with the founding of the Resurrection Monastery here. Gradually, the shrine was overgrown with villages and small towns. Cherepovets received city status in 1777. At that time he was famous for his fisheries. In particular, the local sterlet was highly valued, which was directly delivered to the royal table. At the beginning of the 20th century, Cherepovets was nicknamed the "Russian Oxford" for a large number of educational institutions. Construction of the Volga-B altic water corridor and the creation of the Rybinsk reservoirin the 30s of the last century gave a new impetus to the development of the city. Soon Cherepovets turned into a major port, and they began to proudly call it the "city of five seas".
Modern Cherepovets is the most important industrial center and major transport hub of the country. Today, 1500 enterprises operate here. The city itself is one of the ten largest industrial centers of Russia. The main sectors of the city's economy are ferrous metallurgy, the chemical complex, metalworking and woodworking industry.
Cherepovets is also famous for its people. At different times, the Vereshchagin brothers, the poet Igor Severyanin, Valery Chkalov and other prominent personalities lived and worked here.
Monuments of the city of Cherepovets
Sculptural art is one of the oldest in the world. The history of any settlement is always reflected in its monuments. And Cherepovets is no exception. The streets, parks and squares of the city are decorated with dozens of various monuments, steles, sculptural compositions and busts. They are dedicated to a variety of personalities and historical events.
The total number of monuments in Cherepovets is estimated at several dozen. The most famous of them:
- I. A. Milyutin.
- B. I. Lenin.
- Monument to St. Athanasius and Theodosius.
- Memorial sign "Builders of Cherepovets".
- Monument "Continuity of generations".
- Monument to nurses.
Monument to Athanasius and Theodosius in Cherepovets
If you believe the legend, then Cherepovets was founded by two people- a we althy Moscow merchant Theodosius and a student of Sergius of Radonezh Athanasius. It was they who founded the Resurrection Monastery in 1362.
The sculptural group depicting two monks is perhaps the most iconic monument in Cherepovets. It is located in the very center of the city, on Cathedral Hill. The monument was erected here in 1992. The height of the bronze figures is four meters. The Monk Theodosius points with his hand to the mountain, where he once had a vision.
Monument to I. A. Milyutin
The monument to the first mayor Ivan Andreevich Milyutin adorns the square in front of the new building of the city registry office. It was installed at the place where an official was supposedly buried in 1907. Residents of Cherepovets began to collect money for the construction of the monument immediately after the death of Milyutin. But the discovery of the sculpture took place only 90 years later. Its author is the sculptor Alexander Shebunin. On the pedestal of the monument you can see a tablet with the following inscription: "To Ivan Andreevich Milyutin, the first head of Cherepovets, with repentance from fellow citizens."
Monument to V. I. Lenin
Such a large city as Cherepovets could not do without the inspired and inspiring figure of the leader of the world proletariat. The monument to Vladimir Ilyich Lenin appeared in the city quite late - in 1963 on the Square of Metallurgists. The author of the figure was the metropolitan sculptor Vitaly Tsigal. Cherepovets Lenin looks towards the local metallurgical plant, with which he oncethe bright future of this city was being contacted.
Monument "Continuity of Generations"
Of course, there is a monument to metallurgists in Cherepovets. Officially it bears the name "Continuity of generations". The monument was erected in 2006 on Metallurgists' Square in honor of the 50th anniversary of Severstal JSC, the city's main enterprise. 16 authors from different cities of the country took part in the competition for the best sculpture project. But the winner was the local architect Alexander Shebunin.
According to the author's plan, the monument should convey two things to the townspeople: the continuity of generations in metallurgy and a confident look into the future. Therefore, in the central part of the monument, we see a metallurgist father and his little son walking in a helmet into that very bright future. In the background is a vertical stele symbolizing the process of metal smelting.
The monument was cast in bronze in parts in the city of St. Petersburg. Many residents of Cherepovskaya were puzzled by the disproportionate size and gait of the child, however, this sculptural composition has long become one of the main city symbols.
Monument to Heroic Nurses
One of the most touching in Cherepovets is a monument to nurses. During the Great Patriotic War, the city, located in the frontline zone, turned into one big hospital. During the hottest days of the war, up to 16 echelons with wounded and evacuated people passed through Cherepovets every day.
In order to perpetuate the heroic and selfless work of the medical staff, it was decided in the cityerect an appropriate monument. In 2014, the sculptural composition adorned the square in front of the city station. After all, it was here that the wounded from the front arrived en masse. In the foreground is a nurse and a little girl with a doll in her hand, then a soldier wounded in the leg, followed by a group of refugees. The total weight of the sculptural group is 2.5 tons.
Monument to the builders of Cherepovets
Dedicated to the architects and builders of the city, the monument is rather unusual. It is a massive bronze ball engraved with the general plan for the development of Cherepovets. The ball, popularly nicknamed the "globe", is fixed on a granite pedestal and framed by twelve stone "petals". On each of the slabs there are plates with the names of those construction organizations that have made a significant contribution to the development of Cherepovets.
The monument was erected in 2008 in a symbolic place - in the square in front of the Stroitel Palace of Culture. The author of this project was the architect Alexander Kovnator.
