I have already talked about one monument to the poet Pushkin in the centre of Odesa. Here is this post - Monument to Pushkin.
That statue was the third in the city and the second in the world to be dedicated to this man. But there are never many monuments, especially if it is dedicated to a person who loved Odesa very much.
Therefore, the second monument to the classics in Odesa was opened for the 200th anniversary of Alexander Sergeevich. I'll tell you about its history and some interesting facts.
History and facts about the Monument
The monument sculpture to Pushkin was erected in honour of the poet's bicentennial on July 4, 1999. The sketch was created by the famous Odesa sculptor Alexander Tokarev, who is also the author of the monument to Leonid Utesov and Vera Kholodnaya.
According to the artist's plan, the monument is made of bronze, full-length. This allows residents and guests of the city to stand next to the poet, touch him and take a picture for the memory.
The sculpture depicts Pushkin as quite young, about twenty-five years old. It was at this age that he already gained fame as the first poet of Russia.
Today's version is slightly different from the original. Initially, Pushkin seemed to lean on his bronze cane. But after it was stolen three times, it was decided to slightly modify the statue. Today the cane is located behind the poet's back and has several levels of attachment. Since 2009, no one has stolen the cane anymore.
Also, there is a lot of criticism around Pushkin's appearance. He is shown here in his usual image - with curly hair, but the fact is that at the time of his stay in Odesa, the poet was shaved baldly. But on the monument, they still portrayed him in a classic way - with sideburns and in a top hat, in a vest, tailcoat and a scarf. This was done for greater recognition, it seems to me.
Another thing that caused a negative reaction among the devoted fans of Pushkin is that he is depicted as too tall and ... Beautiful! Like, he doesn't look like himself at all. But Odesans do not think long about giving a sharp answer, so they said bluntly that it has long been known that if a person is happy, then he looks much better. Accordingly, in Odesa, Pushkin felt great, and this is confirmed by his letters to his brother. But in Moscow he did not like at all, therefore he seemed to those around him shorter and less handsome.
Well, one more fact in the end. The monument is located near the Pushkin Museum. It was this building that was built in 1817 as the Hotel du Nord, and it was here that Pushkin stayed in 1823.
True, he lived in it for only a few weeks and moved to the Renault hotel on Deribasovskaya. The poet did not like the hotel du Nord due to the fact that gambling and alcohol were prohibited here, which were a very important component in Pushkin's life. Therefore, by and large, the monument was erected near the most unloved institution that was in his life.
If you are near the monument, be sure to rub his nose! It is said to bring good luck.
Where can you see the sculpture?
The sculpture is located in Odesa on Pushkinskaya street 13.
The exact GPS coordinates are 46.481590, 30.743019
You can also save my map in Pinmapple.
