Monument to the famous Russian composer M. I. Glinka in St. Petersburg. The monument was erected on Theater Square in 1906, initially in front of the conservatory, and in 1925 it was moved to the park to the right of the building. The author of the sculpture is R. R. Bach, the architectural direction is A. R. Bach.
The idea of installing a monument to the great composer, the founder of Russian classical music M. I. Glinke appeared at the Imperial Russian musical society in 1901, just in time for the 100th anniversary of the master’s birth. The initiative was supported by high level, and organizational preparations began: collecting donations, selecting performers and choosing a location. And already in 1906, the monument was solemnly erected on Theater Square in front of the entrance to the State Conservatory.
However, the original location along the roadway turned out to be rather unfortunate; the monument got in the way of carriages and carts. When, 20 years later, traffic became even more intense, and tram tracks were laid across the square, it was decided to move the monument to M.I. Glinka. Therefore, in 1925 it was moved to a park next to the conservatory, and slightly changed appearance monument - the extra candelabra were removed.
The monument depicts the composer standing in a relaxed position, slightly akimbo, with his coat unbuttoned. On the front side of the granite pedestal, the name and dates of the composer’s life are engraved in gold letters and a laurel branch is applied. On the sides of the monument are listed the most famous works of M. I. Glinka: “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Life for the Tsar”, “Kamarinskaya” and many others.
The height of the monument is about 3.5 meters, the total height of the monument including the base is more than 7 meters.
The monument to M.I. Glinka is included in the Unified State Register of Cultural Heritage Objects (historical and cultural monuments) of Russia.
Note to tourists:
A visit to the monument to M. I. Glinka will be of interest to all tourists interested in monumental architecture of the early 20th century, and can also become one of the points excursion program while exploring neighboring attractions - the Mariinsky Theater (
Category: St. Petersburg
Name M.I. Glinka is close to the heart of every Russian, thanks to the operas “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Ivan Susanin” and others famous works. Contemporaries compared him with Pushkin, emphasizing that both of them created a new Russian language: one in poetry, the second in music. All conscious life The musical maestro is associated with St. Petersburg, where he entered a boarding school as a young man, took private music lessons, was the conductor of the court singing chapel, and composed his best works.
On the eve of the composer's centenary, the musical community Northern capital took the initiative to erect a monument to him. At that time, a monument to the composer already existed in the city, erected in 1899 by decision of the Duma. The authorities approved the idea and announced a fundraiser for the production and installation of the monument; Representatives of all classes made their contribution. Prominent musical figures In search of funding, they staged many performances, the proceeds of which went to the monument fund. The fundraising campaign brought the initiative group over 106 thousand rubles.
Project competition
The design for the future monument was chosen on a competitive basis. The commission included representatives of the Imperial Musical Society, the Academy of Arts, as well as relatives of the composer. From more than twenty works, the authoritative jury chose a sketch by the sculptor Robert Bach; his brother Alexander was appointed architect.
In 1903, they chose a place on the corner of Theater Square and the street, which was later named after Glinka. In the spring of the same year, a ceremonial laying took place and the production cycle was launched. The figure of the maestro and decorative elements were cast from bronze at a foundry, and the pedestal was made of granite. The monument turned out to be more than seven meters in height, of which almost half is the figure of the composer.
Mikhail Ivanovich is depicted in full height. His face is thoughtful, his gaze is serious; he is clearly immersed in listening to a piece of music and is thinking intently about what to change in it. His appearance, good-natured and at the same time demanding, corresponds to the portrait of a Russian intellectual of that time. There is a small area around the monument, paved with granite to match the color of the pedestal. The polished edges of the pedestal are decorated with gold letters: the name of the composer, years of life, titles of operas and symphonic works, which ensured the author worldwide fame.
Moving the monument to a new location
The monument was inaugurated at the end of the winter of 1906. After this, it turned out that the place for it was chosen poorly: the monument impeded the free movement of crews. Two decades later, the reconstruction of Theater Square began. The monument, located almost in its center, was dismantled, and tram tracks were laid in its place. A commission of eminent architects had to decide where exactly to move the monument so that it would be convenient, reliable and would not interfere traffic. Such a place was found in a park not far from Mariinsky Theater. In fact, the monument remained on the square, it simply “moved” to its southern side.
Restoration work was carried out under the leadership of N. Waldman. The sculptor, together with members of the commission for the reconstruction of the monument, decided to remove the candelabra and expand the area of the site on which the pedestal will be installed.
In the middle of the twentieth century. The monument was restored by the workers of the Monumentsculpture plant. The bronze figure and decorative branch were updated; engraved an inscription about the dates of the foundation and opening of the monument, which is an object of cultural heritage and is under state protection. The maestro stands on a high pedestal surrounded by lush greenery. In good weather, students of the conservatory like to relax on the park benches near the monument.
Address: Theater Square, Theater Square, St. Petersburg, Russia.
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Monuments to Glinka, the great composer who influenced the emergence of Russian classical music with his work, are installed in several cities of the country. They were built in different time as a sign of people’s gratitude for the works created by the genius of the composer and musician.
There are such monuments in Dubna, Chelyabinsk, St. Petersburg and, of course, in Smolensk. In Veliky Novgorod, on the monument “1000th anniversary of Rus'”, among the 129 most outstanding personalities Russia, who left their mark on the history of the Russian state, is the figure of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka.
Years spent in Smolensk
It is not surprising that the monument to Glinka in Smolensk was the first on Russian territory. After all, it was in the Smolensk province in 1804 that the future composer and musician was born. Here he received his primary education. Until the age of 13, the boy lived with his grandmother, and then with his mother on an estate near Smolensk.
From the age of 10, Mikhail began to learn to play the musical instruments: violin and piano. His first music teacher was governess W. F. Klammer. In 1817, the family moved to St. Petersburg, where he continued his studies in both basic subjects and music.
Monument to the great fellow countryman
A magnificent monument by sculptor A.R. von Bock and architect I.S. Bogomolov was erected in 1885 in Smolensk. Funds for its creation and installation were collected over two years through voluntary donations, for which a subscription was organized. The initiative was taken by such artists as A. G. Rubinstein, V. V. Stasov, G. A. Larosh. Many Russian composers came to the opening, who deeply revered Glinka for his creations and called themselves his students.
On May 20, 1885, on Mikhail Ivanovich’s birthday, the monument was inaugurated in front of a large crowd of people. Since then, for several centuries, he has not left his place. Today it is one of the main attractions of Smolensk. It is located in the Glinka Park, although local residents prefer a different name: “Blonier Park”. Opposite the monument is the Philharmonic building.
Description of the monument to Glinka
The figure of the composer is placed on a high pedestal made of gray granite. There are two inscriptions on the side faces of the stone. One is the year of opening of the monument to the composer on behalf of all of Russia, and the other is the dates of birth, death and burial.
The figure of M. I. Glinka is made of dark bronze, its height is 2.5 meters. The composer turned his face to the audience and to the Philharmonic building, with the conductor's stand behind him. He is calm and focused. Tilting his head slightly to the side, the maestro listens to the music that sounds only to him for now.
Artistic fence of the monument
The amazingly beautiful and original fence was installed two years later. The design of this work of art was created by the architect I. S. Bogomolov, and the artistic casting was performed by the master K. Winkler.
The fence is a closed musical staff on which bronze notes are located, forming well-known musical fragments of the composer’s works. Experts say that here you can read 24 musical phrases from Glinka’s works: “Ivan Susanin”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Prince Kholmsky”, “Farewell Song”.
Twice a day, Glinka’s music plays from the speakers in Blonie Park, and citizens stop for a few minutes to listen again. beautiful music their fellow countryman.
For several decades now, since 1958, the Glinka Decades festival has been held in the composer’s homeland. According to tradition, it opens at the monument to the great composer.
Monument to Glinka in St. Petersburg
For the composer's 100th anniversary, the question of installing a monument in the city where Mikhail Ivanovich lived for many years was raised. He never truly left St. Petersburg, always returning to the city on the Neva. His friends and students were here.
On the initiative of the Imperial Russian Musical Society, a commission was organized for the construction of the monument and a subscription for voluntary donations was opened. Funds were collected in all cities, from all segments of the population. For this purpose, charity concerts and performances were held, the money from which was sent to the established fund. 106,788 rubles 14 kopecks were collected, and after that a competition was announced for best project monument to Glinka.
The work of the sculptor R. R. Bach was approved by the commission; his brother, A. R. Bach, was the architect. In 1903, the monument was made and installed on Theater Square.
Description of the monument in St. Petersburg
The figure of the composer, 3.5 meters high, is installed on a red granite pedestal. The total height of the monument is 7.5 meters. The composer, made of bronze, stands in a free, relaxed pose with his coat unbuttoned. The facade of the pedestal with the dates of Glinka’s life and death is decorated with a large laurel branch made by R. R. Bach. The names of the composer's works are written on the side faces of the pedestal. The monument was decorated with cast candelabra.
Moving the monument
The Glinka monument, installed in the center of the square, immediately caused problems. It became an obstacle for the passage of carriages, and later for horse-drawn carriages. When in 1925 they began to reconstruct the square, redeveloping it and laying new tram tracks, the monument was dismantled.
In 1926, a commission was created to select the location of the monument, organize the work and monitor the progress of installation. This place became the same Theater Square, the territory of the park, closer to the building of the conservatory.
It was also decided to make some changes to the appearance of the monument. Candelabra were removed from the composition as details that did not correspond to the style of the monument. The site on which the pedestal was installed was fenced with granite porticoes.
In 1944, restoration work was carried out on the bronze figure of the composer and the laurel branch. The Glinka monument is a sign of the Russian people’s love for the maestro’s works, which have become classics.
Mikhail Ivanovich wrote many romances, vocal works, symphony concerts. His operas are still performed on theater stages today. Great creator national music, he addressed works to the people of his country, creating works unprecedented before him. Many musicians who followed in his footsteps called themselves his students.
The critic V.V. Stasov believed that Glinka is as great and significant in Russian music as A.S. Pushkin is in the Russian word.
The idea is to perpetuate the memory of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka, the famous Russian composer, founder national school composers arose in 1901, on the eve of the 100th anniversary. By this time, a monument to the composer had already been erected in St. Petersburg, in the Alexander Garden in front of the Admiralty building. Its installation was initiated by the City Duma in 1899, almost 40 years after the reburial of his ashes at the Tikhvin Cemetery, where a tombstone monument was erected for him. To raise funds for the creation and installation of a new monument in St. Petersburg, “the whole world” worked - many charity concerts and performances were given, representatives of almost all strata took an active part in the collection Russian society. As a result of this large-scale event, more than 16 thousand rubles were collected.
To determine the best sketch of the monument, the Academy of Arts convened a competition commission, to which the works of 22 authors were presented. As a result of a difficult competition, 8 of the most successful sketches were selected, and with minimal comments, the sketch of the architect R.R. Bach, namesake, was approved famous composer.
It should be noted that during his life in Berlin, M.I. Glinka was thoroughly engaged in studying choral creativity old masters - in particular, the works of J.S. Bach. Mikhail Ivanovich was the first of the secular composers to compose and arrange church music in the Russian style.
In 1903, the monument to Glinka was made at the Moran bronze foundry and installed at the intersection of Theater Square and the street named after the famous composer. The sculpture, decorative branch, candelabra of the monument were cast from bronze, the pedestal and balustrade were made of polished red granite. The total height of the monument was more than 7.5 m, and the figure of the composer itself was 3.5 m.
Almost immediately after its installation, the monument, located in the center of the square, began to impede the movement of carriages, and then horsecars. Therefore, in 1925, it was decided to dismantle the monument due to the reconstruction of the square, as a result of which tram tracks were installed on the site of the monument. The task of the Commission of Architects, convened in 1926, was to find a convenient and reliable place for the restoration of the monument to the great composer. This place became Teatralnaya Square, not far from the Mariinsky Theater, or more precisely, a park, closer to the southern side of the Conservatory.
The architects who were part of the Commission for the restoration of the monument decided to slightly change the appearance of the monument, removing the candelabra as not corresponding to the general artistic and stylistic design of the monument. The pedestal itself is installed on a fairly wide platform, fenced with granite porticoes, which gives the entire ensemble a solemn and majestic appearance. Work on assembling the monument in a new location was carried out under the supervision of sculptor Waldman.
In 1944, restoration of the bronze figure of the composer was carried out, as well as the decorative branch on the monument. The restoration was carried out by employees of the Monumentsculpture plant. After the restoration of the monument, the height of the sculpture was 3.55 m, and the height of the pedestal was 4 m. Several engravings were applied on the monument in gilded letters: “Laid on May 20, 1903 - opened on February 3, 1906,” and the names of its most famous works - the opera "Ruslan and Lyudmila", "Night in Madrid", "Life for the Tsar", music for the tragedy "Prince Kholmsky", " Aragonese jota", symphonic fantasy"Kamarinskaya". The most important inscription, of course, is “To Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka.” Under the bronze applied branch, the years of his life “1804 - 1857” are stamped in gilded letters.
The name of Mikhail Ivanovich Glinka is familiar and dear to many Russians. When the 100th anniversary of the great composer was approaching, the musical community of St. Petersburg raised the issue of erecting a monument to him. City authorities agreed. The Imperial Russian musical community organized a commission to create the monument and announced an all-Russian fundraiser. In a short period of time, we managed to collect an amount of about 107 thousand rubles.
22 took part in the announced competition famous sculptor. A strict, authoritative commission consisting of the composer’s relatives, artists and architects reviewed the submitted projects and chose the work of the sculptor Robert Bach. The architect of the monument was his brother Alexander.
Already at the beginning of 1903, the location of the monument to the creator of the immortals “Ivan Susanin” and “Ruslan and Lyudmila” was chosen - the intersection of Teatralnaya Square and the street named after Glinka.
The laying of the monument took place on May 20, 1903, and almost immediately the company Kohl and Dürer began production of the monument. The author of the laurel branch was Robert Bach. Models of the candelabra were made in the sculpture and stucco workshops of Afrikan Lapin. The figure of Mikhail Ivanovich himself, candelabra and laurel branch cast at the Moran foundry.
The composer is depicted in full growth: a light coat is fluttering, one hand is in his trouser pocket, his face is thoughtful, his gaze is concentrated. He is clearly listening carefully to a new piece of music. The 3.5 meter high bronze statue is placed on a red granite pedestal. On the polished edges of the pedestal there are inscriptions made in gilded letters: the dates of the composer’s life and death, the names of his most famous musical works and the date of construction of the monument. Around the monument there is a small platform made of the same red polished granite. The total height of the structure is 7.5 meters.
The monument was inaugurated on February 3, 1906. And almost immediately it became clear that he was interfering with traffic. When, almost 20 years later, Teatralnaya Square was reconstructed and tram tracks were laid, the monument was dismantled.
However, in 1926, a special commission was created to restore the Glinka monument and select the optimal location for its installation. They decided to move the monument south of the Conservatory, removing the bronze candelabra. The restoration work was led by sculptor Nikolai Valdman.
The next restoration of the monument was carried out in 1944. The Bronze Maestro on Teatralnaya Square is included in the unified state register of cultural heritage sites in Russia.