The Monument to Millennium of Russia: Bringing the Idea to Life. From History of Reigns to History of Culture

Abstract

This article sets out to examine the development of the initial idea and compositional concept of a renowned mid-19th century monument “The Millennium of Russia.” As apparent from careful examination of materials from various sources, the sketch of the monument does not appear to have greatly influenced its final design as alleged by its author Mikhail Mikeshin. Given the tight deadlines and strict control of the August Head of the Imperial House, the very idea of the monument underwent significant change with a profound impact on its artistic and plastic design. The adjustments to the monument’s plan implied the personal participation of the emperor Alexander II, the Head of the Imperial Academy of Arts, representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the Ministry of Railways as well as other experienced architects, engineers, and specialists. The monument was initially meant to commemorate the ruler Rurik, however, its meaning eventually transformed into the idea of Russian statehood history. Particular emphasis was placed on presenting the country’s history in terms of its cultural development. The shift in focus from the history of reigns to the history of cultural development ensured the enrichment of the monument to the Millennium of Russia with new characters and story lines. Democratic conditions for participation in the contest resulted in a prevailing number of unknown artists or people having no relevant training. One of these artists happened to be M. Mikeshin whose forte was the genre battle painting. Therefore, it seems that the actual authors of the project were young sculptors and experienced professionals who were inevitably involved at different stages of designing and building the monument.