Monument to Mikhail Shemyakin “Children are victims of the vices of adults.” Installed on Bolotnaya Square on September 2, 2001. The project for installing the sculptural composition was carried out by architects Vyacheslav Bukhaev and Andrey Efimov.
The sculptural composition includes: figures of children - a boy and a girl, who are frozen in motion, blindfolded, at their feet lie the books: “Russian Folk Fairy Tales” and A.S. Pushkin “Fairy Tales”, figures representing vices or evil are located in a semicircle modern world- drug addiction, prostitution, theft, alcoholism, ignorance, pseudoscience, indifference, propaganda of violence, sadism, instruments of torture with the signature “for the unconscious...”, exploitation of child labor, poverty and war.
Here is what Mikhail Shemyakin himself said about the history of the creation of the monument:
"Luzhkov called me and said that he was instructing me to create such a monument. And he gave me a piece of paper on which the vices were listed. The order was unexpected and strange. Luzhkov stunned me. Firstly, I knew that the consciousness of a post-Soviet person was accustomed to urban sculptures obviously realistic. And when they say: “Depict the vice “child prostitution” or “sadism” (a total of 13 vices were named!), you experience great doubts. At first I wanted to refuse, because I had a vague idea of how this composition could be brought to life. And only six months later I came to the decision that only symbolic images could stand up in this exhibition, so as not to offend the eyes of the audience.
The result is a symbolic composition where, for example, the vices of debauchery are depicted by a frog in a dress, and the lack of education is depicted by a donkey dancing with a rattle. And so on. The only vice that I had to re-shape in a symbolic form was drug addiction. Because before our “blessed time” children never suffered from this vice. This vice, in the form of a terrible angel of death holding out an ampoule of heroin, arose for me in this terrible gathering of vices.”
This is one of my favorite sculptures in Moscow. You can argue as much as you like about how Shemyakin realized his plan, many even say that this is a monument not to children - victims of vices, but to the vices themselves, there was a lot of debate about how it was impossible to install such a “horror” in the very center of Moscow, not far from the Kremlin and etc.
But, I believe that this sculptural composition is undoubtedly talented work, the strength of the author’s presentation of ideas, frankness and honesty, which not everyone wants to deal with, partly and therefore causing rejection. In addition, allegorical figures personifying vices accurately convey the emotions that these vices evoke. The only thing I disagree with the author is that children are not born angels, they grow up, acquire a psyche, social norms and foundations with age and therefore it is very important that there is a truly adult next to the children significant person, and if this is not the case, then children grow, grow old, but do not mature, and the very evil that surrounds us appears, so I would clarify the name of the sculpture: “Children are victims of the vices of immature adults.”
Year of installation: 2001
Sculptor: M. M. Shemyakin
Architects: V. B. Bukhaev, A. V. Efimov
Materials: bronze, metal, granite
A large, interesting and not very well-known monument is located in the very center of Moscow, in the park on Bolotnaya Square. It's called "Children - Victims of Adults' Vices." Although, in the classical sense of the word, it probably cannot be called a monument. This is a whole sculptural composition, a whole story that cannot be told in a nutshell.
He appeared in the capital on September 2, 2001, City Day. Its author is Mikhail Shemyakin. According to the artist, when he first conceived the composition, he wanted one thing – for people to think about the salvation of today’s and future generations. Many, by the way, at that time were against its installation near the Kremlin. They even assembled a special commission in the Moscow Duma, and it also spoke out against it. But the then mayor Yuri Luzhkov weighed everything and gave the go-ahead.
The monument really looks ambiguous and unusual. It is included in the top 10 most scandalous monuments in Moscow. The composition consists of 15 figures, two of which are small children - a boy and a girl about 10 years old. They are located in the very center. Like everyone else at this age, they play with a ball, with books of fairy tales lying under their feet. But the children are blindfolded, they don’t see that there are 13 scary tall figures standing around, reaching out with tentacle hands towards them. Each statue represents some kind of vice that can corrupt children's souls and take possession of them forever.
It is worth describing each in detail (from left to right):
- Addiction. A thin man in a tailcoat and bow tie, somewhat reminiscent of Count Dracula. There is a syringe in one hand and a bag of heroin in the other.
- Prostitution. This vice is represented in the form of a vile toad with bulging eyes, a deliberately elongated mouth and a magnificent bust. Her whole body is covered with warts, and snakes curl around her belt.
- Theft. A cunning pig who turned her back, clearly hiding something. In one hand she has a bag of money.
- Alcoholism. A fat, sugary, half-naked man sitting on a barrel of wine. In one hand he has a jug with something “hot”, in the other a beer cup.
- Ignorance. A cheerful and carefree donkey with a large rattle in his hands. A living illustration of the saying “the less you know, the better you sleep.” True, here it is better to say “no knowledge, no problems.”
- Pseudoscience. A woman (probably) in a monastic robe with her eyes closed. In one hand she has a scroll with pseudo-knowledge. Nearby stands an incomprehensible mechanical device, and in the other hand is the result of the misapplication of science - a two-headed dog, which is held like a puppet.
- Indifference.“Murderers and traitors are not so terrible; they can only kill and betray. The worst thing is the indifferent. With their tacit consent, all the worst things in this world happen.” Apparently, the author completely agrees with this saying. He placed “Indifference” at the very center of vices. The figure has four arms - two crossed on the chest, and the other two covering the ears.
- Propaganda of violence. The figure resembles Pinocchio. Only in his hand is a shield with a weapon depicted on it, and next to it is a stack of books, one of which is Mein Kampf.
- Sadism. The thick-skinned rhinoceros is an excellent illustration of this vice, and besides, he is dressed in a butcher's outfit.
- Unconsciousness. The pillory is the only inanimate figure in the overall composition.
- Exploitation of child labor. Either an eagle or a raven. The Bird Man invites everyone to the factory where children work.
- Poverty. A withered, barefoot old woman with a staff stretches out her hand, asking for alms.
- War. The last character on the list of vices. A man, clad in armor and with gas masks on his face, hands the children a toy - everyone's favorite Mickey Mouse, but the mouse is shackled in a bomb.
It is very difficult to unmistakably recognize a specific sin or vice in each figure, so the author signed each sculpture in Russian and English.
Initially, the monument was open permanently. But after those who liked to profit from non-ferrous metal started hunting for it, the composition was surrounded by a fence, security was assigned and visiting hours were introduced from 9 am to 9 pm.
People often come to the park on Bolotnaya Square. The newlyweds take pictures against the backdrop of fancy sculptures, not particularly paying attention to the meaning hidden in the sculpture. Many people criticize the composition and consider it ridiculous. Probably the most ardent opponent, Doctor psychological sciences Vera Abramenkova. She believes that Mikhail Shemyakin erected a monument to gigantic vices; it was they, and not small children, who were the central characters. But most people treat the monument with understanding; they call it correct, for the place and for the time. The sculptor touched upon a problem that should not be talked about, but shouted about. Only Shemyakin did this not with the help of words; the author immortalized his views and beliefs in bronze.
Monument “Children - Victims of Adults’ Vices” (Moscow, Russia) - description, history, location, reviews, photos and videos.
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The sculptural composition consists of 15 sculptures. A boy and a girl are surrounded by the vices of adults: drug addiction, prostitution, theft, alcoholism, ignorance, pseudo-learning, indifference, propaganda of violence, sadism, for the unconscious..., exploitation of child labor, poverty, war. And the children, blindfolded, play with a ball.
The first year after the opening it was possible to get close to the sculptures. However, after an attempt by vandals, the authorities decided to surround it with a fence, post guards and open it to visitors in certain hours. The grill behind which the monument stands is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
According to the author, the sculptural composition was conceived as a call and symbol for the struggle for the salvation of current and future generations. Thus, Mikhail encourages you to look around and finally see what is happening in the world. And it’s not too late to think about it and start taking measures to correct the current situation.
The monument causes mixed reactions. More than once the composition has been criticized and accused of being, in fact, a monument to the vices themselves. However, this monument is one of the city's most popular modern attractions.
Elon Musk was born and raised in South Africa. The beginning of the boy's life did not seem cloudless - his parents divorced, and at school Elon was often subjected to violence from his peers. But the future entrepreneur and billionaire strived for success, despite the fact that his first attempts did not bring results.
In 2013, he became businessman of the year according to Forbes, and his fortune is estimated at $12 billion. Even today, standing on stage, the creator of Tesla and SpaceX stutters and is lost. But this does not stop Musk from being the founder of the most innovative companies and planning a mission to Mars to save humanity.
How does he do this? He is constantly learning and improving. So are Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates and Larry Page, who were not, to put it mildly, leaders as children.
If they were asked what is the basis of success, the answer would be obvious - the team and the ability to work with it.
Vice number one: they hire just anyone
The most common mistake. Managers believe that only the HR department is responsible for hiring, so they do not pay enough attention to personnel selection. Therefore, companies often employ the best of the worst.
Steve Jobs spent a long time asking John Sculley, the president of Pepsi, to move to Apple before he managed to get a positive answer. Scully, worked general director Apple for over ten years.
The second vice is that they do not develop
Many managers believe that employees are responsible for their level of professionalism and are certainly interested in self-development.
Imagine that your company has a system of motivation for improvement professional qualities, and your manager begins the meeting by recommending books that have inspired and taught him something new. And at the end of the month, company employees attend training that provides new knowledge in their field. And all this is his initiative.
Vice three - they ignore their employees for a long time
Often managers believe that by distancing themselves from the team and observing only the indicators, they can effectively manage the team. Here I would like to give an example of an anecdote:
A large manufacturer comes to the rabbi:
- Rebbe, I have problems. The factory brings only losses, there is no discipline, productivity is zero, debts are growing, taxes are stuck. What to do?
- Take the Talmud, put it under your armpit and walk around the entire factory twice a day.
A month later, the joyful manufacturer comes to the rabbi and says:
- Great, theft at work has stopped, the slackers have been fired, productivity has increased, and debts are over! What's the secret?
- The manager must constantly be at his place of production and delve into everything that is happening.
- I understood it. Why the Talmud?
- For respectability.
Larry Page and Sergey Brin hold an online meeting with employees every Friday and answer all their questions.
Vice fourth - they believe that it is better to hire a professional from outside
Eat famous proverb: "There is no prophet in his own country". Or: “And the neighbor’s grass is greener”. Often, large budgets are spent on searching and luring expensive specialists, in the hope that they will solve all the company’s problems.
However, Jim Collins, in his book Good to Great, cites research showing that all externally hired top managers are not as effective as those who “grew up” in the company.
Vice five - they think that salary increases and bonuses motivate
All monetary payments, according to Herzberg's theory, relate to hygienic motivation factors and only bother employees if they are dissatisfied with the current salary level. That is, having received another increase or a large bonus, employees immediately forget about it, and their effectiveness remains the same.
The same goes for leaders. Zuckerberg, for example, drives an old Honda and lives in a very ordinary house, dressing every day in gray T-shirts. He goes to work to change the world, and not just to increase the value of Facebook shares.
Vice six -think in patternsregarding payment issues
Very few managers view employees as an investment and weigh the possible outcome against it. wages. In the West, the difference in the salary of an outstanding and ordinary employee can be 50-60 thousand dollars a year, and the difference in their work is measured in millions of financial results.
Laszlo Bock, former HR director at Google, says that one worthwhile engineer replaces a hundred ordinary people. This is why their compensation system allows individual employees to earn millions of dollars a year.
Vice seventh - copying other people's bonus systems
Often the bonus system in a department is either a copy of the previous one where the manager previously worked, or some kind of standard system. But what works for one group of employees may be harmful for another.
The absence of a bonus system is sometimes even better than its presence. For example, the Netflix company has completely abandoned all kinds of bonuses, benefits and benefits, immediately offering the maximum possible salary.
Vice eight - they easily lose employees
Sooner or later, every employee comes across an interesting offer. It’s even worse if your employee begins to be actively processed by HR from other companies or future managers. Your job is to keep the person before he wants to leave.
Imagine what would happen to Apple if Steve lost Jony Ive. Apple's chief product designer had a unique working environment at the company. No one had the right to give him instructions except Steve.
Vice nine - they create delusional strategies
Richard Rumel in his book Good strategy, bad strategy” says that a company is much more successful with no strategy than with a bad strategy.
Very often, managers confuse a declaration with loud slogans on one page with a real strategy and this leads them far from their goals.
Vice tenth - they spit on targets
Having at least small goals brings great benefit compared to a situation where there are no goals at all. Fearing to leave their comfort zone, managers stop caring about the future of the company and stay at the same level for a long time.
Vice number eleven - they don’t know how to work with a team
It's not enough to just find top-notch musicians. They will never play a symphony unless the conductor teaches them how to interact.
Steve Jobs compared the team to stones lying along the road. Closely touching each other, they are sharpened and become smooth and beautiful. And Patrick Lencioni, a famous coach and best-selling author of business books, puts team flaws at the root of all problems in companies.
The twelfth vice - they are engaged in “seagull management”
They come, shout, insult and leave. Or vice versa - having heard enough about the fears of micromanagement, they do not monitor their employees at all and are then dissatisfied with their results. And someone falls into complete panic and introduces automation and task management for every action. In general, they behave like seagulls that fly somewhere over the sea and almost never land on the ground.
I have rarely met leaders who have all twelve vices. Even those who have two or three shortcomings can already be effective. But those leaders who get rid of all twelve achieve outstanding results.
Now ask yourself a question - how many vices do I have and what do I intend to do about it?
Sculptural composition "Children - victims of adult vices" - a rather tough but poignant monument erected in the park on Bolotnaya Square in 2001. Since its installation, it has become one of the most famous and popular sculptural objects in Moscow.
The composition is dedicated to the influence of adult vices on the personality and life of children who are born completely pure, but then, finding themselves in the adult world and finding themselves helpless in the face of its dangers, become their victims or grow up to be as vicious as their parents. The story is conveyed through 15 sculptures located on a large semicircular pedestal.
In the center of the composition are children - a small boy and a girl, blindfolded; they creep by touch, holding their hands out in front of them. There are books and a ball under their feet. The figures of children with all their appearance show that they need an intelligent guide, but there is none - only those inherent in adults surround them human vices. At the head of the vices, Indifference rises above the children, who tries with all his might not to pay attention to what is happening.
A lot of symbolism is embedded in the figures of vices; they are the living embodiment of the troubles and dangers that await children. In total, the sculpture depicts 13 vices:
1. Drug addiction;
2. Prostitution;
3. Theft;
4. Alcoholism;
5. Ignorance;
6. False scholarship;
7. Indifference;
8. Propaganda of violence;
9. Sadism;
10. “For those without memory” (pillory);
11. Exploitation of child labor;
12. Poverty;
13. War.
The author of the sculptures did a good job, putting a lot of symbolism into them: for example, Drug Addiction and War, which begin and close the circle of vices, are made in the form of angels of death - the first, dressed in a tailcoat, offers a syringe with a polite gesture, the second is clad in armor and is preparing to release hands an aerial bomb. Prostitution is depicted as a vile toad with its arms outstretched in an inviting gesture, and Ignorance is represented as a kind of donkey joker with a jester's rod, which, judging by the watch in his hand, does not feel the limits and wastes time on insignificant trifles. False learning is shown as a robed and hooded “guru” preaching false knowledge, Alcoholism is a disgusting pot-bellied man sitting on a barrel, and Thievery is shown as a richly dressed pig, stealthily walking away with a small bag. Sadism shows a rhinoceros man, both a butcher and an executioner, Poverty shows a withered old woman, the sculpture “For Those Without Memory” is made in the form of a pillory. The figure, dedicated to the promotion of violence, with a deceitful smile offers children a wide choice of weapons, and symbolizing the exploitation of child labor, is made in the form of a sleek raven, with imaginary goodwill inviting you to his factory.
At the head of the vices with closed eyes is Indifference: he is given as many as 4 hands, two of which he covers his ears, while the others are folded on his chest, standing in a characteristic protective pose. The figure tries with all his might to distance himself and not notice anything.
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“The sculptural composition “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults” was conceived and implemented by me as a symbol and call to the fight for the salvation of today’s and future generations. For many years it was affirmed and pathetically exclaimed: “Children are our future!” However, volumes would be needed to list the crimes committed by today's society against children. I, as an artist, with this work urge you to look around, hear and see the sorrows and horrors that children experience today. And before it's too late for the sane and honest people we need to think about it. Don’t be indifferent, fight, do everything to save the future of Russia." Mikhail Mikhailovich Shemyakin; |
The space around the composition is never empty: entire crowds often gather to look at it. Some people approve of “Children - Victims of the Vices of Adults”; others, on the contrary, say that the composition is too harsh, and the sculptures of vices are simply terrible, and they need to be removed out of sight - one way or another, no one remains indifferent. Having made a lot of noise in the past, the composition remains quite controversial even now, thanks to which it has not lost its popularity and has been considered one of the most significant informal attractions of Moscow for the second decade.
Sculpture "Children - Victims of Adults' Vices" located in the park on Bolotnaya Square (Repinsky Square). You can get to it on foot from metro stations "Kropotkinskaya" Sokolnicheskaya line, "Tretyakovskaya" Kaluga-Rizhskaya and "Novokuznetskaya" Zamoskvoretskaya.
