Soviet Art

USSR Culture

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky 1929-1994

Rear to Front. Magnitogorsk. Authors - Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky, architect - Yakov Belopolsky. Material - bronze, granite. Height - 15 meters

Rear to Front. Magnitogorsk. Authors – Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky, architect – Yakov Belopolsky. Material – bronze, granite. Height – 15 meters

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky (10 December 1929 – 29 April 1994) – People’s Artist of the RSFSR, member of the USSR Academy of Arts, and laureate of the RSFSR State Prize of Repin. Golovnitsky worked in the style of socialist realism. His work reflects the prominent figures and important events of the Soviet state. Chelyabinsk sculptor is the author of monuments to Vladimir Lenin, “Eaglet” in Chelyabinsk, the monument “Rear – to front” in Magnitogorsk and many others. Today, without the works of the sculptor is hard to imagine Chelyabinsk and other cities of the South Urals.
Born December 10, 1929 in the city of Kurgan, already in 1932 three-year-old Lev and his family moved to Chelyabinsk. From an early age the boy showed interest in drawing. From 1944 to 1947 he worked in the art studio of the Palace of Pioneers named after Nadezhda Krupskaya.

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky 1929-1994

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky 1929-1994

Recognition came to the young sculptor in October 1958 with the opening of “Eaglet” monument on the Crimson Field in Chelyabinsk. It has become the hallmark of the city. Komsomol members and youth of the city when selected the monument to Komsomol heroes of the October Revolution and the Civil War in the Urals preferred this very sculpture. In 1967, Lev Golovnitsky got an award – the Lenin Komsomol Prize.

Lenin monument in Chelyabinsk. 1959

Lenin monument on Revolution Square of Chelyabinsk. 1959

May 9, 1966 in Magnitogorsk, appeared a monument to the “First tent”, dedicated to builders of Magnitogorsk. The engraved verses of Boris Ruchyev read: “We lived in a tent with a green small window, washed by rains, dried by the sun, and burned at the door golden fires on red stone of Magnitka Mountain.”

To the feat of the Ural citizens in the Great Patriotic War dedicated Monument to volunteers and tank crews, Monument “Memory”, established in Chelyabinsk, as well as monument “Rear to the Front” in Magnitogorsk.

Rear to Front

Rear to Front

“Rear to Front” – a monument located in the city of Magnitogorsk. The monument is the first part of the triptych, consisting also of two other monuments – famous “Motherland” on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, and “Warrior-liberator” in Berlin’s Treptow Park. The authors of the monument – sculptor – Lev Golovnitsky, and architect – Yakov Belopolsky. Material – bronze, granite. Height – 15 meters.

In 1977, the sculptor was awarded the RSFSR State Prize of Repin for sculptures “Urals”, “Hymn to the fighters,” and the “Plowed field.” Among other monumental works of Golovnitsky: Monument to Alexander Pushkin (together with E.E. Golovnitskaya) in Chelyabinsk, bust of twice Hero of Socialist Labor, Academician V. Makeyev in Kolomna and general constructor of Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant I.Ya. Trashutin in Chelyabinsk.

Lev Golovnitsky actively engaged in social activities. He was elected as a board member and chairman of the Chelyabinsk regional branch of the Union of Artists, a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR, member of the Bureau of the Chelyabinsk Regional Party Committee, deputy of the Chelyabinsk City Council deputy of the USSR, delegate of XXIII and XXVI congress of the CPSU, XVI Congress of the Komsomol, I-VII Congress of Soviet artists, I-VI congress of artists.
Golovnitsky was awarded two Orders of Red Banner of Labor, the silver medal of the USSR Academy of Arts named after EV Vucetic, the title “People’s Artist of the RSFSR”, “Member of the USSR Academy of Arts.”

April 29, 1994 the sculptor died. Golovnitsky bequest body was cremated, and the urn with the ashes buried in the Assumption Cemetery in Chelyabinsk.

Memory. 1975. Installed on the Forest Memorial Cemetery

Memory. 1975. Installed on the Forest Memorial Cemetery

In 1975, together with his wife – a sculptor Enrika Golovnitskaya created the monument, called “Memory”. Installed on the Forest Memorial Cemetery, it has become a haven for soldiers who died of wounds in the evacuation hospital in Chelyabinsk. The monument stands on a hill, shows two Russian women – mother and wife, dressed in mourning clothes, and in their hands they hold the helmet of the warrior.

May 9, 1943 on Kirov Street took place a solemn farewell to Chelyabinsk tank volunteers to the front. Lev was a witness to this event. Later, these memories helped him create a monument to the tankers volunteers. In 1975, in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Victory, the Monument was opened on Kirov Street.

Soviet Sculptor Lev Golovnitsky

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky 1929-1994

Eaglet. Monument to Komsomol heroes of the first years of the Soviet State. Installed 19 October 1958 in Chelyabinsk. Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky 1929-1994

Monument to Volunteers-tankers. 1975. Soviet Sculptor Lev Golovnitsky

Monument to Volunteers-tankers. 1975. Soviet Sculptor Lev Golovnitsky

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky (10 December 1929 - 29 April 1994)

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky (10 December 1929 – 29 April 1994)

A.S. Pushkin monument, detail

A.S. Pushkin monument, detail

Eaglet monument to Komsomol heroes of the October Revolution and the Civil War. Installed 19 October 1958 in Chelyabinsk

Eaglet monument to Komsomol heroes of the October Revolution and the Civil War. Installed 19 October 1958 in Chelyabinsk

Eaglet monument to Komsomol heroes of the October Revolution and the Civil War

Eaglet monument to Komsomol heroes of the October Revolution and the Civil War

Lenin monument in Chelyabinsk

Lenin monument in Chelyabinsk

Memory, detail

Memory, detail

Memory

Memory

Monument to Pushkin. Sculptors L. Golovnitsky, E. Golovnitskaya, architect N. Semeikin

Monument to Pushkin. Sculptors L. Golovnitsky, E. Golovnitskaya, architect N. Semeikin

Monument to Volunteers-tankers, fragment

Monument to Volunteers-tankers, fragment

Pushkin monument, 1983

Pushkin monument, 1983

Rear - to front

Rear – to front

Rear - to front

Rear – to front

Rear and front monument to the WWII

Rear and front monument to the WWII

Rebel flesh. 1971. From the series 'On the ancient stones of Rome'

Rebel flesh. 1971. From the series ‘On the ancient stones of Rome’

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky. Photo by Vladimir Belkovsky

Soviet sculptor Lev Golovnitsky. Photo by Vladimir Belkovsky

Pavel Korchagin. 1955. The tinted gypsum

Pavel Korchagin. 1955. The tinted gypsum