Zurab Tsereteli facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Zurab Tsereteli
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| ზურაბ წერეთელი Зураб Церетели |
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Tsereteli in 2014
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| Born |
Zurab Konstantines dze Tsereteli
4 January 1934 |
| Died | 22 April 2025 (aged 91) Peredelkino, Moscow Oblast, Russia
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Notable work
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The Peter the Great Statue, Birth of the New World, Tear of Grief |
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Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli (born January 4, 1934 – died April 22, 2025) was a well-known Georgian-Russian painter, sculptor, and architect. He was famous for creating very large statues and art pieces. Some of his works were quite big and sometimes caused a lot of discussion. Tsereteli was also the President of the Russian Academy of Arts from 1997 until he passed away.
Contents
Zurab Tsereteli's Life and Art
Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born in Tbilisi, which is in the country of Georgia, on January 4, 1934. He studied art at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts and finished his studies in 1958. In the same year, he married Inessa Andronikashvili.
Early Career and Influences
From 1960 to 1963, Tsereteli worked as an artist at the Georgian Academy of Sciences. He went on research trips that helped shape his artistic ideas. Later, he became a senior artist at the USSR's Arts Foundation in Tbilisi. Here, he started trying out different materials like bronze, stone, glass, and wood. He also created large mosaics for public buildings.
In 1964, Tsereteli traveled to France for the first time. He spent three months in Paris and even visited the famous artist Pablo Picasso in his studio. This trip had a big impact on his art. He also met Marc Chagall and learned from the works of Impressionist artists.
Public Art Projects
After returning home, Tsereteli became the main designer for Soviet resorts along the Black Sea. These included places like Pitsunda (in 1967) and Adler (in 1972). For these projects, he mixed large sculptures with building designs and colorful mosaic art. After finishing the Pitsunda project in 1967, he was given the title of Honoured Artist of Georgia.
In the 1970s, Tsereteli continued to create public art in many cities, including Tbilisi, Ulyanovsk, and Yalta. He also designed several Soviet embassies and consulates around the world, such as those in Brazil, Portugal, and Japan.
Teaching and International Works
From 1978 to 1979, Tsereteli was a visiting professor at the College at Brockport, which is part of the State University of New York in the United States. During his time there, he created two public sculptures as gifts from the people of the USSR. One was called Prometheus (Light and Knowledge to the World). The other, Joy and Happiness to All the Children of the World, was made with the Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation to celebrate the 1979 Special Olympics and the International Year of the Child.
In 1980, Tsereteli was chosen as the chief designer for the XXII Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. That same year, he finished A Hymn to Man, a large artwork on top of the Concert and Cinema hall at the Izmailovo Hotel Complex, which was built for the Olympics. He received the Order of Friendship of Peoples award. In 1981, he became a professor at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts, where he had studied.
Major Monuments and Peace Art
In 1983, Tsereteli created Friendship Forever in Moscow. This monument celebrates the bond between Georgia and Russia. Around the same time, he started two big projects in Tbilisi: a monument to Saint Nina (finished in 1994) and the History of Georgia complex (which he continued to work on for many years).
In 1988, Tsereteli became a member of the USSR Academy of Arts. His sculpture Break the Wall of Distrust was put up in London. In 1990, his famous sculpture Good Defeats Evil was shown at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This artwork shows St. George fighting a dragon, symbolizing world peace and the end of the Cold War. It uses parts of real nuclear missiles that were taken apart.
In the 1990s, Tsereteli continued to create many public artworks for Moscow. Some of his most important projects included helping to rebuild the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, redesigning Manege Square, and creating the War Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Gora. He also designed parts of the Moscow Zoo. One of his most talked-about works from this time is the 98-meter tall Peter the Great monument, built in 1996–97.
His sculpture The Birth of the New Man was opened in Seville, Spain, in 1995. It celebrated Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World.
Later Career and Museums
In 1997, Tsereteli was elected President of the Russian Academy of Arts. He also started the Moscow Museum of Modern Art in 1995, which opened in 1999. It was the first state museum in Russia completely focused on modern art.
In 2001, the Gallery of Arts of Tsereteli opened in Moscow. In 2006, Tsereteli unveiled his monument To the Struggle Against World Terrorism, also known as The Tear of Grief, in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA. This sculpture was a gift from Russia to the United States after the 9/11 attacks to show support and friendship.
In 2005, his sculpture Holocaust was given by Russia to Israel and placed in Jerusalem. Other works include statues of famous writers like Nikolai Gogol in Rome (2002) and Honoré de Balzac in Agde, France (2003). He also created the Founding Fathers of the European Union (2012) and a monument to Pope John Paul II (2014) in Paris.
Tsereteli received many honors throughout his life, including being made a Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor by France in 2010. In 2014, he received the UNESCO Five Continents Medal for his contributions to world culture.
In 2012, Tsereteli founded the Museum of Modern Art in Tbilisi, Georgia. In March 2016, he was named a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador. He continued to work as President of the Russian Academy of Arts, organize art exhibitions, and create new artworks until his death.
Death
Zurab Tsereteli passed away at the age of 91 from a heart attack on April 22, 2025. He died at his home in Peredelkino, near Moscow.
Important Roles and Positions
Zurab Tsereteli held several important positions:
- Professor and President of the Russian Academy of Arts.
- President of the Foundation for the Children's Park of Miracles (since 1988).
- Founder of the Moscow International Foundation for Support to UNESCO. He became a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador in 1996.
- Member of the Public Chamber of Russia from 2005.
Famous Art Projects
Here are some of Zurab Tsereteli's most famous and notable art projects:
- The statue of Peter the Great in downtown Moscow: This huge statue is 94 meters tall, making it one of the tallest statues in the world. It shows Peter the Great, a famous Russian emperor.
- The Birth of a New Man (also known as The Birth of the New World): This statue shows Christopher Columbus. A smaller version of this statue, called The Birth of a New Man, is in Seville, Spain, where it is often called Columbus' Egg. The larger version was eventually put up in Arecibo, Puerto Rico in 2016.
- Good Defeats Evil at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City: This 39-foot tall bronze statue shows St. George fighting a dragon. It was made using parts of old US and Soviet nuclear missiles. It symbolizes peace and the end of the nuclear threat.
- Tear of Grief (also called To the Struggle Against World Terrorism): This monument is in Bayonne, New Jersey, USA. It features a 40-foot teardrop inside a 106-foot bronze tower. It was a gift from Russia to the United States after the September 11, 2001 attacks and lists the names of the victims.
- The Chronicle of Georgia (or History Memorial of Georgia): This is a large and impressive monument complex in Tbilisi, Georgia, that tells the history of the country.
Awards and Honors
Zurab Tsereteli received many awards and honors for his artistic work and contributions:
- Hero of Socialist Labour (1990)
- Order of Merit for the Fatherland (various classes, 1996, 2006, 2010)
- Order of Friendship of Peoples (1994)
- People's Artist of the Russian Federation (1994)
- People's Artist of the USSR (1980)
- People's Artist of Georgia (1978)
- Russian Federation State Prize (1996)
- Lenin Prize (1976)
- USSR State Prize (1970, 1982)
- Chevalier of the Legion of Honour (France, 2010)
- Officer of the Order of Arts and Letters (France, 2005)
- Medal "Astana" (Kazakhstan, 1998)
- Badge "For Services to Moscow" (2003)
- Order of Akhmad Kadyrov (Chechnya, 2005)
- Medal "In Praise of Ossetia" (North Ossetia, 2010)
Images for kids
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The Birth of a New Man in Seville, Spain.
See also
In Spanish: Zurab Tsereteli para niños
