Zurab Tsereteli facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Zurab Tsereteli
ზურაბ წერეთელი Зураб Церетели
Tsereteli in 2014
Born	Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli (1934-01-04)4 January 1934 Tbilisi, Georgian SSR, Transcaucasian SFSR, Soviet Union
Died	22 April 2025(2025-04-22) (aged 91) Peredelkino, Moscow Oblast, Russia
Notable work	Peter the Great Statue Birth of the New World Tear of Grief
Awards

Plaque bearing Tsereteli's name

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli (born January 4, 1934 – died April 22, 2025) was a famous Georgian artist. He was a painter, sculptor, and architect. He was well-known for creating very large monuments. From 1997 until his death, he was the President of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Early Life and Artistic Journey

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born in Tbilisi, Georgia, on January 4, 1934. He studied art at the Tbilisi State Academy of Arts. He finished his studies there in 1958.

Early Career and Influences

From 1960 to 1963, Tsereteli worked for the Georgian Academy of Sciences. He went on research trips that helped shape his art. In 1964, he traveled to France for the first time. He spent three months in Paris. During this trip, he met the famous artist Pablo Picasso. This meeting greatly influenced his future artworks. Later, he also met Marc Chagall. He was also inspired by Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists.

International Work and Teaching

In the 1970s, Tsereteli designed several Soviet embassies and consulates around the world. From 1978 to 1979, he was a visiting professor. He taught painting at the College at Brockport, State University of New York.

Major Projects and Achievements

In 1980, Tsereteli was chosen as the main designer for the XXII Summer Olympic Games in Moscow. A year later, in 1981, he became a professor at his old art school, the Tbilisi Academy of Arts.

Public Artworks and Monuments

In 1990, a sculpture by Tsereteli called Good Defeats Evil was shown. It was placed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. This artwork shows St. George fighting a dragon. It represents world peace in modern times.

During the 1990s, Tsereteli created many public artworks for Moscow. These projects included rebuilding the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. He also worked on Manege Square and the War Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Gora. Other projects were the Moscow Zoo and the very tall Peter the Great Statue. This statue is 98 meters (about 320 feet) tall. It was built in 1996–97.

In 1995, his sculpture The Birth of the New Man was unveiled. It is located in Seville, Spain. This monument celebrates Christopher Columbus's discovery of the New World.

Leadership and Museums

Tsereteli was elected President of the Russian Academy of Arts. In 1999, he started the Moscow Museum of Modern Art. This was the first state museum in Russia dedicated to modern art. In 2001, the Gallery of Arts of Tsereteli opened in Moscow.

In 2006, Tsereteli revealed his monument To the Struggle Against World Terrorism. It is also known as The Tear of Grief. This monument is in Bayonne, New Jersey. Russia gave it to the United States as a gift. It showed support after the 9/11 attacks. In 2005, his Holocaust monument was given to Israel by Russia. It opened in Jerusalem.

Later Career and Recognition

In 2009–10, Tsereteli became a member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts in Austria. France gave him the title of Chevalier of the National Order of the Legion of Honor. He also received a high award from the Russian Federation. In 2011, he won two awards from the Roman Academy of Fine Arts.

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 serve as President of the Russian Academy of Arts. He also organized art exhibitions in Tbilisi.

On December 6, 2020, Tsereteli received Serbia's highest state award. This was for his work on the inside of the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade. The Russian Academy was the main group working on this project.

Zurab Tsereteli passed away on April 22, 2025. He was 91 years old.

The Birth of a New Man in Seville

Awards and Honors

Zurab Tsereteli with Dmitry Medvedev in July 2010

Zurab Tsereteli received many important awards for his art. Some of them include:

• Lenin Prize (1976)
• People's Artist of the Georgian Soviet Socialist Republic (1978)
• USSR State Prize (1978, 1983)
• People's Artist of the USSR (1979)
• Hero of Socialist Labor (1991)
• People's Artist of Russia (1993)
• Knight of the Order of Friendship of Peoples (1994)
• State Prize of Russia (1996)
• Order of the Legion of Honor (2010)