Sculptural-Architectural Complex of the Victory Monument

Three-part sculptural composition of the monument.
A new step in the monumental art of the republic in the development of the theme was the sculptural and architectural complex of the Victory monument in Frunze, built for the 40th anniversary of the victory of the Soviet people over fascist Germany (sculptors T. Sadykov, M. Anikushin, architects V. Lyzenko, V. Bukhaev, with the participation of architects E. Hertel, Z. Shambetov, A. Novolelinskiy, and others). The monument serves as the compositional core of a new spacious square in the northeastern part of the city, which has an elongated shape with a clearly defined longitudinal axis towards the mountains. The territory of the complex, bounded by urban highways, is surrounded by a diverse architecture of public and residential buildings from recent years. The planning organization of the square takes into account the features of the surrounding urban situation, providing visual and pedestrian connections from all sides. The main approach to the monument is located in the northern part.

The main artistic idea of the Victory monument is the return of the victorious sons to the Motherland, to the native hearth. This is expressed through the unity of planning, architectural, and plastic means.

Already in the planning organization of the monument's territory, there is a clear figurative beginning. The compositional center of the complex is the monumental arches. From them, "rays" of flowerbeds and approach alleys radiate, embodying a sunny land.
The approach platforms are designed using the local terrain, with stretches and pauses in rhythm as one moves upward. This architectural and planning technique dictates a solemn, gradually increasing tempo of ascent to the highest point — the Eternal Flame.

The architectural means are precise, functional, and expressively figurative — the staircase of the central approach, retaining walls, monumental decorative arches, blocks with inscriptions, insignias, and pedestals. All these elements are harmoniously connected with the planning situation of the monument and actively participate in revealing its main purpose through their architectural and plastic solutions.

The architectural solution of the complex is completed by the symbol of victory — the triumphal arch, located on the side of the main approach. The outlines of the arches are associated with the silhouette of a yurt and contribute to the idea of returning to the native, peaceful home.
The arches of the monument form a solemn space, completed at the top with a metal wreath — a symbol of the glory of the victors. Inside this space is the statue of "Mother" and the hearth with the Eternal Flame of life. The bowl of the Eternal Flame, cast in bronze, is interpreted as the hearth of the yurt. The platforms and approaches to the central monument are faced with granite and decorated with national patterns.

The sculptural composition of the monument is three-part. Its center is the bronze statue of Mother-Patriot, welcoming the victorious sons, created by T. Sadykov. This image is clear and bright, affirming the resilience of the people and peace on earth, interpreted by Sadykov with the breadth and monumentality characteristic of his creative style, taking into account national artistic and ethical traditions, as well as his uniquely individual figurative and plastic representations. In the tense verticality of the figure and the finely crafted face, one can read a sense of anxious vigilance and restrained joy, for not all sons have returned home to the peaceful hearth — many of them remained on the battlefield.

The statue of Mother, awaiting the victorious soldiers, stands at the head of the square, visible against the backdrop of the Ala-Too mountains. Through the metal crown, as well as through the opening in the yurt's dome (tunduk), a stream of light flows towards her, and the blue sky of the Motherland is visible. Mother, dwelling, hearth — all of these are symbols of life and homeland. Thus, the central figure, along with the successfully found architectural forms, creates an image that embodies both the universal idea of humanism and the reality of Kyrgyzstan with its unique life colors and spiritual traditions.

At an equal distance from the central figure are two sculptural groups approaching it, each of which represents an integral link in the unified spatial composition and contributes an irreplaceable part to the ideological and emotional content of the monument. One of them, created by T. Sadykov, is plastically calm and majestic — a procession of victorious warriors, who have already laid down their arms but have not yet removed their military attire. These are strong, courageous people, tested in the crucible of war.

The second group of sculptures, created by the leading master of Soviet plastic art M. K. Anikushin, brings a special dramatic expressiveness to the figurative and plastic structure of the monument. This is like a living fragment of front-line life, depicted with penetrating authenticity and plastic sharpness. This group exudes the fire, gunpowder, and that deadly fatigue familiar to every front-line soldier. Here, two young fighters, a Russian and a Kyrgyz, are depicted carrying a disassembled machine gun. They seem to freeze in the utmost tension of physical and spiritual strength. In these fragile but marked by the stamp of steel will figures, passionately sculpted with the unique impulsiveness of Anikushin's plasticity, people read the truth about how the hard-won victory was achieved by the Soviet people. At the same time, like any high art, evoking a storm of aesthetic experiences, this image leads to enlightenment, to faith in humanity.

Both sculptural groups, diverse in content and style, not only coexist within the spatial composition of the monument. They complement each other and, interacting, create an artistically convincing image that affirms peace and the true internationalism inherent in the very nature of our society.

The breadth and relevance of the content, the philosophical understanding of the theme of war and peace, and the use of traditions of folk culture in modern forms of art give the monument an epic character: “...about the greatness of the modern collective epic, I had the thought on... the Victory Square in my native Frunze. Here I seemed to read, or rather see, the expression of a new folk epic... And if previously the epic existed only in oral poetic form on Kyrgyz land, now it is visible — on this square, the eternal past intersects with the living present, forming a bridge of spiritual continuity between generations.”