Monumental-Pathetic Representation of Lenin in the Sculpture by T. Sadykov

Monument of national significance.
T. Sadykov has completed the work on the monument to F. E. Dzerzhinsky for the city of Frunze. The half-figure of the "Knight of the Revolution" seems to emerge from the dynamic form of flames — a symbol of that socially charged time. The emotionally and broadly carved granite likeness of Dzerzhinsky captivates with its willful steadfastness and the beauty of high human feelings. Here, the sculptor once again demonstrated his love for working with stone, his ability to utilize the expressive possibilities of the material, capable of conveying a strong impression of monumentality.

The construction of the monument to V. I. Lenin in Frunze marked the pinnacle of the development of portrait monuments in the art of Kyrgyzstan and was an event of immense socio-political importance and national significance. The monument was created in international creative collaboration by sculptors A. P. Kibalnikov, V. I. Protkov, T. S. Sadykov, and architects E. I. Kutyrev, A. I. Isaev.

The monument to V. I. Lenin was erected in the newly created main square of the capital named after V. I. Lenin, intended for public celebrations. It adjoins the monumental cubical building of the branch of the Central Museum of V. I. Lenin, forming a unified whole with it.

The nine-meter bronze statue of the leader, with its clear dynamic silhouette, is set on a high pedestal of red granite and faces south, towards the Ala-Too mountains. Serving as the ideological and compositional center of the square, the monument is scaled in harmony with the museum building and the adjacent forms of the tribune, fountain, and flowerbeds. It interacts with the broader space of the square, which is further enclosed by the large architectural volumes of the new building of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Kyrgyzstan, administrative buildings with arcades, as well as the uniquely designed Kyrgyz Historical Museum, built in the 1930s, which combines the traditions of Soviet architecture of that time with those of Eastern architecture, and is somewhat visible off to the side of the monolithic structure of the Kyrgyz Drama Theater. The square has also organically incorporated the Friendship Monument, built ten years ago.

The authors managed to take into account the scale relationships of the main masses of the square, which during the work on the monument existed only in project sketches and models, complicating the problem of the monument's integration, the scale calculations of the figure and pedestal. The monument, widely visible from various viewpoints, dominates the surrounding space, filling it with a powerful imaginative energy. The monumentality and active movement of the leader's figure create a field of strong emotional tension around it.

In the design of the statue, the authors logically focused on the choice of movement. Lenin is depicted in a swift stride, emphasized by a billowing cloak, an authoritative gesture of an outstretched hand, and a determined expression on his face. This image reveals, above all, the historical greatness of Lenin as the leader of the uprising proletariat, head of the first socialist state, and a fighter with immense revolutionary passion.

At the same time, in the monumental and pathetic depiction of Lenin, symbolizing our era, the sculptors sought to carefully preserve the expressive character of Lenin's appearance, the mobility of the figure, the unique plastic beauty of his head, and the intensity of his gaze.

The monumental statue of Lenin unites all components of the square, giving it scale and an elevated tone. The monument's orientation towards the clearly visible Ala-Too mountains seems to expand the boundaries of the square, leading the viewer's gaze and imagination into epic distances, into the future.