Largest Ensemble of Monumental-Decorative Sculpture
The largest work of ensemble monumental-decorative sculpture in the republic is the sculptural and architectural complex "Manas" (1982, sculptor T. Sadykov, architect A. Pechenkina), embodied in stone and forged copper. This extensive spatial composition adjoins the simultaneously erected building of the Kyrgyz State Philharmonic, decorated with stained glass on the theme of national ornamentation. It organizes one of the central squares of the city, located along Lenin Avenue. The space of the square is outlined by the buildings of the city executive committee, the polytechnic college, a tall residential building, and in the distance, the building of the Kyrgyz State University can be seen. In creating the ensemble, the spatial scale of these structures was taken into account; together with the philharmonic building and sculptures, they aesthetically organize part of the growing and improving city. Here, at the main thoroughfare of the capital, one can feel its business rhythm, and at the same time, there is an organically integrated area of active artistic influence, conducive to poetic contemplation and reflection.
The sculptural and architectural composition filling the square includes three monumental figures of the central characters of the heroic epic "Manas" and four busts of famous manaschi. In a generalized plastic form, the images reflect the cultural heritage of the people, affirming the continuity of art and the spiritual connection of generations.
Due to the complexity of the concept, which unites epic images and the images of specific narrators of "Manas," the authors did not pursue the creation of a unified spatial-plastic and figurative system for the ensemble. The composition is clearly divided into two parts.
The figures of the epic heroes Manas, Kanikey, and Bakai are autonomously placed in the depth of the square on a curved plane of the stylobate, closer to the philharmonic building. Perceived as a cohesive system of images, they are easily and distinctly read individually, drawing the viewer's attention into the emotional atmosphere created. They are set on pedestals of varying heights and dynamic shapes, which remind the viewer of the fact that the action of the epic, the lives of its heroes, take place amidst mountainous nature. The pedestals are lowered into the waters of the pool, which is also intended to enhance associations with the landscape of the lake-rich Kyrgyz region.
In the center of the composition stands the main, extraordinarily popular epic hero Manas. His figure is raised to a height of twenty-one meters and is widely visible, towering over the entire square. It represents a generalized type of a heroic figure. Manas soars on his beloved horse Ak-Kule. The hero and the horse, as the epic states, were created for each other. In warrior armor, with his sword raised, the mighty defender of the homeland defeats the winged serpent, embodying the hostile forces against the people. This group, tightly and stably composed, reads against the blue sky as a bright, resilient lace. It easily establishes itself in the environment, dominates it, enriching it with the impression of rapid flight and decorative expressiveness.
The sculptor emphasized the heroic physique, the plasticity of movements, the warrior fervor of the ideal folk hero, his courage, decisiveness, and legendary status. "There is ecstasy in battle"... These lines by Pushkin involuntarily come to mind when contemplating the statue of Manas. The boiling of heroic blood, the proud warrior stature live in the tension of muscles and the curve of the figure leaning back and braced in the stirrups, in the position of the head, the broad gesture of the hand with the raised sword, in the chiseled plasticity of the bold face, in the very impression of flight. The figure of Manas is full of unrestrained, natural movement, a bright worldview. It is attractive with its joyful mood, nobility of proportions, elegance of plastic rhythms, and rich play of light on the forged copper surface.
In the image of Manas, outlined with artistic freedom of sculptural language, Sadykov managed to convey both the sense of a fierce struggle against foreign invasions in the historical past of the Kyrgyz and the aura of legendary epic heroism, the artistic charm of myth.
The figures of Kanikey and Bakai are strictly realistic. Installed on low pedestals and accessible for perception from a close distance, they play their parts in the overall ensemble.
The image of Manas's mentor, the wise Bakai, is resolved psychologically convincingly. The viewer contemplates the figure of a calm elder standing in a relaxed pose, with a noble face illuminated by the strength of mind and character, and a clear, penetrating gaze. The restrained, rather fragile, even ascetic appearance of Bakai is full of hidden spiritual energy and moral purity.
The figure of Manas's wife Kanikey, with whose epic image the Kyrgyz associate all that is best in women, is expressive in its laconic simplicity. Sadykov has repeatedly succeeded in creating female images. Among them is the monumental image of Kanikey. Embodied in soft, graceful plasticity, it captivates with the combination of epic beginnings with lyrical ones. The verticality of the volume, clear melodic lines, refined plasticity of the face, hands with a bowl of hospitality—all of this reflects the emotional attitude of the artist towards the image, embodying the people's ideas of feminine beauty, fidelity, and hospitality.
The second group of sculptures—granite busts of manaschi—are located lower, among flowerbeds and granite paths. They are arranged in pairs in the left and right parts of the expansive square, as if anticipating the entrance of viewers into the world of the epic. This is a tribute to the talented rhapsodists, the keepers of the people's memory, wisdom, and poetry, who passed down the great tales of bygone times from mouth to mouth, bringing them to the present.
The portrait images of manaschi Tynybek Zhapiev, Naimanbay Balikov, Sagynbay Orozbakov, and Sayakbay Karalaev rest on small, strictly shaped pedestals. Each of these images, united by the epic, above the everyday interpretation, is endowed with features of unique individuality of the inner world that determined the uniqueness of their performing mastery. Here is both epic grandeur and subtlety of feelings, the flight of imagination, and the turbulent poetic temperament, so vividly breaking through in the portrait of S. Karalaev, depicted with an uncovered head, in open clothing with an expressive movement of hands and a face conveying the surge of artistic inspiration.
The "Manas" ensemble, immortalizing the essence of the spiritual culture of the past through monumental plastic means and affirming its connection to the present, is a significant and relevant work for the Kyrgyz people. It represents a new step in Kyrgyz monumental art, not only in mastering folk artistic traditions but also in addressing the issues of synthesizing plastic arts with architectural forms. Having organically established itself in the urban environment, the ensemble has made a substantial contribution to the formation of a distinctive aesthetic appearance of the capital of Kyrgyzstan.