Nikolay Andreyevich Andreyev (; – 24 December 1932) was a Russian

sculptor Sculpture is the branch of the visual arts that operates in three dimensions. Sculpture is the three-dimensional art work which is physically presented in the dimensions of height, width and depth. It is one of the plastic arts. Durable sc ...

graphic artist A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming l ...

and

stage designer Scenic design, also known as stage design or set design, is the creation of scenery for theatrical productions including plays and musicals. The term can also be applied to film and television productions, where it may be referred to as prod ...

Life and Career

As a young man Andreyev studied with Sergey Volnukhin and in 1902 became associated with the

Peredvizhniki Peredvizhniki (, ), often called The Wanderers or The Itinerants in English, were a group of Russian realism (arts), realist artists who formed an artists' cooperative in protest of academic restrictions; it evolved into the ''Society for Trave ...

group of realists. Andreyev's brother V.A. Andreyev was also a sculptor. A native of

Moscow Moscow is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Russia by population, largest city of Russia, standing on the Moskva (river), Moskva River in Central Russia. It has a population estimated at over 13 million residents with ...

, Andreyev was the designer of two Moscow statues known for their removal. One is the seated bronze figure of

Gogol Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol; ; (; () was a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright of Ukrainian origin. Gogol used the grotesque in his writings, for example, in his works " The Nose", " Viy", "The Overcoat", and " Nevsky Prosp ...

, with bronze friezes of Gogol's greatest characters surrounding the base, finished in 1909 and placed on Gogol Boulevard. Criticized for its impressionistic style and dark mood, said to be hated by

Stalin Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Dzhugashvili; 5 March 1953) was a Soviet politician and revolutionary who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until Death and state funeral of Joseph Stalin, his death in 1953. He held power as General Secret ...

himself, it was moved in 1952 amid controversy, and replaced with a straightforward Soviet-style representation of Gogol by sculptor Nikolai Tomsky. Similarly Andreyev's figure of "Freedom" (loosely, the "Statue of Liberty") was erected with a 26-meter obelisk in

Tverskaya Street Tverskaya Street ( rus, Тверская улица, p=tvʲɪrˈskajə ˈulʲɪt͡sə), known between 1935 and 1990 as Gorky Street (), is the main radial road, radial street in Moscow. The street runs Northwest from the central Manezhnaya Squ ...

in 1919, to commemorate the Soviet Constitution. It was blown up in 1941 and replaced with the equestrian statue of

Yuri Dolgorukiy Yuri I Vladimirovich (; ; c. 1099 – 15 May 1157), commonly known as Yuri Dolgorukiy (, ) or the Long Arm, was a Monomakhovichi prince of Rostov and Suzdal, acquiring the name ''Suzdalia'' during his reign. Noted for successfully curbing t ...

, by sculptor Sergei Orlov, completed in 1954. Andreyev's later work is strongly associated with the Soviet Socialist realism style, and he's known for his extensive studies of " Leniniana", producing some 100 sculptures and 200 graphic works of

Lenin Vladimir Ilyich Ulyanov ( 187021 January 1924), better known as Vladimir Lenin, was a Russian revolutionary, politician and political theorist. He was the first head of government of Soviet Russia from 1917 until Death and state funeral of ...

from 1920 through 1932. He also produced a large number of portraits of Soviet leaders, including Stalin and

Anatoly Lunacharsky Anatoly Vasilyevich Lunacharsky (, born ''Anatoly Aleksandrovich Antonov''; – 26 December 1933) was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and the first Soviet People's Commissariat for Education, People's Commissar (minister) of Education, as well ...

. Andreyev created the first post-1917 artistic representation of Stalin, dated 1 May 1922 and autographed by Stalin himself. This drawing was executed in the realist style including Stalin's pockmarks and stiffened arm. This was also the last time Stalin was portrayed with his imperfection. The drawing was later criticized by the Great Leader, questioning Andreyev's knowledge of human anatomy.

Death

Andreyev died in Moscow and is buried in the city's most famous cemetery, Novodevichy.

References

External links

News article on the destruction of the "Statue of Liberty"
* Plamper, Jan, The Stalin Cult: a study in the alchemy of power, Yale University Press, New Haven and London, 2012 {{DEFAULTSORT:Andreyev, Nikolay Russian male sculptors Soviet sculptors Artists from Moscow Burials at Novodevichy Cemetery 1873 births 1932 deaths