The monument to Minin and Pozharsky

Lots of people-visitors of Russian capital and its inhabitants daily visit the most central point of Moscow and Russia - The Red Square. And here near St Basil's Cathedral you can see the majestic monument of two warriors.

But who were these warriors and why was the monument built?

... About four hundred years ago Moscow and almost half of Russia were grasped by the Polish interventionists. In the spring, 1611 Muscovites rebelled against foreigners. Especially a strong resistance to aggressors was rendered by a group which prince Dmitry Pozharsky ordered. He stopped on Sretenka and transformed this part of a city into a strong hold. During battle Pozharsky was hard wounded and taken away in the Trinity-Sergiev monastery. The revolt was severely stifled.

In the autumn, 1611 new and more powerful wave of national-liberation movement rose. Novgorod warden Kuzma Minin appeared the organizer of national forces. For a management of military affairs skilled and betrayed to the people military leader was required.

By Minin's offer prince Dmitry Mihajlovich Pozharsky was selected as a military leader soon. Under their management by the end of 1612 Moscow and Russia were released from Poles...

Almost in two hundred years grateful descendants decided to immortalise their memory to heroes.  A long work over creation of the monument to Minin and Pozharsky of sculptor Martos began 1804.

Ivan Petrovich Martos (1754-1835) - the most outstanding representative of Russian classicism in plastic. Martos was born in Ukraine, graduated the Russian Academy of arts, studied in Rome.

The monument to Minin and Pozharsky built on the Red Square represents a sculptural group on a granite pedestal of the simple and strict rectangular form in which bronze bas-reliefs from two parties were fixed.

Pointing at the Kremlin by the hand and as though calling for a fatherland rescue, Kuzma Minin hands a sword over to the prince Pozharsky. Pozharsky accepts a sword and holding the board with the left hand rises from the bed on which he reposed after the received wounds.      

Predominating image in group is, undoubtedly, Kuzma Minin; his mighty figure obviously dominates and draws the basic attention by a wide free wave of a hand.
   
Since then the monument to Minin and Pozharsky became not only the most considerable Marton's product, but also one of the greatest creations of Russian monumental sculpture.