Some information on Krushchev's grave -- an interesting story. The link is to a picture.
jks
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pif&GRid=579&PIgrid=579&PIcrid=639684&
Khrushchev's monument was designed by an artist [Ernst Neizvestny] that old Nikita hated, but his family was so impressed with the creation that they went along with it. The black side of this monument depicts the darkness or evil part of Khrushchev's life and the white represents the good side of him. The two interlink to show how the good and bad blended in his life. The bronze bust of him is between the two (black and white; good and bad) to show how he, personally, was caught in between them.
* * *
There was a famous exchange between Neizvestny and Krushchev in 1962 at the Manezh Exhibition Hall on Manez Square which did much to destroy the artist's promising career. An exhibition celebrating the 30th anniverary of the founding of the Moscow Artists Union was being held at the Manezh and Krushchev was scheduled to pay a visit.
The organisers, who were champions of Stalinist Socialist Realism, at the last minute arranged to have the work of certain avant-garde artists displayed. They also prepared Krushchev in advance by explaining that their innovative works were bourgeois, "anti-artistic" and ideologically hostile. They achieved the desired result. Art was not Krushchev's speciality - he was not well informed about it and preferred simple, easily understandable compositions.
So when he was faced with this decadent western influenced art he flew into a rage, vociferously condemning modern trends in art and, in typical peasant terms, he likened the exhibition to `dog shit'.
Neizvestny, who was exhibiting at the Manezh, hotly defended modern art [this is a decade after Stalin's death, an an artist is standing up to the GenSec on an ideological point, calling him wrong to his face] and stood his ground insisting Krushchev appoint an independent commission to determine whether or not Neizvestny was competent. Krushchev, who relished an argument but respected alternative opinions that were well argued, calmed down and agreed to appoint a commission, perhaps sensing the weakness of his own argument.
There had been long running feud between Neizvestny and the Moscow Artists Union. He had applied to join the Union at one time but refused to play along with the corruption and underhand operations of the ruling mafia - they responded by trying to crush him. Whilst Neizvestny undoubtedly suffered as a result of the exchange he harboured no ill feeling towards Krushchev - he realised that the whole episode had been set up by the Artists Union mafia.
Describing the concept for the tombstone Neizvestny said:
"In a philosophical sense life itself is based on an antagonism between two principles, one is bright, progressive, dynamic; the other is dark reactionary, static. One strains to move forward, the other pulls back. This basic idea fits Nikita Sergeievich's image quite well. He began to lead our country out o the darkness and he exposed Stalin's crimes. The dawn broke for all of us, heralding the immanent rise of the sun. The light began to dispel the darkness.
This is reflected in the tombstone. The main component is white marble, its dynamic form bearing down on black granite. The darkness resists, struggles, refuses to yield, as with the man himself. It is no accident that the head is on a white pedestal, or that the background remains dark. In the upper corner of the white is a symbolic representation of the sun. Rays extend down from it dispelling darkness.
The head, the colour of old gold on white, not only pleases the eye, it is also a symbol - the Romans immortalised their heroes this way. It all rests on the sturdy foundation of a bronze slab. It can't be budged. There is no resisting the process that's begun."
The artist's signature is on the side of the tombstone and left many bewildered - "Artist: Unknown"(Neizvestny translates as unknown in
Russian).
Still persecuted for his art, Ernst Neizvestny finally left the Soviet
Union in 1976.
--- "ChrisD(RJ)" <chrisd at russiajournal.com> wrote:
> >
> >Also, I seem to remember reading somewhere that
> what decimated the
> >CP in the U.S. was not McCarthyism as much as
> Krustchev's official
> >owning up to the reality of Stalinism in the SU.
> >
> >Joanna
> ---
> You know, people he let out of the Gulag still put
> flowers on Khrushchev's
> grave (which is right by Stalin's).
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