“I remember all your cracks”. Those are the haunting words of Zemfira. They capture the essence of Venera Kolomenskaya. This statue stands silently in Kolomna.
The Venera Kolomenskaya statue is a unique landmark. It stands in the quiet square of Drovyanoy Pereulok in Kolomna. The statue is of a woman in a long dress. For 35 years it has watched over this spot.
The Venera Kolomenskaya statue wasn’t always so loved. For 70 years, it was dressed and undressed like a mannequin. It was compared to an antique goddess. Its arms and legs were broken. Yet, it became a symbol. It became a symbol of the historic region.
The statue’s resemblance to ancient Greek sculpture earned it the name Venera Kolomenskaya. In 2021, authorities wanted to demolish it. But Kolomna residents saved it.
Maria Agafonova, editor of the Gorod rubric, learned about the threat. She helped to save the statue. Ilya Kiselev also urged people to protect the sculpture. He attached a photo to his post with Zemfira’s poignant words.
A commission decided to remove the local landmark. It was not owned by the city. Residents gathered signatures against the removal. They sent them to Governor Alexander Beglov. Soon, protection arrived from Vice Governor Nikolai Bondarenko. After two weeks, the Committee for Improvement announced the statue would stay.
Boris Semenov, a painter, created the statue. It became his tribute to his mother. She survived the Siege of Leningrad. Semenov completed it near his workshop. My mother lived through the blockade of Leningrad. She was very modest. She never rested. She had a great passion for work. She dedicated her life to small-scale stucco work. She died on November 4, 1987. I decided to create a monument in her memory.
He found inspiration in the Hermitage Museum. There, he saw the Venus de Milo. He sketched his own version. Semenov graduated from the Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He was not a professional sculptor. So, he sought help from masters Viktor Zaiko and Konstantin Bobkov.
Together, they made three copies. One was installed on her grave at the Southern Cemetery. The second was in the courtyard of his house. The third was placed in the square on Drovyanoy Pereulok. The third statue was constantly vandalized. Semenov always repaired it.
In 2022, the Venera Kolomenskaya statue was restored. The Dobrososedstvo Kolomny team organized the restoration. They consulted with professional artist-restorer Alexandra Kuznetsova-Sergeeva. The restoration was a delicate operation. By November 2022, the monument was restored.
Dobrososedstvo Kolomny achieved much in 2021. They landscaped the бережной реки Пряжки. They saved trees during an unusually hot summer.
Today, the Venera Kolomenskaya statue stands as a symbol of resilience. It is a symbol of memory. It is a testament to the power of community. It stands as a reminder of the people of Kolomna’s spirit.