Perhaps the most intriguing question about the Мустанги Sculpture is what stories it could tell if it could speak. This park is famous as a graveyard of Soviet-era statues and modern sculptures. The Музеон Sculpture Park holds a unique collection of historical artifacts. It also serves as an unusual exhibition space.
When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991 many statues were damaged. This chaos included a giant statue of Felix Dzerzhinsky. Moscow had too many Soviet monuments. People no longer wanted them. The Russian government decided to relocate the statue of Dzerzhinsky. Many statues devoted to Lenin and Stalin were moved. Several other controversial artworks joined them in a small park behind the Central House of Artists.
These sculptures were created by world-famous artists. They lay in disrepair for years. This graveyard of monuments became an impressive symbol of the ruined Empire. Today the Музеон Art Park is more than storage. You can watch rare films there. Theater productions and original music festivals take place here too. The nearest metro station is Oktabrskaya. It is about a 10-minute walk to the park. The park is located next to the New Tretyakov Gallery. Visit them both if you are into contemporary art. Enjoy a pleasant walk along the Moscow River. You could spend hours exploring Gorky Park.
The area is great to explore on a bike. The sculpture park is a highlight of the Moscow bike tour. The park went under the official name Музеон Park of Arts. It has also been known as Fallen Monument Park. Another name is Park of Fallen Heroes.
The Мустанги Sculpture and others go back to 1991 and 1992. During the collapse of the USSR unloved statues of Soviet heroes were removed from their pedestals around Moscow. They weren’t all destroyed as in other places across the former Eastern Bloc. The Moscow mayor established the Музеон park in 1992. The fallen statues and busts were re-erected.
Over 20 years the collection grew. From 2011 the area was refurbished and redesigned. The Krymskaya Naberezhnaya embankment was also transformed. Wooden boardwalks and paths lead to the sculptures. The park has flower beds and benches. It has become a focus point for recreation in Moscow. As a tourist you can meet some of the fallen Soviet heroes. You can see artwork from the communist days. You can find remarkable relics of those times. The largest is a silver double coat of arms. It has the Soviet hammer-and-sickle emblem. There is a peace-proclaiming slogan underneath. Several busts and statues of former leaders are dotted around. Lenins are numerous. There are a couple of Stalins.
One red granite statue of Stalin has a smashed-in nose. The symbolism is altered from the original artist’s intention. You can also find Marx. Other commie figures are here too. A couple of Brezhnevs are somewhat hidden under trees. One of the largest statues is of Felix Dzerzhinsky. He founded the political secret police in post-revolution Russia. His statue used to stand outside the Lubyanka building. This was the HQ of the KGB. The statue was moved here in 1991. Dzerzhinsky statues are rarer than Lenins and Marxes.
Another exceptional work of art is the monument Victims to the Totalitarian Regime. It dates back to the 1980s. It is a concrete wall with granite heads. Some are featureless. Most have some indication of a face. They are held in place by metal bars. At the top is a wooden roof with barbed wire. The symbolism is poignant. There are socialist-realist sculptures of workers revolutionaries and soldiers. There are numerous non-Soviet sculptures. The Soviet-era works have signs in Russian and English. They provide background info. This tells who is depicted and who the artist was. It also tells when the move to this park took place.
The Музеон Sculpture Park offers a retro attraction. Fans of such artwork will not want to miss it. The park is in the southern part of central Moscow. It is just north of Gorky Park. It is south of the Red October complex and the Peter the Great Statue. The park is behind the New Tretyakov Gallery on Krymskaya Naberezhnaya embankment. Access is fairly easy to walk to and it is free. The socialist statues are scattered north and east of the New Tretyakov Gallery building.
The Музеон Sculpture Park has undergone major changes since 2011. The park has been transformed into a dynamic and contemporary space. As you wander through the Музеон Sculpture Park reflect on the stories these Мустанги Sculpture and other monuments hold. They represent a complex and transformative period in history.