Ural Federal University: Monument to Soviet Union Hero Panfilov Launched in Kyrgyztan
A renovated monument to the Hero of the Soviet Union – Major General Ivan Panfilov was unveiled in Bishkek (Kyrgyz Republic). The opening ceremony coincided with the historic date – the 80th anniversary of the heroic exploit of the soldiers of the 316th (8th Guards) Panfilov Infantry Division in the battle of the Soviet troops with the Nazi invaders near Moscow during the Great Patriotic War.
An exact copy of the former statue was cast in bronze in the Sverdlovsk region as part of Kyrgyz-Russian cooperation. The total height of the monument is 9 meters. The pedestal and stylobate are made of pink granite, three sides of the monument are decorated with bas-reliefs depicting the heroism of Panfilov’s 28 guardsmen.The opening ceremony was attended by the mayor of the capital Aibek Junushaliev, the head of the General Staff of the Armed Forces Erlis Terdikbaev, Russian Ambassador Nikolai Udovichenko, Minister of International and External Economic Relations of the Sverdlovsk region of Russia Vasily Kozlov, executive director of the Graduate Association of UPI, UrSU and UrFU Alexander Ponomarev, Deputy Vice-Rector for International Relations Sergey Tushin and president of the Ural Center of Monumental Art, director of the casting studio “Dubrovin” Ivan Dubrovin. Also present were the heads of diplomatic missions of the CIS countries.
According to Ivan Dubrovin, the idea to update the monument was born three years ago during the visit of a delegation from the Sverdlovsk region to Kyrgyzstan at the international Issyk-Kul forum, which was held in honor of the 90th anniversary of Chingiz Aitmatov.
“This project immediately interested us, because it is very important for our two countries. We were supported by Governor Evgeny Kuyvashev and Minister of International and Foreign Economic Relations of Sverdlovsk Region Vasily Kozlov. Then we started to work. We made plaster casts from the original monument which was erected in 1942, casted plaster models and restored the lost fragments to make an exact copy. Sadobek Adzhiev, People’s Artist of Kyrgyzstan, worked with us. The plaster models were then delivered to our workshop, after which the monument was cast in bronze in the shortest possible time. I am sure, that this monument will unite our two brotherly nations because we fought together shoulder to shoulder in the Great Patriotic War,” says Ivan Dubrovin.
In 2005, Ivan Dubrovin graduated from the Metallurgy Department of the Ural Polytechnic Institute (now Ural Federal University) and studied at the Foundry Production and Strengthening Technologies Department. For Ivan, it was a great honor to realize such a landmark project in Kyrgyzstan.
“The figure of Ivan Vasilievich Panfilov is one of the most important in the history of the Great Patriotic War. This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Battle of Moscow, without the victory of which there would have been no way to continue fighting further. The installed monument is made of bronze, which will allow it to stand for at least a thousand years. Mistakes are unacceptable in our profession. During the work of our foundry there have been none, and this is the merit of our entire team. My reward for my work is the opportunity to show my children the results of my work all over the world, including Kyrgyzstan, a place where I am glad to work every time an opportunity arises to carry out one project or another,” Dubrovin notes.