The monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky in Vitebsk will be erected with public funds

Six years have passed since the city executive committee decided to erect a monument to Prince Alexander Nevsky in Vitebsk. The editorial office receives calls from citizens on this matter. For a comment, we turned to the Deputy Chairman of the City Executive Committee, Petr Podgursky.

- Petr Nikolaevich, we would like to hear about the background of the monument's appearance.

- The future sculptural composition will reflect a real historical fact - the meeting of Prince Alexander Nevsky with his wife Alexandra (according to other sources, her name was Paraskeva) and his son Vasily. The commander's wife was the daughter of Prince Bryachislav of Polotsk, who held the Vitebsk post until his father's death.

The marriage to the princess cemented the political union of Alexander Nevsky and Bryachislav. The princess visited Vitebsk, her father's patrimony. After the death of her husband Bryachislav, her mother moved here.

After the battle near the town of Usvyaty in 1241, Alexander Nevsky came to Vitebsk to pick up his wife and son. This fact is described in the Novgorod First Chronicle of the elder and younger recensions. Thus, the monument in Vitebsk will be a historical landmark, a reminder of the unity of the ancient Russian principalities.

- Was Alexander Nevsky married in Vitebsk?

- There is a legend that Alexander Nevsky's wedding to Princess Alexandra took place in the Vitebsk Annunciation Church. However, this is not confirmed by chronicle sources.

- What stage is the monument going through now, and with what funds is its creation and installation planned?

- At the last, June, Republican Art and Expert Council on Monumental and Monumental-Decorative Art, the working model of the monument in soft material was approved. The authors are Vitebsk sculptors Alexander Gvozdikov, Ivan Kazak, and Yevgeny Kolchev from Minsk.

The sculptural composition consists of three figures - Alexander Nevsky with his son Vasily in his arms, and his wife.

The Republican Art and Expert Council recommended that the city executive committee proceed with the production of the monument in full size - 4 meters high - in soft material.

Following this, another council will be appointed, where specialists will review the submitted design. And, if approved, a conclusion for execution in bronze will be obtained. The Vitebsk City Housing and Communal Services is the customer for the manufacturing and installation of the monument.

Documentation for the tender process has now begun. There are not many art casting enterprises in our republic. The tender will be won by the one that makes the best offer. Our city aspires to a highly artistic monumental work and deserves it!

The monument will be installed in the historical part of the city, on Millennium Square, near the Annunciation Church.

On the same bank of the Dvina River, a Palace of Marriage Registration will be erected; design work for this facility is currently underway. Young couples in Vitebsk will have a wonderful opportunity after their solemn registration to "stand on equal footing" with the princely family. After all, the future monument also symbolizes family values and represents a monumental depiction of marital fidelity and love. In my opinion, this is a good and meaningful architectural tie-in.

The pedestal, as citizens could observe, has already been installed in the designated location. The text of the inscription on the monument is currently being coordinated with the Institute of History of the National Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Belarus.

As for the funds for installation, only extra-budgetary funds will be used, just as it was in the case of the monument to Prince Algirdas.

Those who are not indifferent to the city's history can contribute by transferring money to the charitable account 3132410024014 of the Vitebsk branch of OJSC "Belinvestbank," code 739, with the note "for the monument to Alexander Nevsky," opened by UKPP "Vitebsk City Housing and Communal Services."

- There is a question about the timeline for this project…

- For now, we will leave it unanswered. I hope this is clear from our conversation. The main thing is that progress has begun.

Nataliya Krupitsa, "Vitbichi"