10 celebrities who got monuments during their lifetime

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Since Soviet times, the installation of monuments during life was rather an exception to the rule. However, numerous sculptural images of Comrade Stalin stood in almost every city. In addition to him, this honor was awarded twice to Heroes of Socialist Labor and the Soviet Union. But times have changed and today more and more often you can see lifetime monuments to famous actors, singers and athletes. Sometimes even the stars themselves want to immortalize themselves in bronze.

Alexander Rosenbaum

The contractor believes that the monument in Chelyabinsk was erected not in his honor, but in memory of the fallen soldiers. However, Alexander Rosenbaum appears in the composition as a veteran of Afghanistan, and the words of the famous song of the performer "Black Tulip" are carved on the stone nearby. Alexander Yakovlevich agreed to make the monument. He himself never posed for the artist, but did not refuse to slightly correct the shape of the guitar.

Arnold Schwarzenegger

The monument to the famous bodybuilder, actor and politician was opened in 2014 in Columbus, Ohio. At this time, the annual Arnold Classic festival was held there. True, another similar monument was erected back in 2011 in the village of Tal near Graz, where Schwarzenegger was born. On that day, a museum dedicated to the actor was also opened in Tala.

Joseph Kobzon

In 2003, on the singer's birthday, a monument to Joseph Kobzon was unveiled in Donetsk (Ukraine). The city was not chosen by chance: Joseph Davydovich was born in the Donetsk region, and the Moscow community of Donbass residents became the initiator of the installation. Kobzon himself was present at the ceremony, although initially he was categorically against immortalizing himself in bronze. It took about six months to convince the legendary singer to agree.

Sylvester Stallone

The actor independently commissioned his image as Rocky in 1982 to be placed near the Philadelphia Museum of Art. True, the city administration considered the sculpture to be an open advertisement for the film and was transferred to the local stadium. But 23 years later, while working on the film "Rocky Balboa", Stallone personally asked the authorities to place the bronze Rocky again near the museum. And then, thanks to the support of the public, it was decided to leave the monument forever in this place.

Viktor Sukhorukov

In 2016, a monument to Russian actor Viktor Sukhorukov was erected on Lenin Street in the town of Orekhovo-Zuevo, Moscow Region. The opening ceremony was attended by the actor himself, who did not hide his joy. In Orekhovo-Zuevo, Viktor Sukhorukov was born and raised, and local entrepreneurs initiated the installation of a lifetime monument.

Nikolay Rastorguev

The famous performer and permanent leader of the Lyube group Nikolai Rastorguev was honored to be immortalized in bronze during his lifetime. The choice of Lyubertsy as the site of the monument was not accidental: it was here that the musician began his career.

Svetlana Khorkina

The monument to the champion of the world, Europe and the Olympic Games was erected in the homeland of the athlete in Belgorod, near the university sports complex. Since Svetlana Khorkina herself often did not have enough time to pose for the sculptor Anatoly Shishkov, she was replaced by the gymnast's sister Julia.

Cristiano Ronaldo

In December 2014, a monument to the famous footballer was unveiled in his hometown of Funchal, Madeira. Ronaldo personally took part in the opening ceremony and in his speech thanked his fellow countrymen for giving him the opportunity to return to his homeland.

Three years later, a bust of the football player was installed in Portugal near the airport building, renamed in his honor. True, the bust was soon moved to the Ronaldo Museum, since the bronze image of the athlete looked like a cartoon.

Woody Allen

In Oviedo, the administrative center of the province of Asturias in Spain, a monument to the famous director appeared in 2002. This came as a surprise even to himself, and he jokingly called this sculpture one of the greatest secrets of Western civilization, since Allen was in Oviero Woody only a couple of times and did not commit any heroic deeds.

And two years later, a monument to Woody Allen appeared in Kaliningrad, but this time all the formalities were met, and permission for the installation was received. This composition turned out to be very unusual: it depicts a hand holding the director's glasses. Woody Allen was provided with several options for the sculpture, but it was the completed project that seemed to Allen the most interesting. Now every visitor to the Zarya cinema will be able to look at the world through the eyes of a great director.

Diego Maradona

The monument in honor of the legendary football player was opened in 2018 in Buenos Aires on the roof of one of the municipal buildings next to Argentinos Juniors football club. The monument depicts the athlete in his prime, at the height of his fame, and the rooftop placement was chosen to protect the sculpture from vandals. This is the fourth monument to the famous striker in the world, but in Argentina it was immortalized for the first time.

The tradition of erecting monuments to movie heroes arose not so long ago, but a lot of them appeared on the streets of large cities and small villages. As a rule, these are human-sized sculptures installed directly on the asphalt or on small pedestals. There were even signs associated with these monuments: rubbing a certain part of the body or holding a bronze statue by the hand will surely bring good luck in business.