The ''Birth of the New World'' ( es, Nacimiento del Nuevo Mundo, colloquially known as ''La Estatua de Colón'' or literally ''Columbus' Statue'') is a bronze sculpture located on the Atlantic coastline of
Arecibo, Puerto Rico. When completed in 2016, it became the tallest sculpture in
North America, (as well as the tallest not only in the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, but in the
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...
in general) surpassing Mexico's ''
Guerrero Chimalli'' (which measures 200 feet or 61 meters in height including its base), and the fourth tallest worldwide, after the
State of Unity in India (597 ft; 182 m), the
Spring Temple Buddha
The Spring Temple Buddha ( and ) is a colossal statue depicting Vairocana Buddha located in the Zhaocun township of Lushan County, Henan, China, built from 1997 to 2008. It is located within the ''Fodushan Scenic Area'', close to National Freew ...
in China (420 ft; 128 m), and the
Laykyun Sekkya in Myanmar (380 ft; 115.8 m). After being imported to Puerto Rico, there were plans for it to be erected in
Cataño. After being moved to
Mayagüez and facing further delays, Birth of the New World was assembled at its current location.
History
Originally designed by
Georgian
Georgian may refer to:
Common meanings
* Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country)
** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group
** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians
**Georgian scripts, three scrip ...
sculptor
Zurab Tsereteli
Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli ( ka, ზურაბ კონსტანტინეს ძე წერეთელი, russian: Зураб Константинович Церетели; born 4 January 1934) is a Georgian-Russian painter, sc ...
as a monument to commemorate the 500th anniversary of
Christopher Columbus
Christopher Columbus
* lij, Cristoffa C(or)ombo
* es, link=no, Cristóbal Colón
* pt, Cristóvão Colombo
* ca, Cristòfor (or )
* la, Christophorus Columbus. (; born between 25 August and 31 October 1451, died 20 May 1506) was a ...
's
first voyage, ''Birth of the New World'' was constructed in 1991. The statue prominently depicts Columbus controlling an
anachronistic
An anachronism (from the Greek , 'against' and , 'time') is a chronological inconsistency in some arrangement, especially a juxtaposition of people, events, objects, language terms and customs from different time periods. The most common type ...
depiction of a steering wheel, with a backdrop featuring the ''
Niña
''La Niña'' ( Spanish for ''The Girl'') was one of the three Spanish ships used by Italian explorer Christopher Columbus in his first voyage to the West Indies in 1492. As was tradition for Spanish ships of the day, she bore a female saint's n ...
'', ''
Pinta'' and ''
Santa María'' traversing the Atlantic Ocean. Made of 2,750 bronze and steel pieces and weighting more than , the monument's height made it the tallest in the
Western Hemisphere
The Western Hemisphere is the half of the planet Earth that lies west of the prime meridian (which crosses Greenwich, London, United Kingdom) and east of the antimeridian. The other half is called the Eastern Hemisphere. Politically, the te ...
during the last decade of the 20th century, dwarfing the
Statue of Liberty and the
Monumento a la Virgen de la Paz.
Tsereteli offered ''Birth of the New World'' to the cities of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
,
Fort Lauderdale
A fortification is a military construction or building designed for the defense of territories in warfare, and is also used to establish rule in a region during peacetime. The term is derived from Latin ''fortis'' ("strong") and ''facere'' ...
,
Miami Beach,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
and
Columbus, Ohio, but none of those cities accepted it, considering it an eyesore due to its disproportionate features or because its size would affect their skylines.
Amid its long search for a home, the statue gathered the derisive nicknames of "Chris Kong", "Robo-Columbus", and "From Russia with Ugh" while searching for a base.
Despite the hindrances, the monument was featured in a stamp. A smaller and modified version, named ''
The Birth of a New Man'' and meant to be the European link of a two-part composition along with ''Birth of the New World'', was adopted by
Seville
Seville (; es, Sevilla, ) is the capital and largest city of the Spanish autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the River Guadalquivir, in the southwest of the Iberian Peninsula ...
, Spain, and dedicated there in 1995.
Search for a location
New York City
In 1991,
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the Un ...
was the first to be offered the statue. Tseretali proposed erecting the statue on
Roosevelt Island. However, this plan was met with concerns of its size, as it would visually dwarf the Statue of Liberty, yet be dwarfed itself by skyscrapers of the city's skyline that sat near Roosevelt Island.
Plans for it to be located in New York City were briefly resurrected in 1997 when then-real estate developer
Donald Trump
Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who served as the 45th president of the United States from 2017 to 2021.
Trump graduated from the Wharton School of the University of P ...
proposed that the statue be at
his development of rail yards, but this was nixed by city leadership including mayor
Rudy Giuliani.
Miami Beach
In 1992, the
Miami
Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...
area was offered the statue, after financier and investor
Bennett S. LeBow sought to see it erected at
South Pointe in Miami Beach, near the
Government Cut
Government Cut is a manmade shipping channel between Miami Beach and Fisher Island, which allows better access to the Port of Miami in Miami, Florida. Before the cut was established, a single peninsula of dry land stretched from what is now Miam ...
entrance of the
Port of Miami
The Port of Miami, styled as "PortMiami" but formally the Dante B. Fascell Port of Miami, is a major seaport located in Biscayne Bay at the mouth of the Miami River in Miami, Florida. It is the largest passenger port in the world, and one of the ...
.
Supporters argued that it had the potential to become an icon for the City of Miami.
[ The sculpture attracted local criticism, including for the fact that the design included a depiction of a ]ship's wheel
A ship's wheel or boat's wheel is a device used aboard a water vessel to steer that vessel and control its course. Together with the rest of the steering mechanism, it forms part of the helm. It is connected to a mechanical, electric servo, or ...
, despite the fact that this device would not supplant the use of tiller
A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...
s for over 250 years after Columbus's first voyage to the Americas. Native American activist groups also expressed concern over a statue that celebrated a man whom they regarded as a rapist
Rape is a type of sexual assault usually involving sexual intercourse or other forms of sexual penetration carried out against a person without their consent. The act may be carried out by physical force, coercion, abuse of authority, or agai ...
and murderer. Plans to erect it in Miami ultimately failed due to the large costs associated with erecting the statue.
Fort Lauderdale
In 1992, as plans to locate it in Miami were fizzling out, Fort Lauderdale, Florida City Commissioner Gary Keno expressed interest in locating it in his city. The head of the sculpture was shipped to the city that year, in hopes of stoking support for erecting the statue there. Keno found little support for displaying the head in a city park. The head would ultimately remain in a warehouse there for six years.
Native American activist groups again expressed concern.
Columbus, Ohio
In 1993, the city of Columbus, Ohio was offered the statue. Governor George V. Voinovich expressed interest, sending a letter of intent
A letter of intent (LOI or LoI, or Letter of Intent) is a document outlining the understanding between two or more parties which they intend to formalize in a legally binding agreement. The concept is similar to a heads of agreement, term sh ...
. Proponents argued that it could become an icon for the city, and would be a tourist generator. The costs associated with erecting the statue, again, posed an issue. Mayor Greg Lashutka
Gregory S. Lashutka (born March 28, 1944) is an American lawyer who served as the 51st mayor of Columbus, Ohio, from 1992 to 2000. He is an Eagle Scout and had earlier been an American football player.
Athletics
Lashutka was tight end for the O ...
refused to spend any city funds on erecting the statue. Despite his support for the statue, Governor Voinovich stated that no state money was available to erect the statue. This would mean that citizens groups would be required to raise as much as $25 million for the statue to be erected in Columbus. Additionally, Native American activist groups again raised concern. The statue also met criticism for its massive size and criticisms that it would appear gaudy.
St. Petersburg, Florida
In 1995, Tsereteli sought to convince the city of St. Petersburg, Florida
St. Petersburg is a city in Pinellas County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population was 258,308, making it the fifth-most populous city in Florida and the second-largest city in the Tampa Bay Area, after Tampa. It is the ...
to become the home of his statue. However, his overtures were met with large disinterest by the city.
Baltimore
In 1997, there was an effort to locate the statue in Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
's Inner Harbor
The Inner Harbor is a historic seaport, tourist attraction, and landmark of the city of Baltimore, Maryland. It was described by the Urban Land Institute in 2009 as "the model for post-industrial waterfront redevelopment around the world". Th ...
. Locations floated for the statue to be located in the Inner Harbor included Fort Carroll and the site of a former Allied Chemical plant on the east side of the Inner Harbor. Joseph DiCara, whose construction management firm would be responsible for assembling the statue if it were built in Baltimore, advocated for it to be erected in the city. Some other local businessmen, local Italian American community leaders, and politicians also lent their support. Supporters touted its potential as a tourist attraction. Mayor Kurt Schmoke
Kurt Lidell Schmoke (born December 1, 1949) is an American politician and lawyer who was the 47th mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, from 1987 to 1999, the first African American to be elected to the post. He is the current president of the University ...
was initially interested in the prospect of erecting the statue. However, his office also expressed concern over the city lacking resources to help finance its erection. Ivan Kazansky, the head of Moscow's Union of Sculptures, advised Baltimore against letting Tsereteli "ruin" their harbor. Additionally, concerns again arose over its size.
Cataño, Puerto Rico
In 1998, Edwin "Amolao" Rivera Sierra, mayor of the municipality of Cataño in Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and unincorporated ...
, decided to acquire the monument. Despite being donated by Tsereteli, the cost of importing the statue was 2.4 million dollars, all of which was taken from the public treasury with the approval of governor Pedro Rosselló
Pedro Juan Rosselló González, (; born April 5, 1944) is a Puerto Rican physician and politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico from 1993 to 2001. He was President of the New Progressive Party from 1991 to 1999 and 2003 to 2008, a ...
. Rivera Sierra insisted that the municipal treasury would not lose a single cent on the project, and planned to erect the monument near the entrance of Cataño Bay. The unassembled pieces of the statue were relocated to an adjacent recreational park upon arriving on 12 November 1998. In its original plan, construction would have begun in 1999, with the dedication taking place in October 2000. However, the project caused immediate controversy; several homes would have to be destroyed to make way for it and the cost of its assembly was deemed excessive, with only the statue's base being estimated to be worth around 150 million dollars. The ''Oficina del Contralor'' (Office of the Comptroller) opened an investigation into the transaction and found that the 1.6 million dollars in taxes that were due when the statue entered the port were not paid. The auditor also investigated the use of public funds to cover the travel expenses of Rivera Sierra when personally meeting Tseretelli in Russia.
The height of the monument raised concerns that it would interfere with air traffic to nearby Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport
Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport ( es, link=no, Aeropuerto Internacional Luis Muñoz Marín) is a joint civil-military international airport located in suburban Carolina, Puerto Rico, southeast of San Juan. It is named for Luis Muñoz ...
. Ultimately, the Puerto Rico Port Authority denied Cataño the permits required to advance, citing "security concerns". The central government decided to stop providing any funding for the project. The unassembled pieces remained stored near Cataño Bay for several years. Rivera Sierra's successor, Wilson Soto, declared that the municipality would not invest any public funds in the project. By this time, some of the pieces were beginning to show signs of rusting, and storing the pieces was costing $1.6 million in taxes per year, not including the salaries of several security guards. The municipality also lost an estimated income of $200,000 that the recreational park would have provided were it open to the public. The total cost of the project was re-estimated due to the necessity of replacing several parts and some of the supporting steel structures, fixing exposure damage and the additional need for a sandblasting procedure. In early 2005, Tseretelli began searching for developers that would take over the project. However, these efforts were interrupted by Soto, who considered that simply assembling the statue was not enough to attract tourism. He suggested that the entire area would need to be developed. The size of the project caused potential developers to lose interest.
On 16 August 2008, the municipality confirmed that ''Birth of a New World'' had been transferred to Holland Group Port Investment (HGPI), a private group that was involved in the development of the Mayagüez port. Soto justified the action by claiming that simply storing the pieces was costing the public treasury 4 million dollars, and that Cataño could not afford a project that would exceed $100 million. The private entity transferred the pieces to its facilities in Mayagüez, announcing its intention to assemble the statue near the coastline in time for the 2010 Central American and Caribbean Games
The 21st Central American and Caribbean Games (Spanish: ''XXI Juegos Centroamericanos y del Caribe, Mayagüez 2010'') took place in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, from 18 July 2010 to 1 August 2010.
Bid
It was understood that Mayagüez was going to b ...
that were being held in that municipality. HGPI devised a plan to attract an estimated 500,000 tourists to with ''Birth of a New World'' as its cornerstone. A regional plan would include the establishment of a museum of history near the statue. The possibility of establishing a cruise route between Mayagüez and Seville was also explored. Once there, a Russian team examined the condition of the pieces and ensured that it could still be assembled.
Finding a home in Arecibo, Puerto Rico
HGPI was unable to fulfill its plan in time, citing disinterest by the municipal government, and the statue was reassigned for a different project. Arecibo
Arecibo (; ) is a city and municipality on the northern coast of Puerto Rico, on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, located north of Utuado and Ciales; east of Hatillo; and west of Barceloneta and Florida. It is about west of San Juan, th ...
became a frontrunner, and Mayor Lemuel Soto began the permit process for a project that would combine the statue with other attractions, such as the Arecibo Observatory. However, the municipality faced competition; Representative David Bonilla Cortés requested that the statue be assembled on Desecheo Island
Desecheo ( es, Isla Desecheo) () is a small uninhabited island of the archipelago of Puerto Rico located in the northeast of the Mona Passage; from Rincón on the west coast ( Punta Higüero) of the main island of Puerto Rico and northeast ...
and the newly elected mayor of Cataño, José Rosario, proposed using the statue as part of an eco park that would be constructed in the swampy region of Ciénaga las Cucharillas. San Juan also tentatively considered the project, but lost interest due to the condition of the pieces. Ultimately, Tseretelli decided that it was "too late" to consider other venues and settled for Arecibo. However, once there the monument faced more controversy, this time by activists that condemned Columbus' role in opening the door to the European genocide of indigenous peoples
The genocide of indigenous peoples, colonial genocide, or settler genocide is elimination of entire communities of indigenous peoples as part of colonialism. Genocide of the native population is especially likely in cases of settler colonialis ...
and by groups that opposed its impact in the maritime-terrestrial zone. Eventually, the Luis Fortuño
Luis Guillermo Fortuño Burset (born 31 October 1960) is a Puerto Rican politician who served as the governor of Puerto Rico, an unincorporated territory of the United States, from 2009 to 2013.
Fortuño served as the first secretary of econom ...
administration began processing the respective permits.
In 2012, Rosario denounced the Puerto Rico Department of Treasury for imposing nearly $3 million in retroactive taxes for the original transaction and unfinished projects related to it, resulting in an embargo of the municipality's income. In June 2012, the first pieces began arriving at Barrio Islote
Islote is a barrio in the municipality of Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Its population in 2010 was 5,665. "Birth of a New World", a giant sculpture of Christopher Columbus on a ship, is located in Islote.
History
Puerto Rico was ceded by Spain in the af ...
in Arecibo. ''Birth of the New World'' became the main attraction of a tourist project called Columbus Theme Park (later renamed Terravista ParkLand) developed by Pan American Grain, which the administration expected would produce 4.6 million dollars in income per year and recruit 900 new employees. The assembly investment was now estimated at $98 million, with only the reclassification of the zone preventing the project's advance. This process was completed by January 2013. On 11 February 2014, a contemporary-Taíno
The Taíno were a historic indigenous people of the Caribbean whose culture has been continued today by Taíno descendant communities and Taíno revivalist communities. At the time of European contact in the late 15th century, they were the pri ...
movement, named Movimiento Indígena Jíbaro Boricua, joined other anti-Columbus factions in protest the impending assembly of the monument.
The monument survived the passing of Cat. 5 hurricane Maria
Hurricane Maria was a deadly Category 5 hurricane that devastated the northeastern Caribbean in September 2017, particularly Dominica, Saint Croix, and Puerto Rico. It is regarded as the worst natural disaster in recorded history to affect ...
in September 2017 without structural damage. However, the adjacent infrastructure was heavily affected. The remodeling of the beach house (which is expected to host the visitor center), as well as the construction of new roads, parking and a plaza were all halted. Reforestation efforts in the area were completely reverted after the winds decimated the flora. These developments forced architect Roberto Alsina to delay the timetable and reconsider strategies, this while working to undo the damage to the area that would host the Terravista ParkLand.
''Tsereteli et al. v. González Freyre et al.''
On 14 March 2019, Tsereteli sued González Freyre, Pan American Grain and Columbus Park Corporation, claiming that previous agreements had not been fulfilled as the sculptor's corporation -Birth of New World LLC- had not been refunded an investment of $17 million (for transferring it between Mayagüez and Arecibo) or received ownership of the terrains. This conflict prevented plans from fully opening to the public and prompted the municipality to change dates for the formal inauguration on multiple occasions. Tsereteli was stated to be content with the visibility gained by the monument and unconcerned by the possibility of it remaining closed off for the time being.
During a year, beginning when a contract was signed in November 2013, both sides discussed the transfer of between and of the plot to an entity of the author's choosing. However, González Freyre claims that Tsereteli did not discuss the matter again until he issued a warning in late 2018, after more than a year of no communication, and that the Russian artist did not heed attempts to mediate. The monument is assembled but the development of the Terravista ParkLand had yet to begin following the hurricane delays and is expected to take up to five years. In 2021, both sides worked on a settlement to continue the project as a joint venture.
Economic impact
Prior to the inauguration, an economic study by consulting firm Estudios Técnicos, estimated that the statue would attract at least 300,000 tourists per year to the municipality, with additional income from taxes related to the project. Shortly after its assembly was completed, the Puerto Rico Tourism Company labelled Birth of the New World a potential anchor attraction for the north region. In 2019, then-mayor Carlos Molina stated that the increased traffic of people interested in seeing the monument had been the main motivator behind the opening of several new businesses in the municipality. He considered that Birth of the New World became “a tourist attraction for the local and foreign visitor”.[ He quantified the economic impact as of 2020 at 1,000 new jobs, 100 businesses and 500 property acquisitions. The volume of people stopping along ]Puerto Rico Highway 22
PR-22 (also part of unsigned Interstate PR2) is an long toll road in the north coast of Puerto Rico that connects the cities of San Juan and Hatillo. The road is also known as the ''José de Diego Expressway'' (Spanish: ''Expreso José de Dieg ...
(unsigned Interstate PR2) to see the monument motivated a legislative bill to build a lookout and rest area.
In 2021, Ernesto González Rodríguez, town hall secretary of Carlos Ramírez (who succeeded Molina), acknowledged that Columbus is a controversial topic but noted that the tourism that the monument attracts is beneficial to the town’s coffers. Despite logistic issues involving the traffic to the area and an international trend of removing statues depicting Columbus, Birth of the New World was considered the main attraction in the area following the collapse of the Arecibo Observatory and the municipal administration opposed the demolition demanded by activists. Restaurants and bars have been the most benefited from the increased clientele.[
]
See also
*List of the tallest statues in the United States
This list of the tallest statues in the United States ranks free-standing statues based on their height from base to top. The list also includes novelty architecture.
Statues over 12.2 m (40 ft)
Statues between 6.1 and 12.2 m (20 and 40 ft)
...
*List of tallest statues
This list of tallest statues includes completed statues that are at least tall, which was the assumed height of the Colossus of Rhodes. The height values in this list are measured to the highest part of the human (or animal) figure, but exclude ...
* Peter the Great Statue, a similar statue in Moscow
References
{{Authority control
Arecibo, Puerto Rico
Statues of Christopher Columbus
1991 sculptures
Allegorical sculptures
Bronze sculptures
Colossal statues in Puerto Rico
Sculptures by Zurab Tsereteli
Ships in art
Monuments and memorials to Christopher Columbus