Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli ( ka, ზურაბ კონსტანტინეს ძე წერეთელი, russian: Зураб Константинович Церетели; born 4 January 1934) is a Georgian-Russian
painter,
sculptor and
architect
An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...
known for large-scale and at times controversial monuments. Tsereteli has served as the President of the
Russian Academy of Arts since 1997.
Life
Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
on 4 January 1934. Tsereteli studies at
Tbilisi State Academy of Arts
The Tbilisi State Academy of Arts ( ka, თბილისის სახელმწიფო სამხატვრო აკადემია) is one of the oldest universities in Georgia and Caucasus. It is located in central Tbilisi near ...
, graduating in 1958. The same year, he married Inessa Andronikashvili, a princess from a noble Georgian family that claims patrilineal descent from
Byzantine
The Byzantine Empire, also referred to as the Eastern Roman Empire or Byzantium, was the continuation of the Roman Empire primarily in its eastern provinces during Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, when its capital city was Constantin ...
Emperor
Andronikos I Komnenos.
Between the years 1960–1963, Tsereteli worked as a staff artist as the
Georgian Academy of Sciences, participating in research expeditions, which in turn served to influence his work. Tsereteli was then granted the position of senior master at the industrial combine of the
USSR's Arts Foundation in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
, where he began to experiment with bronze, stone, glass, wood, and mosaics, as well as creating group commissions for public buildings.
In 1964, he made his first trip abroad to
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
. He stayed in
Paris
Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...
for three months, during which time visited
Pablo Picasso
Pablo Ruiz Picasso (25 October 1881 – 8 April 1973) was a Spanish painter, sculptor, printmaker, ceramicist and theatre designer who spent most of his adult life in France. One of the most influential artists of the 20th century, he is ...
in his studio. This experience served to greatly shape his later creative production. At a later stage he also became acquainted with
Marc Chagall and other Impressionist and Post-Impressionist artists, whose characteristic influences can also be seen in the artist's work.
Following his return home, Tsereteli became the chief designer of Soviet resorts on the
Black Sea
The Black Sea is a marginal mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bounded by Bulgaria, Georgia, ...
, such as
Pitsunda (1967) and
Adler
Adler may refer to:
Places
*Adler, Alabama, an unincorporated community in Perry County
*Adler Planetarium, Chicago, Illinois, USA
*Adler Township, Nelson County, North Dakota, USA
*Adler University, formerly Adler School of Professional Psycholo ...
(1972). In these works, he combined
monumental sculpture, architectural scenery, and three-dimensional mosaic compositions. Following his completion of the project in
Pitsunda in 1967, Tsereteli was awarded the title of Honoured Artist of Georgia.
In the 1970s, Tsereteli continued to make public projects in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
,
Ulyanovsk,
Yalta and other cities. In this period, Tsereteli also designed several Soviet embassies and consulates over the world, such as those in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, In recognized minority languages of Portugal:
:* mwl, República Pertuesa is a country located on the Iberian Peninsula, in Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Macaronesian ...
, and
Japan.
In 1978–79, Tsereteli was invited to teach painting as a visiting professor at the
College at Brockport,
State University of New York. During his stay, he completed and presented to the college two public sculptures on the behalf of the people of the
USSR: ''Prometheus (Light and Knowledge to the World)'', installed in front of the Allen Administration Building, and ''Joy and Happiness to All the Children of the World'', placed by the Drake Memorial Library. The latter was created in collaboration with
Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation
The Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. Foundation (JPKF) is a non-profit foundation founded by Ambassador Joseph P. Kennedy Sr. in 1946 in memory of his son Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. The foundation was led by his youngest brother, U.S. Senator Edward M. Kennedy, ...
in honour of the
1979 Special Olympics held in
Brockport and the International Year of the Child.
In 1980, Tsereteli was appointed as the chief designer for the
XXII Summer Olympic Games in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
. That same year, he completed ''A Hymn to Man'', which sits atop the Concert and Cinema hall of the
Izmailovo Hotel Complex, constructed for the
Olympics and received the
Order of “Friendship of Peoples”. In 1981, he became a professor at his alma mater, the
Tbilisi Academy of Arts.
In 1983, he created ''Friendship Forever'', in Moscow's Tishinskaya Square (1983), dedicated to the fellowship between the countries of
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
and
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
. The architectural part of the monument was designed by
Andrey Voznesensky. In the same period, Tsereteli began work on two large-scale projects in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
: the monument to Saint Nina (1988-1994), and the
History of Georgia complex (1985–present). In 1988, Tsereteli was elected an Academician of the
USSR Academy of Arts
The Russian Academy of Arts, informally known as the Saint Petersburg Academy of Arts, was an art academy in Saint Petersburg, founded in 1757 by the founder of the Imperial Moscow University Ivan Shuvalov under the name ''Academy of the Thre ...
and his sculptural composition ''Break the Wall of Distrust'' was installed on Canon Street, London. In 1990, ''Good Defeats Evil'', Tsereteli's interpretation of
St. George slaying the dragon as an allegory for world peace in the modern age, was unveiled at the
United Nations Headquarters.
In the 1990s, Tsereteli continued to work on public commissions for the city of
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
, which many insist was due to his personal friendship with the mayor,
Yuri Luzhkov Yuri may refer to:
People and fictional characters
Given name
*Yuri (Slavic name), the Slavic masculine form of the given name George, including a list of people with the given name Yuri, Yury, etc.
*Yuri (Japanese name), also Yūri, feminine Jap ...
. The most significant of these projects include: the reconstruction of
Cathedral of Christ the Savior,
Manege Square, the War Memorial Complex on
Poklonnaya Gora, the
Moscow Zoo
The Moscow Zoo or Moskovsky Zoopark (russian: Московский зоопарк) is a zoo founded in 1864 by professor-biologists, K.F. Rulje, S.A. Usov and A.P. Bogdanov, from the Moscow State University. In 1919, the zoo was nationalized. In ...
, as well as the 98m tall ''
Peter the Great'', monument erected in 1996–97, which has caused mixed feelings among the citizens of Moscow.
''
The Birth of the New Man'' was inaugurated in
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 Peninsul ...
,
Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond")
, national_anthem = (English: "Royal March")
, ...
in 1995, in celebration of the European discovery of the New World by
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 ...
. The following year, in 1996,
Marbella also received a sculpture, entitled ''Victory''.
In 1997, Tsereteli was elected the President of the
Russian Academy of Arts. He established the
Moscow Museum of Modern Art in 1995, and it officially opened its doors in 1999, becoming the first state museum in the country entirely dedicated to modern and contemporary art. In 1998, Tsereteli had his first solo exhibition at the New Manege, which was dedicated to the memory of his wife, Inessa. This show became the starting point of the numerous travelling shows of his works, which followed in the 2000s-2010s in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
,
Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to t ...
,
Latvia
Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
,
Belarus
Belarus,, , ; alternatively and formerly known as Byelorussia (from Russian ). officially the Republic of Belarus,; rus, Республика Беларусь, Respublika Belarus. is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe. It is bordered by ...
,
Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan, officially the Republic of Kazakhstan, is a transcontinental country located mainly in Central Asia and partly in Eastern Europe. It borders Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental coun ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Mac ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, 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 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
,
Australia,
China, and
Japan.
In 2001, the Gallery of Arts of Zurab Tsereteli was opened in
Moscow
Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...
as part of the museums and exhibitions complex of the
Russian Academy of Arts. In 2006, Tsereteli unveiled his monument ''
To the Struggle Against World Terrorism
''To the Struggle Against World Terrorism'' (also known as the ''Tear of Grief'' and the ''Tear Drop Memorial'') is a 10–story sculpture by Zurab Tsereteli that was given to the United States as an official gift from the Russian government as a ...
'', or ''The Tear of Grief'', in
Bayonne,
NJ. It was donated to 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 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
as an official gift by
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...
in the aftermath of
9/11 attacks to show support and solidarity for the American people.
In 2007, Tsereteli became the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
Ambassador of Good Will. In 2009–10, he was elected a Member of the
European Academy of Sciences and Arts (Austria), given the title of Chevalier of the
National Order of the Legion of Honor by
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
, as well as a 1st Rank Order “For Services to the Motherland” by the
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia
North Asia or Northern Asia, also referred to as Siberia, is the northern region of Asia, which is defined in geographic ...
. In 2011, he received two awards from the Roman Academy of Fine Arts: the “For Life in Art” Prize and the International Giuseppe Sciacca Award for significant contribution to the arts. In 2014, Tsereteli received the
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
Five Continents Medal for his contribution to world culture, and in 2015 was elected a Member of the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts.
In 2005, ''Holocaust'' was donated by Russia to Israel and opened in Jerusalem. Some of his other works include: the sculpture of
Nikolai Gogol in Rome's
Villa Borghese (2002),
Honoré de Balzac
Honoré de Balzac ( , more commonly , ; born Honoré Balzac;Jean-Louis Dega, La vie prodigieuse de Bernard-François Balssa, père d'Honoré de Balzac : Aux sources historiques de La Comédie humaine, Rodez, Subervie, 1998, 665 p. 20 May 179 ...
in
Agde (2003),
Marina Tsvetaeva in
Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (2012), ''Founding Fathers of the European Union'' (2012) in
Lorraine, and the monument to
Pope John Paul II (2014) next to
Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral facing the
Seine.
Zurab Tsereteli founded the Museum of Modern Art in
Tbilisi
Tbilisi ( ; ka, თბილისი ), in some languages still known by its pre-1936 name Tiflis ( ), is the capital and the largest city of Georgia, lying on the banks of the Kura River with a population of approximately 1.5 million p ...
, Georgia in 2012.
Tsereteli continues his service as President of the
Russian Academy of Arts, organises regular exhibitions by Georgian and international artists at the Museum of Modern Art in Tbilisi, as well as continuing to produce artwork.
On 6 December 2020, Tsereteli was honored the highest state order of Serbian for his contribution of the interior decoration of the
Church of Saint Sava
The Temple of Saint Sava ( sr-Cyrl, Храм Светог Саве, Hram Svetog Save, lit='The Temple of Saint Sava') is a Serbian Orthodox church which sits on the Vračar plateau in Belgrade, Serbia. It was planned as the bishopric seat and ...
in Belgrade, for which the Russian Academy has been the main contractor.
Controversy
Tsereteli has been heavily criticized throughout the duration of his career, with public opinion heavily shaped by his involvement with the Russian government. In March 2014 he was reported to have signed a letter in support of the position of the President of Russia
Vladimir Putin
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime m ...
on
Russia's military intervention in Ukraine. However, the following day, a statement was released to several Georgian news outlets by the artist's aide, Sergi Shagulashvili, denied that Tsereteli signed the letter and that he "generally does not get involved in politics".
Offices
* Professor and President of the Russian Academy of Arts.
* President of the Foundation for the Children's Park of Miracles (since 1988), hence the rumours of his involvement with the construction of
Disneyland in Russia.
* Founder of the Moscow International Foundation for Support to
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. I ...
, he was appointed a UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador on 30 March 1996.
* Since 2005 he has been a member of the
Public Chamber of Russia.
* Eminent Member of the
Sergio Vieira de Mello Foundation.
Projects
*
The statue of Peter the Great in downtown Moscow which, at 94 meters, is the eighth
tallest statue in the world. Popular legend states that the Statue was initially 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 ...
, but that after being rejected by the US Government, its head was replaced, and it was sold to the Russian government as a nautical statue of Peter the Great. In November 2008, it was voted the tenth ugliest building in the world by Virtual Tourist.
* A statue known as ''
Birth of the New World
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 ...
'' depicting Christopher Columbus. The statue was rejected by the US government when Tsereteli attempted to have it installed there in 1992, in connection with the 500th anniversary of his
voyage. The municipal government of
Cataño,
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 ...
, consented to having the statue built in their town, but later was unable to garner enough public support and funding. On August 15, 2008, the private contractor in charge of building a series of facilities for the
2010 Central American and Caribbean Games announced that the corporation had bought the structure and will build it in the municipality of
Mayagüez, expecting to assemble it in time for the games. After this project was abandoned, the statue was moved to the municipality of
Arecibo, where its assembly began during the spring of 2014. The statue was unveiled in Arecibo on June 14, 2016. A smaller twin statue named ''The Birth of a New Man'' was given by Russia in 1993 and was assembled in
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 Peninsul ...
, where it is popularly known as ''Huevo de Colón'' (Columbus' Egg).
* The statue of
St. George at the
Moscow War Memorial and several versions of the same subject in Moscow and elsewhere. The foremost among these is a sculpture using sections of scrapped US
Pershing II and Soviet
SS-20 nuclear missiles. The sculpture, entitled ''Good Defeats Evil'' is on the grounds of the UN building in
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 U ...
. The sculpture is a 39-foot high, 40 ton monumental bronze statue of St George fighting the dragon of nuclear war. It was donated to the UN by the Soviet Union in 1990.
* A 9-1/2 meter tall, 2 metric ton
treble clef covered in mosaic gold that tops the
cupola
In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome.
The word derives, via Italian, fr ...
of the
Moscow International House of Music. The sculpture rotates like a
weathervane.
* His ''
Tear of Grief'' (actually titled ''To the Struggle Against World Terrorism'') features a 40-foot teardrop suspended in the fissure of a 106-foot bronze rectangular tower. The monument includes the names of all the victims of the
September 11, 2001, attacks in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania, as well as the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center. At the ground breaking for the massive project, Vladimir Putin was present and called the sculpture “a gift from the people of Russia.” It was erected at the tip of the decommissioned Military Ocean Terminal, now rechristened The Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor, in
Bayonne, New Jersey (after nearby
Jersey City first accepted, then declined, the free monument) and was dedicated on September 11, 2006. The artist,
Bill Clinton
William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...
,
Michael Chertoff, New Jersey Senator
Jon Corzine, and a 9/11 widow all spoke at the dedication ceremony.
* On September 25, 2006, another Peter the Great statue by Tsereteli was installed on
Vasilievsky Island,
St. Petersburg, in front of the Pribaltiiskaya Hotel. The sculptor had originally wished it to be placed in front of the historic
Manege next to
St. Isaac's Cathedral, but this was turned down because of risk of damage to
Quarenghi's building.
*The ''
Chronicle of Georgia'' (or ''History Memorial of Georgia'')
* Other offers of statuary by Tsereteli rejected by intended recipients in recent years include a statue of
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin (born Ioseb Besarionis dze Jughashvili; – 5 March 1953) was a Georgian revolutionary and Soviet political leader who led the Soviet Union from 1924 until his death in 1953. He held power as General Secreta ...
,
Franklin D. Roosevelt, and
Winston Churchill next to
Livadia Palace in
Yalta (
Ukraine
Ukraine ( uk, Україна, Ukraïna, ) is a country in Eastern Europe. It is the second-largest European country after Russia, which it borders to the east and northeast. Ukraine covers approximately . Prior to the ongoing Russian invas ...
),
Magellan (
Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
), the
Colossus of Rhodes (
Greece
Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders wit ...
), Franklin D. Roosevelt (
New York) and
Balzac (
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan ar ...
).
[''Pulse'' magazine, St. Petersburg, October 2006]
Cultural activities
Tsereteli heads man
cultural projects as a president of the Russian Academy of Arts
Honours and awards
*
Hero of Socialist Labour,
Order of Lenin and Gold medal "Hammer and Sickle" (11 November 1990) - for his great personal contribution to the development of Soviet art and productive social activities
*
Order of Merit for the Fatherland;
**1st class (26 July 2010) - for outstanding contribution to the development of fine arts and many years of creative activity
**2nd class (4 January 2006) - for outstanding contribution to the development of fine arts
**3rd class (29 April 1996) - for his great personal contribution to the development and successful completion of a complex of works on the Victory Monument,
Poklonnaya Hill, Moscow
*
Order of Friendship of Peoples (1994)
*
People's Artist of the Russian Federation (4 January 1994) - for great achievements in the field of fine arts
*
People's Artist of the USSR (1980)
* People's Artist of Georgia (1978)
*
Russian Federation State Prize in Literature and Art (21 June 1996) - a memorial "Monument of Victory in Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945" on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow
*
Lenin Prize (1976) - for the space-decorations Children's Zone a resort town in Adler (1973)
*
USSR State Prize
**1970 - for the mosaic composition of Lenin memorial in Ulyanovsk (1969) and in the Palace of Trade Unions Tbilisi (1969–1970)
**1982 - for participation in the creation of the hotel complex "Izmailovo" in Moscow (1980)
* Chevalier of the
Legion of Honour (France, 2010)
* Officer of the
Order of Arts and Letters
The ''Ordre des Arts et des Lettres'' (Order of Arts and Letters) is an order of France established on 2 May 1957 by the Minister of Culture. Its supplementary status to the was confirmed by President Charles de Gaulle in 1963. Its purpose is ...
(France, 2005)
* Medal "Astana" (Kazakhstan, 11 December 1998)
* Badge "For Services to Moscow" (Moscow, 30 December 2003) - for his great personal contribution to the development of fine art, many years of fruitful activity for the city and the Muscovites
*
Order of Akhmad Kadyrov (Chechnya, 2005) - for his personal contribution to the commemoration of the first president of the Chechen Republic, the Hero of Russia Akhmad-Hadji Kadyrov, activities that promote peace, friendship and cooperation between peoples
* Medal "In Praise of Ossetia" (North Ossetia, 2010)
References
UNESCO participationMoscow news: Zurab Disney Or Walt Tsereteli?Artnet Magazine, July 10, 2006moscow-life.com
External links
*
The official site of ''To the Struggle Against World Terrorism'' monument by Zurab Tsereteliat the New York Public Art Curriculum
Monument to Peter the First from Inside and Above. Pictures
{{DEFAULTSORT:Tsereteli, Zurab
1934 births
Living people
Painters from Georgia (country)
Sculptors from Georgia (country)
Artists from Tbilisi
Soviet painters
Soviet sculptors
20th-century Russian painters
Russian male painters
21st-century Russian painters
Russian male sculptors
Russian contemporary artists
Colossal statues
Members of the Civic Chamber of the Russian Federation
Full Cavaliers of the Order "For Merit to the Fatherland"
Billionaires from Georgia (country)
Heroes of Socialist Labour
Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Recipients of the Order of Friendship of Peoples
People's Artists of Russia
Full Members of the Russian Academy of Arts
Honorary Members of the Russian Academy of Education
People's Artists of the USSR (visual arts)
State Prize of the Russian Federation laureates
Lenin Prize winners
Recipients of the USSR State Prize
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur
Officiers of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
20th-century sculptors
Tbilisi State Academy of Arts alumni
20th-century artists from Georgia (country)
21st-century artists from Georgia (country)
Naturalised citizens of Russia
UNESCO Goodwill Ambassadors
Architects from Tbilisi