‘This is a triangle of production workers, intelligentsia, and ordinary people’
“The plant has done a lot for me”
Memorial plaques to Igor Kurchatov, Mirsaid Rakhimkulov, and Vladimir Iovlev — three outstanding people who worked at the Kazan Metallurgical Plant — were solemnly opened in Kazan.
The ceremony was attended by the philanthropist who presented this monument to the city — Garafutdin Khisamutdinov, representatives of the district and the city, participants of Unarmia, and the sculptor.
“The plant has done a lot for me. I started working here as a locksmith, then as a foreman, a shop foreman. He graduated from three institutes, was a deputy of the district Council for more than 15 years. Of these, he was the chairman of the deputy group of the Admiralteyskaya Sloboda for more than 10 years," Khisamutdinov stressed in a conversation with the correspondent of Realnoe Vremya.
Even before retirement, the philanthropist opened a museum at the factory, for which he had to study its history and biographies of outstanding workers. Later he read an article in Zvezda Povolzhya by Bulat Sultanbekov, who wrote about the plant based on the data of secret documents.
“I was very interested, I found his daughters, they gave me materials, he himself was no longer alive. I studied the materials. And the idea came to mind to create such monument for the people. I love him very much," Khisamutdinov said.
Igor Kurchatov is a brilliant Soviet nuclear physicist, the founder of the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. Mirsaid Rakhimkulov was one of the most active managers of the Metallurgical Plant. Vladimir Iovlev — participant of the Great Patriotic War, Hero of the Soviet Union.
“Very symbolic”
To create the memorial, Garafutdin Khisamutdinov turned to Kazan architect, teacher of the Feshin Art School, Zulfiya Mukhamedyanova.
“This is a kind of contribution to the culture and history of Kazan. Since I am a teacher, I am interested in this. I am interested in the growing generation being based on historical events," she shared with Realnoe Vremya.
According to her, the memorial is made in the constructivist style typical of the period of the Soviet Union. This helped to convey the era of that time and unite three personalities by meaning.
“In general, it was an interesting task when three portraits need to be combined plastically and by meaning. Here, most likely, there is such constructivism when the plant unites them. With the help of such a constructive composition, I think it turned out to connect three personalities," the architect stressed.
As stated in the city hall and the administration of the Kirovsky and Moscovsky districts, the monument will become an important architectural component of the district and the city.
“It is very symbolic that three outstanding personalities are represented on the board at once. Kurchatov is an academician, a representative of the scientific community. Rakhimkulov is a representative of the production. Iovlev is a representative of the common people, but a people of heroes, winners who allowed our motherland to develop with their lives. This is a triangle of industrial workers, intellectuals, and ordinary people," said Denis Sugonyako, the deputy head of the administration of the Kirovsky and Moscovsky districts.
