Statue of Alexander Pushkin (Washington, D.C.)

Alexander Pushkin is a bronze statue by Alexander Bourganov.[1] It is located at the corner of 22nd Street and H Street, N.W. Washington, D.C., on the campus of George Washington University.[2] It was erected as part of a cultural exchange between the cities of Moscow and Washington; in 2009, a statue of the American poet Walt Whitman was erected in Moscow.[3][4] Pushkin's statue is said to be the first monument commemorating a Russian literary figure in the United States.[2]

Alexander Pushkin
ArtistAlexander Bourganov, Igor Bourganov, Mikhail Posokhin, Michelle Honey
Year2000 (2000)
TypeBronze
LocationWashington, D.C., United States
Coordinates38°53′59.0166″N 77°2′55.4″W / 38.899726833°N 77.048722°W / 38.899726833; -77.048722
OwnerGeorge Washington University

James W. Symington, then the Chairman of the American-Russian Cultural Cooperation Foundation, first proposed that a statue of Alexander Pushkin be erected in Washington.[2][5] Ground was broken on June 6, 1999, the 200th anniversary of Pushkin's birth.[5] The statue was completed over the forthcoming year and dedicated on September 20, 2000, as a gift from the Government of Moscow to the city of Washington.[6][7]

The figure of the author is posed in front of a tall column on which stands the winged horse Pegasus, which represents "poetry and creative inspiration".[3]

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ Bourganov's House Archived 2011-09-11 at the Wayback Machine at the Moscow State Museum.
  2. ^ a b c "Pushkin Statue" at the George Washington University and Foggy Bottom Historical Encyclopedia.
  3. ^ a b "U.S. and Russian Poets of Freedom Hailed in Moscow and Washington" Archived 2011-04-05 at the Wayback Machine. America.gov, 28 September 2009.
  4. ^ "Russian Gays Disappointed in Clinton". Fox News, October 14, 2009.
  5. ^ a b "Pushkin in Place". Around Town, Washington Life, November 1999.
  6. ^ Alexander Pushkin at DC Memorials.
  7. ^ Tori Reimann and Abbey Rathweg (September 21, 2000). University unveils Pushkin sculpture Statue commemorates Russian poet. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)