Pyotr Semenov-Tyan-Shansky was a geographer, a traveler, a statesman and a public figure. Throughout his life, he organized and led many expeditions that changed earlier perceptions of Asian culture and way of life. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky completed his life as a world-renowned scientist.
More than ten of his sculptural portraits are known. The earliest of them were created in the early 20th century by sculptors Vladimir Beklemishev, rector of the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, and Vsevolod Lishev, People’s Artist of the USSR, commissioned by the Russian Geographical Society and the Nikolaev Cavalry School. The first of these was created in several copies — in plaster and bronze. Nowadays these works decorate the main staircase and the library of the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg.
The second bust was installed in front of the facade of the Nikolaev School on Lermontovsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, next to the monument to the poet Mikhail Lermontov. But then the work disappeared. It happened in 1920s. Later, in 1987, in its place, on the old pedestal, a new bust by the sculptor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Alexei Timchenko was mounted.
Around the same time, a monument to Semenov-Tyan-Shansky appeared in the Ryazan region, in the scientist’s homeland — at the entrance to the memorial museum. The author of the work was the sculptor, Honored Artist of Russia Antonina Usachenko. She is also the author of the plaster bust, which is located in the permanent exhibition of this museum. Besides, monuments to the traveler were erected in Barnaul — near the Altai State University and in Kyrgyzstan.
In the 21st century there were three more sculptural portraits of the scientist: in the square of the Museum-estate of P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, in the yard of the museum in Ryazan and in the hall of the Lipetsk State Pedagogical University, which was named after the geographer.
In the permanent exhibition of the museum-estate there is a bust, which was made of plaster by Yuri Grishko (1935-2018), Lipetsk sculptor, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation and an honorary citizen of Lipetsk.
More than ten of his sculptural portraits are known. The earliest of them were created in the early 20th century by sculptors Vladimir Beklemishev, rector of the Higher Art School at the Imperial Academy of Arts, and Vsevolod Lishev, People’s Artist of the USSR, commissioned by the Russian Geographical Society and the Nikolaev Cavalry School. The first of these was created in several copies — in plaster and bronze. Nowadays these works decorate the main staircase and the library of the headquarters of the Russian Geographical Society in St. Petersburg.
The second bust was installed in front of the facade of the Nikolaev School on Lermontovsky Prospekt in St. Petersburg, next to the monument to the poet Mikhail Lermontov. But then the work disappeared. It happened in 1920s. Later, in 1987, in its place, on the old pedestal, a new bust by the sculptor, Honored Artist of the RSFSR Alexei Timchenko was mounted.
Around the same time, a monument to Semenov-Tyan-Shansky appeared in the Ryazan region, in the scientist’s homeland — at the entrance to the memorial museum. The author of the work was the sculptor, Honored Artist of Russia Antonina Usachenko. She is also the author of the plaster bust, which is located in the permanent exhibition of this museum. Besides, monuments to the traveler were erected in Barnaul — near the Altai State University and in Kyrgyzstan.
In the 21st century there were three more sculptural portraits of the scientist: in the square of the Museum-estate of P.P. Semenov-Tyan-Shansky, in the yard of the museum in Ryazan and in the hall of the Lipetsk State Pedagogical University, which was named after the geographer.
In the permanent exhibition of the museum-estate there is a bust, which was made of plaster by Yuri Grishko (1935-2018), Lipetsk sculptor, People’s Artist of the Russian Federation and an honorary citizen of Lipetsk.
