Soviet St Nina statue still stands in Tblisi

[Barbara]

Dreadful "statue" of St Nina, Enlightener of Georgia, outside historic Sioni Cathedral in the Georgian capital Tblisi.

It was done a Soviet "artist", Zurab Tsereteli, then President of the Russian Academy of Arts, and given the ridiculous title of "People’s Artist of the USSR".

The monstrosity towers at 62 feet in height. It's not subtle !

Can't they dismantle it and ship it to a deserted island ?!

[Suaidan]

Not this guy again

[Barbara]

Funny !

I can't believe that i never knew about this statue all this time. I had assumed when I saw the picture that it was a new addition to the Cathedral there, but it's clearly been in its unattractive place now for decades.

I've never noticed anyone remark on it even in a general travel guide. Not that I've read all of them. For years, there was almost nothing available on travel to Georgia.

[SavaBeljovic]

I could imagine the Soviets kept the memory of St. Nina around as they consider her to be a "feminist icon".

[Barbara]

Could that be why, then ? I never thought of that explanation.

Or maybe they thought of St Nina as a centerpiece of Georgian identity, thus preserving the folkloric favorite of "the people" [despite being outdated and reactionary] with a monument ?

Looking at the ugly statue, which would fit in some Vatican II Catholic churches today, I was amazed that the Cross made it in there at all !

But i guess since it's the unique St Nina Cross, it's an integral part of the "quaint story of her life", according to Soviet perspectives.