Russian-Georgian sculptor Tsereteli, known for monumental projects, dies at 91
Rising to prominence in the Soviet Union in the 1960s and 1970s, Tsereteli became known for his monumental projects, and later for his closeness to parts of the Russian political elite.
In 2004, he told Reuters that Vladimir Putin's "healthy soul" had inspired him to do a bronze study of the Russian president.
A friendship with former Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov saw him commissioned to produce an enormous monument to Tsar Peter the Great that stands in central Moscow. He also took a key role in the reconstruction of the city's Cathedral of Christ the Saviour, which had been destroyed under Stalin in 1931.
In a post on the Telegram messenger app, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called Tsereteli "an artist of world renown, a public figure who knew no boundaries or obstacles in strengthening peace and supporting creativity".
Other Tsereteli works include monuments to the discovery of the Americas in Seville, Spain, and in Puerto Rico, and the enormous Chronicle of Georgia monument in his hometown of Tbilisi.
One of his sculptures, the ten-storey Tear of Grief, was presented to the U.S. by the Russian government as a memorial to the victims of the September 11, 2001 attacks. It stands in New Jersey.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
an hour ago
- Daily Record
NATO war planes scrambled for second day after latest Russian attack on Ukraine
The attack on oil and port facilities in Izmail, Odesa, was less than one mile from NATO territory. NATO was forced to scramble war planes overnight for the second day in a row as Russia unleashed another wave of devastating strikes on Ukraine, leaving a city in flames and buildings blown to pieces. The attack on oil and port facilities in Izmail, Odesa - less than one mile from NATO territory - has cast major doubt on Vladimir Putin's commitment to peace even as the White House seeks to broker an urgent meeting between the Russian dictator and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky, reports the Mirror. The horror strikes hit facilities close to the River Danube, which is the Ukrainian border with allied state Romania. A statement from the Romanian air force said: "Two Typhoon aircraft belonging to the German Air Force [...] were scrambled to monitor the air situation in the border area with Ukraine, in the north of Tulcea County. "The [Romanian] Ministry of National Defence's air surveillance system identified groups of drones launched by the Russian Federation, which attacked Ukrainian ports on the Danube. During the mission, no airborne vehicles were recorded entering national airspace." It is the second time in three days that allied planes have been scrambled in precautionary moves due to the intensity of Russian strikes. The war planes later returned to base. "Close cooperation with allies in enhanced air policing missions strengthens Romania's defence capability and contributes to the deterrence and defence posture on NATO's eastern flank," the statement said. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. The attacks came despite Donald Trump's claims that Putin had agreed to peace talks with Volodymyr Zelensky. The US President said he was arranging to get Zelensky and Putin in the same room within two weeks for talks aimed at ending the war. Tump announced the move on Truth Social, saying: "At the conclusion of the meetings, I called President Putin, and began the arrangements for a meeting, at a location to be determined, between President Putin and President Zelensky. After that meeting takes place, we will have a Trilat, which would be the two Presidents, plus myself." There were immediate doubts over Putin's sincerity due to both his overnight strikes on Ukraine, and his aide Yury Ushakov failing to specify that the Kremlin leader would personally take part in talks with Zelensky. On Tuesday, Russian attacks on Ukraine saw Tu-95MS strategic bombers unleashing cruise missiles as they flew over the Caspian Sea.
Scottish Sun
an hour ago
- Scottish Sun
Brazen Russian soldiers who flew American flag into battle ‘are KILLED on frontline by Ukrainians' after sick taunt
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) WARPED Russian soldiers who flew the American flag into battle as a sick taunt have been killed in action, according to reports. An armoured vehicle was filmed this week adorned with the flags of both Russia and the United States in the wake of Donald Trump's summit with Vladimir Putin. 8 Swaggering Putin troops flying the US and Russian flags Credit: East2West 8 Swaggering Putin troops flying the US and Russian flags 8 A firefighter works at the site of a fuel storage facility hit by a Russian drone strike Credit: Reuters 8 The mocking stunt appeared to suggest that the US is now helping Russia in its brutal invasion and occupation of swathes of Ukraine. But the twisted Russian troops weren't laughing for long. Military analysts have reported that the vehicle's crew have been killed in battle since it was filmed heading towards Zaporizhzhia. Blogger MilitaryNewsUA posted on X: "Russian channels write that the Russian crew of the Gaz-71, which had American and Russian flags installed on it, died during the assault on Ukrainian positions." It comes as Russia continues to sustain heavy casualties in its attempts to push further into Ukrainian territory. Russia's total casualties - meaning troops killed or wounded - in Ukraine exceeded one million back in June. The head of the Centre for the Study of the Occupation, Petr Andryushchenko, previously said: "The Russians have already declared the United States an ally and are storming Mala Tokmachka in M113 armoured personnel carriers….with Russian and American flags. "This is the logical conclusion to all of Trump's absurdity. "And all of this is on the official propaganda channel of Russia Today. There are no words." Vladimir Putin came out of the diplomatic deep freeze last Friday when he met with Donald Trump in Alaska for a peace summit. Ukrainian raid behind enemy lines kills 330 Russian troops While no ceasefire deal emerged following the meeting, Russia has spun the summit as a diplomatic win for the Kremlin after years of increased isolation. Trump told reporters: "There were many, many points that we agreed on, most of them, I would say. "A couple of big ones that we haven't quite gotten there, but we've made some headway." Fears have since grown in Western capitals that Trump may try to force Ukraine into surrendering further territory to Moscow in exchange for peace. Putin has signalled that he wants to take control of the whole Donbas region as a pre-condition for an end to the war. Russian forces occupy large swathes of the two provinces that make up this region - Donetsk and Luhansk. 8 8 Ukrainian firefighters search for survivors after a Russian air strike on a residential building Credit: Getty But Ukraine still controls the strategically critical "fortress belt" in Donetsk, that analysts fear could be used by Moscow as a launchpad for future invasions. It prompted European leaders to fly to Washington and accompany Volodymyr Zelensky for crunch peace talks with Trump on Monday. The Ukrainian war leader sought to shore up American and European security guarantees for his country in the event of a halt to the fighting. Donald Trump has ruled out putting US boots on the ground - and has dashed Ukrainian hopes of joining Nato. He said instead: "We've got the European nations, and they'll front-load it. "When it comes to security, the Europeans are willing to put people on the ground." The White House is now pushing for a trilateral meeting with Trump, Putin and Zelensky to further peace discussions. Will there be a summit with Putin? VLADIMIR Putin has failed to publicly commit to a sit down with Volodymyr Zelensky off back of duelling summits with Donald Trump. It came after a love-in at the White House yesterday which saw Zelensky and Trump smooth over their differences and appear to pave the way for peace. The Ukrainian leader said he was "ready" to speak to Putin in-person under any circumstances. And any face-to-face showdown - which would be their first since the start of the war in February 2022 - could be followed by a trilateral summit with Donald Trump. So far however the Kremlin have remained coy on any details, despite Vlad reportedly telling Trump he was interested in talks. Moscow have remained publicly silent - and there have been no details released about when, or where, such a historic summit could occur. Efforts have previously been made to bring Zelensky and Putin together - with the Ukrainian leader even challenging Vlad to meet in Istanbul back in May. Silence from the Russian side raises fears that once again the tyrant could torpedo any attempt for talks at the highest level. 8 European leaders dashed to Washington in support of Zelensky this week Credit: AFP
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Indo-Pacific tensions impact European interests, German minister warns
BERLIN, Aug 20 (Reuters) - China's assertiveness in the South China Sea and tensions in the Taiwan Strait pose threats to international security that also impact Europe, German foreign minister Johann Wadephul said during a visit to Indonesia on Wednesday. "China's growing military assertiveness in the South China Sea not only threatens Asia's security, but also undermines the international rules-based order as a whole," Wadephul said in a speech at a foreign policy event, adding that essential trade routes were also at risk as a result. On the Taiwan Strait, the minister said: "Any escalation would have serious consequences for global security and prosperity – and directly affect German and European interests, too."
