The monument to the janitor was erected in Vladimir in June 2004.
The monument is an image of a janitor leaning on a broom, wearing a
cap and with a sad look. The height of the monument is about 2
meters, it is cast in bronze. This is how the monument to the
representative of one of the most democratic and necessary
professions looks like. The figure of a bronze janitor adorns the
quiet street of Belokonskaya, located in a public garden next to the
city Department of Housing and Communal Services. Watchmen keep an
eye on the first bronze janitor in Russia so that, as usual, it is
not stolen or broken.
The monument was unveiled as part of
the sectoral interregional forum of housing and communal services of
Russia, organized by the regional administration and Russian utility
systems. As conceived by the authors, the monument should remind
citizens of the need to maintain order and cleanliness in the city.
Nikolai Vinogradov, the governor of the region, noted
that it was very good that such a monument appeared precisely on
Vladimir land, which witnessed the royal order of Emperor Nikolai
Mikhailovich, which said: "Each yard - a janitor."
Sculptors
Alexander Pakhomov and Vladimir Toropov worked on the monument.
According to Alexander Pakhomov, the sculpture of a janitor is not a
specific person, but a collective image inspired by the works of
Dostoevsky, Gilyarovsky, Gogol. A sort of philosopher from the street.
The artist worked on this project with great pleasure. Vladimir Toropov,
who was involved in the development of the improvement of the public
garden, noted that this janitor is a modest provincial peasant, a
certain Gerasim, he was deliberately placed on this street, where many
students pass every day. According to the sculptor, this janitor should
always be in society and remind people to clean up after themselves.
Today, the janitor on Belokonskaya Street has long settled down here
and has become a familiar element of the street ensemble.
The
sculpture was presented to Vladimir by the Russian utility systems. It
is made of special bronze, which is not accepted in the purchase of
non-ferrous metals. The weight of the monument is about 270 kg. Many
townspeople doubted that the bronze monument would remain intact for a
long time. And they were right. The monument is regularly attacked by
local hooligans. On the very first night after the installation of the
monument, the vandals smashed the benches, which were temporarily
installed during the opening of the monument, to pieces. At night, the
ceiling of one of the lanterns was broken. And even the watchman did not
save the janitor.
It was immediately decided to abandon the
benches, and after a while the lanterns were dismantled, since they had
to be restored every day. The issue of installing a fence around the
monument is currently being discussed. But, most likely, a decorative
fence will be made near the monument.
This Vladimir Janitor gave
rise to a new tradition - to reward the best Russian public utilities
with the Golden Janitor statuette, which is a smaller copy of the
monument in Vladimir.