Monument of Prince Michael Tversky or Michael of Tver is dedicated to one of the most famous leaders of Tver. The equestrian statue of the medieval prince was designed by sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk. Monument of Prince Michael Tversky was opened on May 23, 2008. It was part of the celebration in honor of Russian day of Slavic Writing and Culture (celebrated on May 24). Prince Michael Tversky is notable Russiian leader who lived in late 13th and early 14th century. He was nephew of Alexander Nevsky and just like his famous uncle Prince Michael earned significant military victories. The most famous occurred in December 1317. Russian troops under his command faced Tartar army at the Battle of Bortenevo in Staritskiy district of Tver Oblast. Mongol cavalry was defeated by Russians or the first time. However khan Uzbek ordered a new military expedition deep inside Russian territory to massacre Tver and its people along with their leader. Prince Michael became aware of this. His army was depleted and he couldn't mount a serious response to the whole Mongol army. Instead of fleeing West or sacrificing his troops, he decided to sacrifice himself for the good of his people. He travelled unarmed to North Caucasus mountains to met Khan Uzbek. There Prince Michael of Tver was tortured and finally killed. Coffin with the body of murdered monarch was transferred back to his native city where he was buried in the Holy Transfiguration Cathedral on the banks of Volga river. This church was blown up in 1937 as part of atheistic campaign against religion. A century later Prince Michael was canonized as a Saint by Russian Orthodox Church.
Description
The monument to Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tverskoy
(1271-1318), the Grand Duke of Tver, was opened in the center of
Tver, on Sovetskaya (former Post) Square, in May 2008. The opening
ceremony was timed to coincide with the celebrations dedicated to
the Days of Slavic Written Language and Culture. The author of the
composition is People's Artist of Russia A.N. Kovalchuk.
The
monument is made in bronze and installed on a pedestal of light gray
granite. The composition represents the image of the Grand Duke on
horseback. The height of the monument is 8.5 m, on the pedestal
there is a belt in the form of an Orthodox Slavic ornament and a
bronze shield as a symbol of the protection of Tver and the entire
Russian land.
The interpretation of the image of the prince
by the author of the composition is intended to personify the
greatness of the spirit, to express the calmness and confidence of a
statesman. According to A.N. Kovalchuk, the gesture of the hand of
the prince - the heavenly protector of Tver - can be perceived
simultaneously as a farewell, and as a greeting, and as a blessing.
The son of the Grand Duke of Tver Yaroslav Yaroslavovich and
Princess Xenia, Mikhail Yaroslavich of Tverskoy was born in 1271. In
1285, during his reign in the Tver Kremlin, a stone church in honor
of the Savior of the Transfiguration was laid and consecrated in
1290 on the site of the wooden church of Cosmas and Damian.
After the death of the Grand Duke of Vladimir Andrei Alexandrovich,
Mikhail Yaroslavich, by right of being the eldest in the family,
received a label in the Horde for the Grand Ducal throne, but his
nephew, Prince Yuri Danilovich of Moscow, did not obey him, himself
coveting the grand ducal power. Having become the Grand Duke, Yuri
began a war with Tver. December 22, 1317 (old style) Mikhail
Tverskoy defeated the Moscow army in the Bortenevo area. Yuri of
Moscow accused him before the khan of the death of his wife (sister
of the khan) and withholding the tribute. In the Horde, Prince
Mikhail Yaroslavich was brought to trial and executed on December 5,
1318, without betraying the Orthodox faith.
The body of the
prince of Tver was transported to Moscow and buried in the Church of
the Savior on Bor in the Kremlin. A year later, at the request of
his wife, Princess Anna, and at the request of the Tverites, the
relics of Mikhail Tverskoy were transferred to Tver and placed in
the Church of the Transfiguration of the Savior.
The local
celebration of the holy noble prince began soon after the transfer
of his relics to Tver, and at the Council of 1549, a church-wide
glorification of him as an Orthodox saint took place. On November
24, 1632, the incorruptible relics of St. Michael of Tver were
found.
In 1935, the Transfiguration Cathedral was blown up by
the Bolsheviks. Now, archaeological excavations have begun at the
place where he stood on the Cathedral Square of Tver. The
restoration of the main Tver cathedral is planned. The relics of St.
Michael of Tverskoy are considered lost.
There were many
heated disputes around the plot with the project and installation of
the monument in 2007-2008. The strong-willed decision of the
administration of the Tver region put an end to them. Nevertheless,
according to many historians and local historians, the monument to
Mikhail Yaroslavich Tverskoy was unsuccessful. Among the flaws are
an incomprehensible gesture of the prince, Monomakh's hat (in
reality, it was made much later than the death of the Tver prince),
a cloak with Bourbon lilies, an erroneous inscription on the
pedestal - "Mikhail Yaroslavovich", made in the editorial office of
the deputy governor O.I. Pishchulina.
They say that
Archbishop of Tver and Kashinsky Viktor protested for a long time
against this interpretation of the image, saying: "I will not bless
a saint on a mare," but he was forced to accept
However, the
residents of Tver quickly got used to the monument and generally
treat it well, without going into historical and architectural
details. Until mid-2011, the monument framed by the square was
considered a new hallmark of the city and was replicated on souvenir
products. Now, among professional art critics, architects and
historians, voices of those wishing to return Sovetskaya Square to
its appearance until 2008 are heard louder and louder, which
supposedly will allow the historic center of Tver to be included in
the list of UNESCO sites. The regional branch of the All-Russian
Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments
firmly declares the need to transfer the monument to the territory
of the former Tver Kremlin, where the prince's residence was.