Georgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli dies aged 91

He was known for gigantic and often controversial monuments, including some taller than the Statue of Liberty.

British Broadcasting CorporationWatch LiveHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessExecutive LoungeTechnology of BusinessFuture of BusinessInnovationTechnologyScience & HealthArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindCultureFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsArts in MotionTravelDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcastsRadioAudio FAQsVideoLiveLive NewsLive SportHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveWeatherNewslettersGeorgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli dies aged 913 hours agoShareSaveIan AikmanBBC NewsShareSaveReutersTsereteli was known for his larger-than-life sculptures, including this one of Russian President Vladimir PutinGeorgian-Russian artist Zurab Tsereteli, known for his gigantic and often controversial monuments, has died aged 91.

The Tbilisi-born sculptor, painter and architect divided opinion with a series of large-scale projects in Moscow, including a massive 98m (321ft) monument to Tsar Peter the Great, who famously detested the city.

Rising to fame during the Soviet era, Tsereteli led the team of designers for Moscow's 1980 Olympic Games, and later built large sculptures in cities across the world.

He was also known for his closeness to the Russian political elite, once saying that Vladimir Putin's "healthy soul" had inspired him to make a bronze study of the Russian president.

Tsereteli was a close friend of Moscow's mayor Yuri Luzhkov, and his position as part of the Soviet Union's upper crust allowed him to travel outside of the country, where he met Pablo Picasso in Paris.

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20xde4e29go

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