Bulat Okudzhava Monument, Bronze monument on Old Arbat Street, Moscow, Russia.
The Bulat Okudzhava Monument is a bronze sculpture standing at the corner of Arbat Street and Plotnikov Lane in central Moscow. The life-size figure shows the poet and singer-songwriter mid-stride between two arches, with a rolled paper tucked under one arm and his hands in his pockets.
The sculpture was created by Georgy Frangulyan and unveiled in May 2002, around five years after the artist died in 1997. The unveiling took place on what would have been his birthday, which gave extra meaning to the choice of this spot in his home neighborhood.
Bulat Okudzhava is closely tied to the Arbat neighborhood, where he spent much of his life and which he described in many of his songs. Visitors often stop to sit on the bench beside the figure, as if sharing a moment with him on his familiar street.
The monument stands directly on Arbat Street and is easy to reach on foot from Smolenskaya metro station nearby. It is outdoors and open at all hours, so a short stop fits naturally into any walk along this central street.
The sculpture includes a cast bronze shadow on the ground beside the figure, giving the impression that real light is falling on him. A bronze bench is also part of the composition, making the whole piece feel like a frozen moment in an evening walk rather than a formal tribute.
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