Monument to Karl Marx

The Monument to Karl Marx on Theatre Square is a monumental gray granite sculpture dedicated to the founder of Marxism. The figure was created by sculptor Lev Kerbel, while the architectural design was the work of Rudolf Begunts, Nikolai Kovalchuk, Vladimir Makarevich, and Viktor Morgulis. The unveiling took place on October 29, 1961.

The idea of memorializing Marx in Moscow arose as early as Lenin's time; he considered such a monument part of his plan for monumental propaganda. The foundation stone was laid on May 1, 1920, the day of the first citywide subbotnik, in the presence of Lenin himself, Lev Kamenev, Mikhail Tomsky, Alexandra Kollontai, and other leaders of the young Soviet government. A commemorative plaque with text about the people's will to erect a monument to the leader of the world proletariat was placed at the base, and a granite foundation stone was installed nearby. The project was entrusted to sculptor Sergei Alyoshin, and in 1926, under the direction of the architect Vesnin brothers, work began on the fence and foundation; a bronze statue was even cast, but installing it was prevented by the Neglinka River flowing beneath the square. For decades only the foundation stone remained standing here.

The idea was revived only under Khrushchev: in 1957 a new all-Union competition was announced, won by a creative team led by Lev Kerbel. The grand opening was timed to coincide with the 22nd Congress of the CPSU — the ceremony was attended by party and state leaders, congress delegates, and guests from foreign communist parties.

The finished monument weighs about 160 tons and is carved from a single block of gray granite quarried at the Kudashevsky quarry near Dnepropetrovsk. The sculptor depicted Marx as an orator at a podium, as if delivering a speech to an audience; beside the figure is placed the famous slogan calling for the unity of proletarians of all countries. On either side of the monument stand two granite pylons bearing carved quotations — the words spoken by Friedrich Engels at Marx's funeral, and Lenin's characterization of Marxist teaching.

For this work Lev Kerbel received the Lenin Prize in 1962, and variations on the image of Marx he created were later installed in other cities, including Yaroslavl and Kaluga. In August 1991 the monument was damaged by vandals; the question of dismantling it was raised at the time, but the idea was abandoned due to the monolith's enormous weight and a lack of funds. In 2007 a proposal circulated in church circles to replace the monument with one to Emperor Nicholas II, but the initiative was never carried out, and the monument to Marx still stands on Theatre Square.