Grigory and Aksinya (sculpture composition)

Grigory and Aksinya (Григорий и Аксинья) is a sculpture composition of principal characters of the epic novel And Quiet Flows the Don in Vyoshenskaya, Rostov oblast, Russia. It was designed by sculptor N. Mozhaev.

Description
The sculpture composition illustrate one of the elements of the epic novel And Quiet Flows the Don. Monument is located on the left bank of the river Don. The monument is 6.5 m height. Barefoot Aksinya comes towards the khutor with a carrying pole. She is dressed in wide skirt and neck-flap. The sculptor captured the moment when Grigory, during a friendly conversation with his neighbor Aksinya, jokingly blocked off her path. A passage from And Quiet Flows the Don, which was immortalized in bronze: Aksinya gave him a conciliatory smile and left the path, trying to pass the horse. Grigory turned the animal sideways and blocked the way.

"Let me pass, Grisha."

"I won't."

"Don't be fool. I must see to my husband."

Grigiry smilingly teased the horse, and it edged Aksinya towards the bank.

"Let me pass you devil!" There are some people over there. If they see us what will they think?" she muttered.

She swept a frightened glance around and passed by, frowning and without a backward glance.

History
N. Mozhaev created a project of the monument in 1957. E. Mozhaeva, V. Desyatnichuk, V. Voloshin. G Holodnyi worked together on this sculpture composition also. Mikhail Sholokhov was shown a maquette. A writer adjusted some minutiaes. He advised to change conical buckets with a cylindrical one and to change an Arab horse with a Don one. 26 years later, the project was accomplished. The monument was opened opposite the river port of Rostov-on-Don in 1983. In 1995 12-ton sculpture composition was transferred in Vyoshenskaya, where action of the novel takes place.