Today, 4 September, in France historic area of Gascony, the homeland of d'Artagnan, will open the monument to the legendary heroes of the novel by Alexander Dumas The Three Musketeers. The author of the sculpture is the President of the Russian Academy of Arts, member of the Academy of Fine Arts of France, holder of the French Legion of Honor, UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador Zurab Zurab Tsereteli . This sculpture Zurab Tsereteli donated to France, on land which has already established a number of his works, among them the monuments of Honore de Balzac in the south to the Cape AGDE, Pope John Paul II in Normandy, etc.

monumental bronze composition "The Musketeers", depicting the Athos, Porthos, Aramis and D'Artagnan, with crossed swords in their hands, was proposed by Senator Emery de Montesquieu, descendent of D'Artagnan, who, in turn, presented it as a gift to the city Kondo. This city for decades is a kind of capital of the Musketeers.

characters of the novel by Alexandre Dumas pere has always been popular in Russia, based on this work was made a feature film, and now they're immortalized in sculpture. Opening will be held during the regular meeting of the Company of Musketeers of Armagnac, during which a symbolic meeting place of modern musketeers with their brave predecessors. Over time, this sculpture is sure to become one of the main attractions of the city. (Her height - 290 cm, diameter - 470 cm, weight - about 5 tons).

The opening ceremony will be attended by the author of the monument Zurab Tsereteli, Mayor Bernard Gallardo representatives of the Mayor, the diplomatic corps, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, captain of the French musketeers Emery de Montesquieu, as well as the well-known Russian actors, became the prototype of some characters of this sculpture.

Source : Press Release PAX