Ivan Turganev in St Petersburg, Russia

myminifactory

Ivan Sergeyevich Turgenev, a Russian novelist, short story writer, and playwright, was born on November 9, 1818. His first major publication, the short story collection "A Sportsman's Sketches," was published in 1852 and marked a milestone for Russian Realism. The novel "Fathers and Sons" is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of 19th-century fiction. The statue of Turgenev was created by sculptors Yan Neiman and Valentin Sveshnikov, who used his death mask to capture the writer's likeness. Turgenev is depicted sitting on a bench, leaning on a staff in a pose reminiscent of Jupiter from classical mythology. Neiman explained that they aimed to portray Turgenev as both an accomplished author and a perpetual wanderer between Russia and France. Turgenev stood at an impressive height, often noted by his contemporaries. Vasily Rozanov, a philosopher, observed that "Turgenev's stature is so great that he appears more solid than a living person." St. Petersburg was the hub for several journals where Turgenev published his work and maintained friendships. It was also the site of his tumultuous 40-year romance with singer Polina Viardo. Although Turgenev passed away in France, he requested to be buried in St. Petersburg. This object is part of "Scan The World," a non-profit initiative by MyMiniFactory that aims to create a digital archive of fully printable sculptures and artworks from around the globe for public access. Scan The World is an open-source community effort; if you have interesting items, email stw@myminifactory.com to contribute. Scanned using photogrammetry (processed with Agisoft PhotoScan).