Shot Putter, Sergey Smirnov (?)

myminifactory

This bronze figurative sculpture portrays a nude athlete propelling a shotput with great force. Surrounded by sculptures at Central House of Architects, such as the comparable work showcasing swimmer Vladimir Salnikov (available for download here), it's reasonable to assume that this piece was created to honor athletes from the 1988 Olympics. The sole Soviet shot putter competing in this year was Sergey Smirnov, who is significantly less documented than Salnikov, but it can be inferred that he is the individual depicted in this artwork. The sculptor probably worked on the piece depicting Vladimir Salnikov as well, although their identity remains unknown. Many thanks to Jerry Fisher for providing this valuable information!