Nazım Hikmet's Black Granite Tombstone in the Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow, Russia
Nikolai Silis (Nikolay) was a Russian painter and sculptor who made the black granite tombstone of Nazım Hikmet in the Novodevichy Cemetery, Moscow, Russia. Nazım Hikmet went to Moscow in 1921, was there during the revolution and also participated in art works. In 1955, with the support of Nazım Hikmet, Silis and Vladimir Lemport opened an exhibition at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Moscow State University. “It was not easy for us young sculptors to open an exhibition at that time. When Nazım learned about this, he arranged for us to hold the exhibition within the scope of a meeting with students at the university,” says Silis. Nazım Hikmet, who frequently visited the workshop of Silis and his friends in Moscow, became interested in the sculptor’s art. In an interview... Silis says: "Nazım was first and foremost a human being, he was our loyal friend, he took great care of us" and continues: "In 1955, with Nazım's support, Vladimir Lemport and I managed to exhibit our own works at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Moscow State University. At that time, we young sculptors were not given the chance to open exhibitions. When Nazım learned about this, he promised to organize our exhibition within the framework of a meeting with students at the university to help us. The poet kept his word. Many students attended the opening of the exhibition, it was very crowded. The students asked Nazım questions, and Nazım answered enthusiastically, and also explained the art of architecture. The poet understood our art as well. We were very surprised by this" When Nazım Hikmet died on June 3, 1963, his wife Vera Tulyakova asked Silis to build a monumental tomb. Nikolay Silis and Vladimir Lemport accepted with enthusiasm. "Nazım was first and foremost a human being, a loyal friend." der Silis and Nazım Hikmet supported them, expressed their respect and love for him, and says: "We were very saddened to hear that Nazım passed away. His wife Vera Tulyakova asked us to build the poet's monumental grave. Lemport and I did this with love and respect. Nazım was a human being above all else, a loyal friend. Nazım supported our early works, he helped organize our exhibitions. He kept his promise and did not leave us alone during that period. He always looked after us." Inspired by the poem The Man Who Walked Against the Wind, the relief made on black granite also has Nazım Hikmet's name and signature, and on the edge of the granite there is the poet's name in Cyrillic script, along with his year of birth and death. Compilation: Reha Ersavcı
