Gennady Snesarev Fish and Wave

And now something entirely different. You see a sculpture Fish and Wave, a piece of Soviet monumental art of the 1960s-1980s. Its author is Gennady Snesarev, an artist and a sculptor of monuments and a member of the Union of Artists of the USSR. The sculpture was set up in the city’s central walking alley – Pushkinskaya Street – in 1982. Originally, it was part of the children’s playground in the yard. Look at the tail of the golden fish – it is step-shaped, so that it would be comfortable for children to climb. Near the Fish, there was a pool made in the same technique. In the center of the pool, there was a raised starfish. In the late 1990s, the pool was used as a sandpit, and later, after the underground utility systems were repaired, it was covered with earth.

Currently, it is not possible to restore the original appearance of the sculptural composition. In recent years, Fish and Wave have been in a sad state. Vandals painted over the Wave, and the Fish lost half of its face, a considerable part of mosaic fragments was missing. More than likely, the sculpture would be dismantled in a few years. But in 2021, volunteers of the Rostov Tom Sawyer Fest chose it as an object for restoration. The restoration lasted four months. Over that period, more than 200 local residents helped to restore the sculpture. They cleared Fish and Wave of graffiti and mud first, then, under the control of a mosaic professional, they replaced all the missing elements. It was time-consuming, meticulous work, the Vnimanie National Fund for Preservation of Historical Heritage, a local bank Tsentr-Invest and other partners helped the volunteers. After the restoration, thanks to the support of the administration of the Kirovsky District, the space around Fish and Wave was improved, a lawn, a gravel path and a flower-bed were set up.