Merkurov S. Lenin's Head.

Merkurov S. Lenin's Head.
1924 Moscow. Gypsum. Circulation-1 copy. Height: 30 cm, width-18 cm, depth - 24 cm.

Unlike the death masks, which number up to 14 copies, the head was not purchased by the Soviet government, and in the 1930s it was presented by Merkurov to his friend, the sculptor Boris Kaplyansky. Item from the family of B. Kaplyansky's heirs. During the influx of tourists from China, the Shalash Museum offered to buy the head for 1 million rubles.

Sergey Dmitrievich Merkurov (1881-1952)was a Soviet and Russian muralist. People's artist of the USSR (1943). Winner of two Stalin prizes of the first degree (1941, 1951).

Author of numerous monuments to I. V. Stalin (including three of the largest on the territory of the USSR-in Yerevan (1950), at the entrance to the Moscow Canal (1937) and at VDNH (1939) and V. I. Lenin. Brought to high art the technique of the death mask.

Kaplyanskii, Boris Evseevich

08.01.1903-21.03.1985, sculptor, one of the co-authors of the memorial on 

Piskarevskoye cemetery . He studied at the real school of K.May in 1917-1918. During the troubled revolutionary times, Boris was unable to continue his studies at K. May's school. In 1918, he entered the Petrograd state free art training workshops (Svomas, former Academy of Arts). On January 31, 1919, he was enrolled in the workshop of Petrov-Vodkin (1878 – 1939), but soon realized that his creative interests lie in another area. Following his vocation, Boris Evseevich moved to the Studio of the sculptor A. T. Matveev (1878-1960) and in 1924. he graduated from the Higher art and technical studios, or VKHUTEMAS in abbreviated form in sculpture class. 

Since 1929, he participated in all-Union, Republican and Leningrad art exhibitions. During the great Patriotic war (1942-1945), he served in the Soviet Army. After the end of the war, he defended his PhD thesis on "Sculptural portrait" (1945) and in 1946 received the title of associate Professor. He taught at art universities in Leningrad for more than fifteen years.

B. E. kaplyansky was a member of the Leningrad organization of the Union of artists of the RSFSR from the day of its Foundation. He was repeatedly elected a member of the Board of Losh, was a member of the Bureau of the sculpture section, participated in the work of exhibition committees and art councils.

In addition to easel sculpture, Boris Evseevich worked extensively in the field of monumental and decorative plastics, participated in the sculptural design of a number of complexes and buildings in Moscow, Leningrad, Dushanbe, Sochi. Of particular importance to the residents of Leningrad - Saint Petersburg was the participation of the sculptor in the creation of reliefs of the memorial at the Piskarevskoye cemetery.

Many of the works of B. E. Kaplyansky are in The state Tretyakov gallery, the State Russian Museum. The state Museum of the history of Leningrad, the State Museum of urban sculpture, and other collections.