18 Facts About Zurab Tsereteli

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli is a Georgian-Russian painter, sculptor and architect known for large-scale and at times controversial monuments.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born in Tbilisi on 4 January 1934.

Zurab Tsereteli was then granted the position of senior master at the industrial combine of the USSR's Arts Foundation in Tbilisi, where he began to experiment with bronze, stone, glass, wood, and mosaics, as well as creating group commissions for public buildings.

Zurab Tsereteli stayed in Paris for three months, during which time visited Pablo Picasso in his studio.

In 1980, Zurab Tsereteli was appointed as the chief designer for the XXII Summer Olympic Games in Moscow.

In 1988, Zurab Tsereteli was elected an Academician of the USSR Academy of Arts and his sculptural composition Break the Wall of Distrust was installed on Canon Street, London.

In 1997, Zurab Tsereteli was elected the President of the Russian Academy of Arts.

Zurab Tsereteli established the Moscow Museum of Modern Art in 1995, and it officially opened its doors in 1999, becoming the first state museum in the country entirely dedicated to modern and contemporary art.

In 1998, Zurab Tsereteli had his first solo exhibition at the New Manege, which was dedicated to the memory of his wife, Inessa.

In 2001, the Gallery of Arts of Zurab Tsereteli was opened in Moscow as part of the museums and exhibitions complex of the Russian Academy of Arts.

In 2006, Zurab Tsereteli unveiled his monument To the Struggle Against World Terrorism, or The Tear of Grief, in Bayonne, NJ.

In 2007, Zurab Tsereteli became the UNESCO Ambassador of Good Will.

In 2014, Zurab Tsereteli received the UNESCO Five Continents Medal for his contribution to world culture, and in 2015 was elected a Member of the Chinese Academy of Fine Arts.

Zurab Tsereteli founded the Museum of Modern Art in Tbilisi, Georgia in 2012.

Zurab Tsereteli continues his service as President of the Russian Academy of Arts, organises regular exhibitions by Georgian and international artists at the Museum of Modern Art in Tbilisi, as well as continuing to produce artwork.

On 6 December 2020, Zurab Tsereteli was honored the highest state order of Serbian for his contribution of the interior decoration of the Church of Saint Sava in Belgrade, for which the Russian Academy has been the main contractor.

Zurab Tsereteli has been heavily criticized throughout the duration of his career, with public opinion heavily shaped by his involvement with the Russian government.

However, the following day, a statement was released to several Georgian news outlets by the artist's aide, Sergi Shagulashvili, denied that Zurab Tsereteli signed the letter and that he "generally does not get involved in politics".