Ernst Neizvestny, Russian-American sculptor, dies at 91

Ernst Neizvestny, a renowned Russian-American artist and sculptor, passed away at the age of 91, according to The Moscow Times. He was born in Sverdlovsk, now known as Yekaterinburg, in the Ural Mountains. At 17, he enlisted in the Red Army in 1942 and participated in the Soviet fight against Germany. Following the war, he pursued classical art studies in Riga and Moscow, earning acclaim as both an illustrator and sculptor. In 1962, during an avant-garde exhibition at Moscow's Manege, he openly criticized Nikita Khrushchev for deeming his work 'degenerate.' Ironically, after Khrushchev's death in 1971, his family commissioned Neizvestny to create his tombstone at Novodevichy Cemetery in Moscow. Neizvestny left the USSR in 1976, citing 'aesthetic differences with the regime,' and relocated to New York, where he taught art and continued his creative endeavors until his passing. His sculptures and monuments can be found in cities around the globe, including Rome, Geneva, Stockholm, New York, Perm, and Moscow. Earlier this year, a retrospective of his work was held at the Moscow Manege and is set to tour Russia.