Sculptpedia Statues, Busts and Sculptures Park sculptures and installations Ancient World & Antiquity Middle Ages & Renaissance Marble & Other Stones Bronze & Other Metals

The Shot in the Back

The Shot in the Back is a monument in Simferopol, Crimea, funded by local residents and the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU). It was created to commemorate Soviet citizens and Red Army soldiers who were killed by members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during and after World War II. The monument stands 3.5 meters high and was installed in Radianska Square. It was unveiled on 14 September 2007. The work was created by sculptor Evgeni Yablonsky and depicts a female figure holding a wounded man, symbolizing those said to have been "shot in the back" by Ukrainian nationalists.

The Shot in the Back monument showing two stone figures on a dark base with Cyrillic text, set among trees and paved paths.
The Shot in the Back monument stands outdoors on a dark base with a wreath at its foot.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Shot in the Back monument showing two figures embracing, one carrying the other on its back, on a dark base outdoors.
The Shot in the Back sculpture stands on a paved area with trees and a building in the background.
July 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Shot in the Back monument showing two embracing figures on a dark base with a wreath, set among trees with a towered building behind it.
The Shot in the Back monument stands partly hidden by trees, with a building and round tower in the background.
© · CC BY 3.0
Stone base of The Shot in the Back monument with a Cyrillic inscription and a partially visible stone sculpture above it.
The Shot in the Back monument’s stone base and Cyrillic inscription, with the sculpture partly visible above.
July 2021 © · CC BY-SA 4.0

Identification

TitleThe Shot in the Back
Original titleПостріл у спину
Original title (other language versions)По́стріл у спи́ну (Ukrainian); Вы́стрел в спи́ну (Russian); Strzał w plecy (Polish)
TypeMonument

Historical context

Year created2007

Creator

ArtistEvgeni Yablonsky

Discovery and provenance

FundingFunded by residents of Crimea and the Communist Party of Ukraine (KPU), with funds collected by the Communist Party as donations
InitiatorsResidents of Crimea, the Republican Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine, and the socio-political organization Rodina
Installation date14 September 2007
Installation locationSovetskaya Square, Simferopol, Crimea

Physical characteristics

Height3.5 metres

Appearance

Depicted figuresA female figure holding a wounded man

Iconography and meaning

Commemorated subjectsSoviet citizens and Red Army soldiers killed by members of the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA) during and after World War II
DedicationVictims of OUN-UPA and Soviet citizens killed by Ukrainian nationalists in Western Ukraine
Symbolic meaningThe female figure and wounded man symbolize Soviet citizens and soldiers who were shot in the back by Ukrainian nationalists

Location and ownership

Current locationSovetskaya Square, Simferopol, Crimea
Nearby monumentInstalled a few meters from the monument to Petro Hryhorenko, a human rights defender who advocated for Crimean Tatars and other deported peoples

Other

Incident claimValeriy Ivanov said five communists dragged Valentina Andriyancheva out of a tent by the hair and threw her to the ground
Sculptor's statementsHe said protesters were 'sick people' and that any sane person understands the monument
Sculptor's statementsHe said he was erecting a monument to the victims, that people should know about it and always remember it, and that he saw nothing prohibited or criminal in it
Sculptor's backgroundOrthodox Christian
Incident claimLeonid Hrach said Ivanov was known to them as a man with an axe and without a tsar in his head
Incident claimThe communists removed a tent, campaign literature, a flag, a table, and a chair, with police support
Inscription on the baseIn memory of the victims of the Soviet people who died at the hands of the fascist accomplices – members of the Organization of Ukrainian Nationalists and Ukrainian Insurgent Army.
ParticipantValentina Andriyancheva, deputy of the Kyiv District Council, pensioner, and disabled person
ParticipantLeonid Hrach, leader of the Crimean Rukh
ParticipantValeriy Ivanov, chief Progressive Socialist of the peninsula and deputy of the Supreme Council of Crimea
Unveiling speechAt the unveiling, the head of the CPU criticized the Yushchenko government's interpretation of the war
Project roleCommunist Party of Ukraine local branches played a leading role in the preparation of the monument and its unveiling ceremony
Unveiling controversyThe unveiling was met with protests by Ukrainian nationalists and a conflict occurred on the day of the opening
CommentaryLeonid Pilunsky called the monument a 100% provocation by the communists and said Crimea has nothing to do with OUN-UPA

History and restoration

ConditionThe base has been repeatedly vandalized