Travellers banned from touching a sculpture for good luck?
Rub the dog’s nose at the metro station “Revolution Square” in Moscow, touch the feet of the Apostle Peter in the Vatican, hug Juliet in Verona, throw a coin at the monument to Peter I in St. Petersburg – there are rituals of luck that are associated with sculptures.
" The muzzle of a bronze border guard dog at the metro station "Revolution Square" has changed beyond recognition. The sculpture is in a deplorable state, but it is a historical monument of the 30s of the XX century, an object of cultural heritage, says Elizaveta Likhacheva, director of the Shchusev Museum of Architecture.
The tradition of touching the statue was student - students of Bauman Moscow State Technical University rubbed the nose of a shepherd dog to pass the exam.
The management of the museum appealed to the administration of the Moscow metro with a request to stop vandalism.
“There is a law for the protection of cultural heritage sites, such as metro stations and sculptures installed in the lobby. We believe that anyone who touches a sculpture should pay a fine. If the guide calls on tourists to rub the statue for good luck, he should understand that he may lose his license, said Likhacheva.
Critics of the initiative point out that sculptures outside the museum space are considered public and cannot be prohibited from touching them.
Representatives of the Association of Guides-Translators of Moscow object that there is no concept of "public sculptures" - there are monuments that need protection from vandalism.
Some countries make copies of popular sculptures or restrict access to them in order to protect monuments from "hand-to-hand" tourists.
Marble statues in Italy are sent from the streets to museums for protection from tourists and natural impacts.
In Paris (Per-Lachaise Cemetery) the tombstone of the writer Oscar Wilde was hidden behind glass to save from kissing.
MPs in the House of Commons have been banned from touching the feet of bronze figures of the kingdom's prime ministers installed in the main lobby. Parliamentarians rubbed on luck the feet of Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill each time before the speech. The figures of famous political figures were hidden behind the fence, and hung a sign “Do not touch with your hands!”
The sculpture of Shakespeare's Juliet (Verona) was replaced by a copy - the heroine's chest was touched often, and she cracked.
In St. Peter’s Cathedral (Vatican), pilgrims are not forbidden to kiss the feet of the statue of the Apostle Peter, despite the fact that they are worn out.
Of course, you can save the sculptures by replacing them with copies, but that is not the solution. People want to see real works of art, Likhacheva said.
Experts believe that it is necessary to change the culture of behavior of citizens, otherwise other valuable monuments will be lost.
In St. Petersburg, the workers of the Peter and Paul Fortress complain that tourists harm bronze Peter I, throwing coins, leaving rusty traces and spoiling the metal.
The national park (Easter Island) also sounded the alarm because of the increased attention of tourists - up to 150,000 visitors a year. Stone moai (Istukans) suffered no more than in all previous centuries.
The points of view of guides and guides, whether to forbid tourists to touch monuments, divided.
" Modern technologies make it possible to develop a special protective composition that could cover the “vulnerable places” of statues. Obviously, it will be cheaper than making copies, says guide Tai Ku.
“In all countries of the world, tourists rub sculptures and enjoy life. And the authorities somehow solve these issues, and we seriously intend to fine, says Inna Plyasova.
Guide Konstantin Mishurovsky suggests solving the problem creatively. For example, in the lobby of Revolution Square, install a bronze copy of a border guard with a dog and an advert: "Wash the dog's nose for luck!" So that tourists do not spoil the originals.
Source: ria