Dismantling of the composition “Kremenchuk Yesterday and Today” photo #3327

Date: late 1990s
Place: Kremenchuk, intersection of Lenina Street (now Soborna Street) and Kvartalna Street
Photo posted by Dimon Babets on his Facebook page
Description of the composition in the book “On the Streets of Kremenchuk”:
“In the late 60s, a monumental and decorative work “Kremenchuk Yesterday and Today” appeared, which in a symbolic form told about the transformation of Kremenchuk from a small fortress into a big city. Its composition consisted of two different in size, but equal parts: the lower one, depicting ancient Kremenchuk – a fortress wall, a church, a Dnieper wave washing the fortress, and the upper one, in which on top of complex stainless steel structures there is a schematic image of a person, on the right – a huge wave, symbolizing the transformed Dnipro. At first, all this was illuminated by lights, an interesting play of light and shadow, colored spots appeared.
The work caused contradictory assessments, ambiguous judgments, many Kremenchug residents did not accept it. And then the “fathers of the city”, not finding proper understanding from the residents, decided to turn off the lights and plant trees, which hid the avant-garde work of M. Alekseeva and E. Prokhorov from the eyes of Kremenchug residents who are committed to realism.”