Monument to the birth of a new person. Infamous monuments of Zurab Tsereteli. Riddles from Tsereteli

Money for a block

How Zurab Tsereteli became a rich artist

“Zurabka” money, Moscow casinos, carriages with copper and an amusement park in which only one person was thoroughly entertained. The magazine “Money” looked into how the sculptor Zurab Tsereteli manages to give cities monuments that contain only bronze worth several hundred million rubles.

Residents of St. Petersburg are collecting signatures for a petition against the installation of a monument to Christ in the city Tsereteli. The statue was cast by the sculptor in 2013, has a height of 33 meters - the number of years Christ lived - and was initially intended as a gift to the city of Sochi, but there was no place for it there. Now Tsereteli claims that he sculpted the statue specifically to give it to St. Petersburg, and not just one, but as part of a composition of 17 works, of which 14 are eight-meter monuments to members of the Romanov royal family.

Not only the secular community, but also representatives of the House of Romanov and even the Russian Orthodox Church spoke out against Christ, which is larger than even the monument in Rio de Janeiro (it is without a pedestal - only 30 meters). The latter reported that in Christianity there is no practice of worshiping monuments.

Dengi magazine, for its part, does not undertake to discuss ethical or artistic aspects, but is impressed by the cost of the gift. The sculptors we interviewed calculated that, according to the most conservative estimates, without logistics, installation and pedestals, the cost of 17 sculptures is 320 million rubles. Generous, considering that just a month earlier, another gift from Tsereteli to the people was installed - a 92-meter monument to Columbus in Puerto Rico. Also, probably millions 150 spent. However, the biography of the most successful Russian sculptor proves that it is impossible to become poor by giving out such gifts.

The prospect of being a poor artist never captivated Zurab Tsereteli.

Like Titian

Many years ago, answering a journalist’s question, Zurab Tsereteli said that he never wanted to be a poor artist, but wanted to be, for example, like Titian, who “was adored by the entire Venetian Senate, all of Venice, all foreign emperors.”

As you know, Titian was indecently rich, organized luxurious balls in his palazzo, and spiteful critics who did not attend these balls wrote about him as “the most greedy of people ever created by nature.”

Zurab Tsereteli, whose newspaper The Georgian Times included in the top ten in 2007 richest Georgians in the world with condition assessment $2 billion., in fact, succeeded more than Titian: he practically does not even have ill-wishers. Thanks to his charm and ability to negotiate, he survived several generations of power as a “court” sculptor and did not lose his power.

Zurab Tsereteli received the title of “Georgian millionaire” already in the 70s, and there is a charming legend that the 50-ruble bill at that time in Georgia was called "zurabka", because the young sculptor did not accept less than money. Fortune came to him simply: having early headed the monumental section of the Union of Artists of Georgia, Zurab Konstantinovich gained access to orders for the design of the main party health resorts. His sculptures, as well as mosaic and decorative panels, decorated Gagra, Sukhumi, Borjomi, Adler, Sochi, Miskhor and Pitsunda.

The first scandal in his biography occurred in Pitsunda. There were rumors that the OBKhSS Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Georgian SSR had claims against the sculptor: allegedly the estimate of the work was unreasonably inflated. But the bamboo curtains let Tsereteli down: according to the documents, they were designed as unique works of art.

But everything worked out: Tsereteli had high-profile patrons quite early on, among whom was the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Georgian SSR, Eduard Shevardnadze, and Mikhail Posokhin, chief architect of Moscow.

Friendship with the latter, by the way, grew into kinship: Tsereteli’s daughter married Posokhin’s son, also not the last person in the architectural environment of Moscow. Since 1993, he has headed Mosproekt-2, which, with the light hand of architectural critic Grigory Revzin, was nicknamed "court workshop" Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov. In the “Luzhkov era,” of course, the transformation of a millionaire into a billionaire began.

The fact that Tsereteli was involved in two Moscow casinos in the early 90s became known only recently.

Casino and copper

In mid-July this year, a thief in law was arrested in Moscow Shakro Molodoy(Zakharia Kalashova), and as a result, many stories came to light. One of them concerns Tsereteli. As it turned out, already in the mid-90s, he, together with an American of Georgian origin, Alex Crane, and a former employee of the USSR Ministry of Defense, Karlen Azizbekyan, were co-owners of two Moscow casinos - Crystal and Golden Palace. It is assumed that in 2000, Shakro’s gang took away both casinos from entrepreneurs, and Tsereteli’s lawyer Vladimir Dukhnov and Alex Crane were killed.

Another “dashing” episode attributed to Tsereteli dates back to the early 90s. We are talking about a sculpture of Columbus - most likely, about the same Columbus who has just happily taken root in Puerto Rico. In 1992, he was just beginning his difficult journey: Russia wanted to give him to the United States. In this regard, Luzhkov asked Boris Yeltsin to exempt materials for the composition from customs duties. Columbus was supposed to be sculpted from bronze.

But customs workers, who opened the cars coming from the Uralelectromed plant near Yekaterinburg, found there 85 thousand tons of copper, which accounted for 10% of Russia's annual copper exports. A criminal case was opened into the matter of smuggling, but the investigation did not discover Tsereteli’s selfish interest.

In two years "the case of the Russian statue" was already discussed in Spain: the Moscow City Hall presented the figure of Goliath by Tsereteli as a gift to the Spanish city of Marbella. Some time later, a member of the opposition Spanish Socialist Workers' Party Isabel Garcia Marquez stated that in fact it was not a gift at all. The mayor of Marbella, Jesús Gil, was accused of paying for the statue from a budget of about $1 million., but not directly. Luzhkov and Tsereteli allegedly received payment in land plots, which the sculptor later exchanged for apartments in the Los Granados cottage community.

However, the Spanish newspaper El Mundo again asserted that the statue was only tip of the iceberg, but in fact it was a screen, under the cover of which copper and bronze were smuggled out of Russia. Spanish law enforcement authorities opened a criminal case on these charges; it was not the only one against the mayor of Marbella - in total he was accused in 70 criminal cases. A few years later, the “case of the Russian statue” was dropped: the materials on Gil’s cases were stolen, and the Spanish employee, who was accused of stealing the materials, died under mysterious circumstances.

Getting into Luzhkov’s “court sculptors” was undoubtedly Tsereteli’s great creative success. The sculptor had not just friendship with Yuri Mikhailovich, but also (as with the Soviet patron Posokhin) almost kinship: Tsereteli is the godfather of his daughter Olga, born in 1994. The sculptor personally sculpted Luzhkov twice: once in the image of a janitor (according to Tsereteli, this is very symbolic, since the work of a janitor is similar to the work of a mayor), the second time in the image of an athlete who simultaneously plays football and tennis. Both sculptures are in the Tsereteli Gallery on Prechistenka.

Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. Installed in 1995. Height 141.8 meters (1 decimeter for each day of the war)

Orders in Moscow- one larger than the other - fell on the sculptor as if from a cornucopia. Tsereteli supervised the creation of a memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill, participated in the reconstruction of the Moscow Zoo, but most of all, of course, Muscovites will remember three things - the reconstruction of Manezhnaya Square, the construction of a monument to Peter I and the project to recreate the Cathedral of Christ the Savior.

Unlike its predecessors (Columbus in America and Goliath in Marbella), the monument to Peter I was not a gift to Moscow; it was made by order of the Moscow government. It doesn’t matter that the townspeople pushed away the gift with all their might. It was paid from the budget 100 billion. non-denominated rubles ( $16.5 million.) for the creation and installation of the monument.

Regarding the fees requested by Tsereteli for the work of the craftsmen on the decoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the first cat ran between him and the mayor. Having heard the amount requested for the work (to begin with, Tsereteli demanded $1.2 billion.), Luzhkov expressed his readiness to quit his job for that kind of money and personally climb the scaffolding with a brush.

Also noteworthy is the story of how, through the efforts of Tsereteli, they tried to decorate the temple with synthetic materials. Luzhkov assured that no money would be spared on marble for the sculptures, but Tsereteli began to promote the idea of ​​using the decorative material, which other experts stubbornly called plastic.

Monument to PeterI on an artificial island on the Moscow River. Installed in 1997 to celebrate the 850th anniversary of the city. Height – 98 meters

In the case of KhHS, we managed to fight off plastic: mainly bronze was used in the design, but this idea was successfully implemented on a large scale in the next project - a shopping complex "Okhotny Ryad". Actually, the architect initially won the competition for the reconstruction of Manezhnaya Square Boris Ulkin, which proposed creating an entire underground city on the square with a museum, theater, cinema and children's play center. But then Ulkin somehow disappeared from the project, and Mosproekt-2, headed by his son-in-law, took over it Tsereteli.

As a result, cultural institutions also disappeared from the project, leaving only one shopping complex. In terms of construction costs, it became one of the most expensive in the world - a square meter cost $5 thousand., which cannot be said about its decoration: the historical decor of Okhotny Ryad was made of plastic.

After the ball

Relations between Luzhkov and Tsereteli began to deteriorate even before the mayor’s resignation. In 2007, the Moscow government took away 330 hectares of land in Nizhnye Mnevniki from the Children's Miracle Park Foundation, established by Tsereteli. The site was allocated to the foundation in 1994 for indefinite use for the construction of a “Russian Disneyland”, but for 13 years neither the park nor investors appeared in the project. But, as the deputy head of Rosprirodnadzor Oleg Mitvol said in 2007, a gas station, an Ermak restaurant, and a bike club were built on the site Sexton, cement plant and market. At the same time, the fund, leasing plots to third-party companies, enjoyed land tax benefits. Tax officials demanded additional payment from him 800 million rubles. tax, but the fund managed to challenge this in court.

Monument "The Birth of a New Man" in Seville. Installed in 1995. Height 45 meters

As the Kommersant newspaper wrote, Tsereteli was going to build a shopping complex in Nizhny Mnevniki. The sculptor intended to involve the largest Moscow developers in the project - God Nisanov and Zarakh Iliev, who own, in particular, the European shopping center and the Ukraine hotel. Tsereteli was associated with businessmen during the construction of the “European”: the sculptor was a co-founder of the Kyiv Ploshchad CJSC (12% share), which was the customer and investor in the construction of the shopping complex.

To develop Mnevniki, City of Miracles LLC was created in 2005: according to SPARK, the Children's Miracle Park Foundation was its co-owner, and God Nisanov was its general director.

The partners did not have time to implement their plans, and soon the Moscow era of Tsereteli ended completely: in 2010, Luzhkov was removed with the wording “due to loss of trust.” Tsereteli, unlike his patron, did not lose either his trust or his fortune.

He remains the owner of several buildings in Moscow. So, the sculptor occupies several buildings on Bolshaya Gruzinskaya. The house at number 15 was given to him back in the 90s for housing and a workshop. The neighboring buildings (numbered 1 and 3), which are listed as the Museum of Modern Art, created “under Tsereteli” under Luzhkov, are also owned by the sculptor. He also owns three other museum buildings - on Petrovka, Ermolaevsky Lane and Tverskoy Boulevard.

Monument "Tear of Sorrow" in the city of Bayonne in the USA. Installed in 2006 in memory of the victims of September 11. Height 30 meters

Social movement "Arkhnadzor" several years ago, Tsereteli found a mansion on Volkov Lane - restoration was being carried out illegally in the historical building. However, according to Arkhnadzor, today it is almost completed.

The sculptor was also found to have buildings in Tovarishchesky Lane and on Bryanskaya Street - the city authorities sued Tsereteli due to the fact that in the first case he illegally carried out reconstruction, and in the second he illegally built a jewelry store, pharmacy and cafe, although the site was only provided for rent.

The capital authorities filed a lawsuit against Zurab Tsereteli

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From travels around Georgia, Tbilisi Academy of Arts, years of work at the Georgian Academy of Sciences. It’s a long way from Zurab Tsulukidze from Tbilisi to Muscovite Zurab Tsereteli. With unique experience: for example, in Paris, where, during a course on the development of artistic imagination, the young master had the opportunity to communicate with Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall. Chief artist of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Moscow Olympics. UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador and President of the Russian Academy of Arts. The main artist of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, who at the head of the artel painted the dome of the cathedral... Zurab Tsereteli created more than five thousand paintings and monumental works that were sold all over the world. Natalya Letnikova - about five monuments of the sculptor, about which there were no heated debates.

Zurab Tsereteli. Photo: Artem Geodakyan / TASS

“That’s my opinion! Whoever has been to Italy, say “forgive” to other lands” - Gogol’s words about the sunny country. "Signor Nicolo" wrote "Dead Souls" in the eternal city. And for ten years now, in the Roman park of Villa Borghese there has been a three-meter monument to the writer by Zurab Tsereteli.

This is a gift from the sculptor to the Italian capital on the 150th anniversary of the death of the Russian writer. Gogol in bronze sits thoughtfully on a bench with a cheerful mask in his hands and sadly looks at those around him. “I can only write about Russia in Rome, only in this way will it all appear before me, in all its enormity,” is carved on the pedestal.

Monument from the gallery of sculptures of outstanding women. The monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya in Ruza, near Moscow, was given to the city by the Russian Military Historical Society and the author. All works: sketches, models and bronze casting were performed by Zurab Tsereteli himself. The bronze image of the first woman - Hero of the Soviet Union came out simple and strict.

Under the fir trees, near the House of Culture, stands a four-meter tall figure of a girl with her hands tied behind her back. According to the sculptor, this was a work for the soul and “came out to the people” only at the request of the Russian Minister of Culture. In the year of Zoya's 90th birthday.

"Good conquers evil." The triumph of justice, clad in bronze, is one of the most famous creations of Zurab Tsereteli. The monument was opened in front of the UN building in New York to mark the 70th anniversary of the international organization.

St. George the Victorious tramples a dragon with a spear. The plot is classic, but the dragon is made from fragments of dismantled American and Soviet Pershing-2 and SS-20 missiles. The figure of St. George was cast in Moscow, but the missiles were assembled in the USA: the parts were provided on behalf of the USSR Ministry of Defense and the American side. This is how the symbol of the end of the Cold War appeared.

The world's first monument to d'Artagnan and the Three Musketeers is a gift from Zurab Tsereteli to Gascony. The literary quartet appeared at the request of a descendant of the famous Gascon, Senator Count Emery de Montesquiou. The prototypes of the bronze heroes were the characters from the film by Georgy Yungvald-Khilkevich.

The monument was opened with a solemn parade of the current musketeers in the presence of actors Veniamin Smekhov and Valentin Smirnitsky. Together with Zurab Tsereteli, the film musketeers became members of the Musketeers Society. They were greeted by 650 “fellow soldiers” who came to Gascony from different countries.

“It’s not easy to argue with a guard of such stature.” The six-meter tall Uncle Styopa appeared in 2015 in the center of Samara. Employees and veterans of the internal affairs bodies collected money for the monument to their literary colleague. The author of the sculpture, Zurab Tsereteli, refused the fee. The bronze composition seems to have stepped out of the pages of a book by Sergei Mikhalkov: a high-rise guard at a traffic light surrounded by children.

Everyone loved Uncle Styopa,
They respected Uncle Styopa:
He was the best friend
All the guys from all the yards...

The opening of the monument was timed to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the policeman beloved by all children.

Childhood and family

Tsereteli Sr. took part in the Great Patriotic War. For excellent service he was awarded orders, medals and commendations. But due to injury, he was transferred to the reserve with the rank of colonel. After the war, Konstantin Ivanovich Tsereteli took part in the restoration of destroyed objects. At the same time, he taught at the Polytechnic Institute in Tbilisi.

Zurab's mother, Nizharadze Tamara Semyonovna, came from a princely family. She devoted her entire life to raising her children, as is customary in the Caucasus. Zurab grew up in an environment of artistic creativity. His uncle, his mother’s brother, Georgiy Nizharadze, a famous painter, constantly took his nephew to his house. Here Georgy introduced the boy Zurab to cultural figures, Georgian artists: David Kakabadze, Sergo Kobuladze, Ucha Japaridze, Apollo Kutateladze, Chiko Kazbegi, Dursun Imnashvili. Communication with such a contingent of people did not pass without a trace for Zurab Tsereteli.

During lessons at school, young Zurab drew a lot. In many of his works, even then, a feeling of belonging to history, to the life of the country arose. Often during the summer holidays, Tsereteli went to Western Georgia to visit his grandmother; she lived in the village of Gubi. Here the future artist saw folk culture, the beauty of everyday objects, and the diversity of nature. Only in Gubi did Zurab feel free without the bustle of the city. He was amazed by the variety of colors that were impossible to see in Tbilisi. All this formed the foundation of creativity for the artist.

Academy of Arts

In his free time, Zurab Tsereteli visited museums, where he studied the exhibits on display. He traveled a lot, learned new things, rode horses a lot, walked a lot. Tsereteli, in order to get to know nature better, listened to the murmur of mountain rivers and remembered the smell of the earth. Thus, Tsereteli went around the places that attracted artists: Kakheti, Imereti, Tusheti, Svaneti, Racha, Khevsureti, Abkhazia, Adjara, Guria.

All this played an important role in the development of Zurab Konstantinovich as an artist. In 1958, the artist graduated from the Academy of Arts. His diploma work was “Song of Tbilisi”. But she was not allowed to defend herself due to “elements of conditionality.” Tsereteli had to change the topic of his diploma, and in a couple of weeks he painted a new painting, “Portrait of an Athlete.” The work was highly appreciated.

Works of Zurab Tsereteli

In the 60s, Zurab Tsereteli quickly took a position in Soviet art. Once the architect Shota Kalandarishvili gave Zurab the task of painting a children's cinema in Tbilisi. The artist felt a child’s fantasy, where there are fairy tales and fiction, but the painting was not done in real life.

Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery

Zurab was interested in the architects who were working on the creation of a large resort complex in Pitsunda. It was Tsereteli who was invited as the main artist of this unique object. In this work he appeared as a muralist. All Zurab Tsereteli in Pitsunda became a new step in the development of monumental art in Russia.

This was followed by large mosaic works by the artist Tsereteli in many regions of Georgia. The famous work was the mosaic panel “Man, Labor - the Meaning and Beauty of Life,” located on the facade of the Palace of Culture of Trade Unions. Then the decorative design of the restaurant in Tbilisi “Aragvi” appeared. This work was awarded the State Prize. Zurab Tsereteli took part in the design of the Borjomi resort. In the 70s, the sculptor participated in the creation of Victory Park in Tbilisi; his work “Banners” is hung in the park on a tiled wall. Zurab Konstantinovich also worked in Adler on a monumental complex. The artist used a new technique of working with metal. He developed techniques that allowed him to create large reliefs. Tsereteli drew a relief on sheet copper, then hammered it out, and then cut out all the figures and pushed them forward. The relief was large and clearly visible from a great distance.

Zurab Tsereteli and his work

Works were made using new technology: the monument in Abashi, the composition “Colchis”, “Man and the Sun”, “Ties of Friendship”. Zurab Tsereteli took part in the creation of the Izmailovo hotel complex in Moscow. The sculptor is widely known abroad. He was personally acquainted with Marc Chagall, Pablo Picasso, David Siqueiros, and met with Robert Rauschenberg, Kenzo Tange and many other famous artists and architects of the 20th century. Politicians and cultural figures who came from various countries of the world visited his workshops and continue to visit them. Tsereteli worked in different countries of the world. He designed the interior of the USSR Mission to the UN in New York. A huge panel “Moscow the capital, my Moscow” made of stainless steel decorates the embassy hall in Tokyo. In the USA, the success of Tsereteli's works was enormous. The creator worked as a teacher at the Faculty of Arts. For Tsereteli's teaching work, Tsereteli created monumental works in Moscow.

He took part in the restoration of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior. According to representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, Zurab Tsereteli brilliantly completed all the tasks assigned to him, and the appearance of the elements of the artistic decoration of the temple he recreated corresponds to the old ones.

Awards

Personal life of Zurab Tsereteli

On January 4, sculptor Zurab Tsereteli turns 82 years old. The foreman celebrates his birthday at the construction site. On the shores of the Atlantic Ocean in Puerto Rico, where the final stage of construction of the tallest monument to man on Earth begins. The world has yet to hear about this monument, but we decided to recall the 10 most famous works of Zurab Konstantinovich.

1. Monument “Friendship of Peoples”

In 1983, in honor of the 200th anniversary of the reunification of Georgia with Russia, a “paired” monument was erected in Moscow - the “Friendship of Peoples” monument. This is one of Tsereteli’s most famous early works.

2. Monument “Good conquers Evil”

The sculpture was installed in front of the UN building in New York in 1990 and symbolizes the end of the Cold War.

3. Victory Monument

4. Statue of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill

6. Monument to Peter I

Erected in 1997 by order of the Moscow Government on an artificial island at the fork of the Moscow River and the Vodootvodny Canal. The total height of the monument is 98 meters.

7. “Saint George the Victorious”

This sculpture is installed on a 30-meter column on Freedom Square in Tbilisi - St. George is the patron saint of Georgia. The monument was opened in April 2006.

8. "Tear of Sorrow"

Muralist

Famous monumental artist, leading monumentalist in Moscow. President of the Russian Academy of Arts since 1997, director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art since 1999. In 1997, he became the author of the artistic design for the renewed Manezhnaya Square, and in 1995, the chief artist in the creation of the Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill. Author of the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill and the monument “300 Years of the Russian Fleet” on the Moscow River. In 1980 he was the chief artist of the Moscow Olympics, in 1970-1980 he was the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Hero of Socialist Labor. He has the honorary titles of People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of Georgia. Member of a number of academies, professor. Citizen of Russia and Georgia.

Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli was born on January 4, 1934 in Tbilisi. In 1952 he entered the painting department at the Tbilisi Academy of Arts. In 1958 he graduated from the academy and began working as an artist at the Institute of History and Ethnography of the Georgian Academy of Sciences. Participated in various exhibitions. In 1964, he took a course in France, where he interacted with famous artists Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall.

In 1965-1967, Tsereteli was the main designer during the construction of the resort complex in Pitsunda. At the same time, by 1967, as the head of the artel, he established mass production of smalt for mosaic work. In 1970-1980 he was the chief artist of the USSR Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1970-1972 he created a number of mosaic and stained glass compositions in Tbilisi. In 1973 he became the author of a monumental ensemble for a children's resort town in Adler. This work brought Tsereteli fame both in the USSR and abroad. In particular, the famous Mexican artist Alfaro Siqueiros spoke positively about it.

In 1979, a monument to Tsereteli’s work “Science, Education for the World,” about 20 meters high, was erected in the American city of Brockport in New York State. There, in the same year, the monumental composition “Happiness to the Children of the World” was installed. According to some reports, Tsereteli was supposed to paint the UN building in New York together with Picasso, but this project was never realized.

In 1980, Tsereteli was the chief artist of the Olympic Games in Moscow. Also in 1980, Tsereteli created the monumental sculpture “Man and the Sun” about 80 meters high in Tbilisi, and in 1982 - the monument “Friendship Forever” in Moscow, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the Treaty of Georgievsk and Georgia’s entry into Russia. Since 1985, he began working on the “History of Georgia” ensemble near Tbilisi. Finished work in 2003. In 1989, the Tsereteli monument “Breaking the Wall of Mistrust” was erected in London, and in 1990, the “Good Conquers Evil” monument appeared in New York.

In the early 1990s, Tsereteli came into conflict with the Georgian authorities and was forced to move to Moscow. Here, having received the support of Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, he actually became the “number one muralist.” In 1995, Tsereteli became the chief artist in the creation of the Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Hill. He created the Victory Monument in the form of a monument to St. George the Victorious and a stele 142 meters high. In 1995-2000, Tsereteli participated in the reconstruction of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior in Moscow. In 1997, he developed a general design solution for the updated Manezhnaya Square and the interiors of the Okhotny Ryad shopping and recreational complex. Also in 1997, a monument by Tsereteli “300 years of the Russian Navy”, or “Peter the Great”, 96 meters high, was erected on the Moscow River. Its installation caused a mixed reaction in society. In addition, in 1997, Tsereteli was elected president of the Russian Academy of Arts. In December 1999, he achieved the opening of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art and became its director. In 2001, the Zurab Tsereteli Art Gallery opened.

In 2003-2010, Tsereteli erected many monuments in Moscow and other cities of Russia and the world, including monuments to the founder of the Academy of Arts Ivan Shuvalov in St. Petersburg, Princess Olga in Pskov, Honore de Balzac in the city of Agde in France, Cossack Kharko in Kharkov in Ukraine, General Charles de Gaulle in Moscow, Alexander Peresvet, hero of the Battle of Kulikovo, in Borisoglebsk, President of the Chechen Republic Akhmad Kadyrov in Grozny, Pope John Paul II in Ploermel in France, former Prime Minister of Japan Ichiro Hatoyama in Tokyo, Moscow composition "Wives of the Decembrists. Gates of Destiny" and a monument to the victims of the terrorist attack in Beslan, as well as a huge copper hare in Baden-Baden. In addition, Tsereteli was involved in the design of new Moscow metro stations - "Victory Park" and "Trubnaya". Also in 2006, he erected a monument dedicated to the fight against international terrorism in the city of Bayon in New Jersey, opposite the site of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack in New York.

Tsereteli's work evoked mixed reactions in society and among critics. He was reproached for monopolizing monumental projects in Moscow, violating the stylistic unity of the capital, and creating his works in a mass production process. Other critics spoke positively about Tsereteli's work and argued that he created his own style.

Tsereteli has been a member of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation since 2005. He was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor, and has the honorary titles of People's Artist of the USSR, People's Artist of Russia and People's Artist of Georgia. The sculptor is the president of the Moscow International Foundation for UNESCO, an academician of the International Academy of Creativity, a full member of the Russian Academy of Arts, a full member of the Georgian Academy of Sciences, a professor at the Brockport University of Fine Arts and a corresponding member of the French Academy of Fine Arts.