Monument to Richard Sorge
{{Short description|Monument in Baku, Azerbaijan}}
{{Infobox monument
| name = Monument to Richard Sorge
| native_name = {{langx|az|Rixard Zorgenin abidəsi}}
| image = Rixard Zorgenin abidəsi (1).jpg
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| location = Baku, Azerbaijan
| designer = Vladimir Tsigal
| type = Memorial
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| open = May 1981
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| dedicated_to = Richard Sorge
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The Monument to Richard Sorge ({{langx|az|Rixard Zorgenin abidəsi}}) - is a monument to Hero of the Soviet Union Richard Sorge, a Soviet intelligence officer during the Second World War. The monument is located in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, near the village of Sabunchu, where Sorge was born.{{cite web|url=http://senet.az/dahi-casus-bakili-alman-rixard-zorgenin-mubariz%C9%99-v%C9%99-olum-hekay%C9%99ti-ilham-tumas/|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121134630/http://senet.az/dahi-casus-bakili-alman-rixard-zorgenin-mubariz%C9%99-v%C9%99-olum-hekay%C9%99ti-ilham-tumas/|archivedate=January 21, 2021|title=Dahi casus, bakılı alman – Rixard Zorgenin mübarizə və ölüm hekayəti
|author=İlham Tumas|date=August 21, 2017|publisher=senet.az|accessdate=March 4, 2022|language=az}} It was installed in 1981. The sculptor is Vladimir Tsigal, the architects are Rasim Aliev, Leonid Pavlov, Y. Dubov.{{cite web|url=https://www.ens.az/ru/istoriya-sozdaniya-pamyatnika-rikhardu-zorge-v-baku-foto
|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20220304125907/https://www.ens.az/ru/istoriya-sozdaniya-pamyatnika-rikhardu-zorge-v-baku-foto|archivedate=March 4, 2022|title=История создания памятника Рихарду Зорге в Баку|author=Nurana Namazova|date=August 22, 2019|publisher=ens.az|accessdate=March 4, 2022|language=ru}}{{cite book|author= Н. Голяндина|title= Владимир Цигаль. Монументальная и станковая скульптура|year=1989|location= Moscow|publisher=Художник РСФСР|page=250}}
The monument was unveiled in May 1981 on the eve of the Victory Day, in one of the alleys of the city (currently in the park named after Richard Sorge). The bronze and granite monument is framed by pines, plane trees, and mulberry trees, and nearby, in land brought from Japan, a cherry tree.{{cite book|author= |title=В. Е. Цигаль. Памятник Рихарду Зорге в Баку|year=1982 |location= |publisher=Дружба народов: литературно-художественный и общественно-политический журнал|page=223}}
The sculptor Vladimir Tsigal said:
{{Blockquote
|text=For many years I have dreamed of creating a monument to the legendary Soviet intelligence officer, the commander of a group operating deep behind enemy lines, R. Sorge. I visited Japan, and talked for a long time with people who knew him. The collected materials and impressions helped the team of authors create a monument to Sorge for Baku – his homeland, and finally with the architect L. Pavlov, we completed a long-term work for a monument to a wonderful patriot.{{cite book|author=Рассказы о прекрасном |title=Цигаль Владимир Ефимович|year=1989|location=|publisher=Изобразительное искусство|url= |page=340}}}}
The monument to Richard Sorge is made in the form of an oblong, curved bronze plaque, reminiscent of a radar installation, in the centre of which there is a relief image of the middle part of Sorge's face with the cut right through the stone eyes which depicts his piercing gaze – focused and studying shrilling the person. In this generalized, conventional image, the sculptor tried to create a symbol of the Soviet intelligence officer.{{cite book|author=Доронина Л.|title=Мастера русской скульптуры XVIII-XX веков.|year=2008|location=Moscow|publisher=Белый город|volume=II|page=227}}
A photograph of the monument illustrated an article about Tsigal in the Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia.{{cite book|author=Jamil Guliev|title=Azerbaijani Soviet Encyclopedia / Сигал Владимир Јефимович|year=1984|location=Baku|publisher=Главная редакция Азербайджанской советской энциклопедии|volume=VIII|page=417}}