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The sculpture “Ost“ (Equilibrio) is a sculpture that symbolizes balance and harmony. It was installed in Volgograd (near the museum-reserve “Old Sarepta“ in the Krasnoarmeisky district). Author: famous German sculptor Rolf Schaffner. The sculpture is a 6-meter stele of granite blocks stacked on top of each other. The stele in Volgograd is part of a grandiose composition of five elements installed in different cities of Europe: Santanyi (Spain), Cologne (Germany), Trondheim (Norway), Volgograd (Russia), Cork (Ireland). Each of the parts of this composition is a 6-7-meter sculpture of roughly hewn granite blocks. The blocks are reminiscent of ancient monuments of human civilization. In Russia, the city for the installation of the sculpture “Equilibrio“ was not chosen by chance: it was here on the Volga that a decisive turning point took place during the Second World War. And other cities were chosen so that if you mentally connect them with straight lines, then on the map of Europe a cross 4000 km long is formed, stretched from east to west. The Southern Equilibrio sculpture was installed in Santanyi (Majorca, Spain) by Rolf Schaffner in 1995 as the first monument in the Equilibrio series. The central sculpture of Equilibrio has been standing in the sculpture park in Cologne (Germany) since 1997. The northern sculpture Equilibrio was erected in 2000 in Trondheim (Norway), on the site of a former bunker. Oriental sculpture Equilibrio installed in May 2005 in Volgograd (former Stalingrad, Russia). The western sculpture Equilibrio was the last of the series and was erected in June 2009 in Cork (Ireland). Rolf Schaffner called his global European sculptural project “Equilibrio - thoughts in stone“. In North and South, East and West, he erected his Equilibrio stelae. According to the author’s idea, together they form the “Meridians of the World“ and show a possible balance between the planet Earth and its inhabitants, symbolize the fragile balance of peace and harmony achieved in modern Europe. “The earth suffers because there is no balance. Men are responsible for this fact, because they themselves are out of balance. 3500 years ago, the sages tried to bring the body, soul and spirit into balance. My Equilibrio in the 4 directions of the sky should be an awakening and a warning, they should inspire to think about this mood“ (Rolf Schaffner). Rolf Schaffner (1927-2008) is a famous German sculptor. Graduated from high school. In 1944, he was serving his labor service as an assistant in the air force, with the navy, was captured. In 1956-1962 studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, in the studio of Professor A. Hiller. In 1958, his first success awaited him: in the framework of the art competition of the National Olympic Committee of Germany, he received the 3rd prize for the concrete sculpture “Athlete“. In 1962, Rolf, in search of free artistic development, discovered the island of Mallorca (Spain) and settled for many years in the town of Santanyi. It is here that many of his works of this period are now located. In the mid-1970s, Schaffner left Mallorca and lived and worked in Munich for more than 10 years. Here he created his works in stone, concrete, bronze and aluminium. Only in 1987 did he return to Santanyi again. In the 1990s, he became interested in large forms. The most striking example of this period is the European sculpture of Equilibrio. Work on this creative project continued until the last days of his life. Rolf Schaffner died in 2008 in Mallorca. The last stele “Equilibrio“ in Cork (Ireland) was installed in 2009 after the death of the author.
