The Monument to Igor Talkov

The monument to Igor Talkov was founded in Shchyokino for a reason. The great poet and rock musician was born in the village of Gretsovka, located near the town. The Talkov monument can be found in the park of the Palace of Culture at Shchyokino, Lenina St., 15. You could drive up to the park from the square and the monument to Vladimir Lenin, or turn from Sovetskaya St. into Parkovy Blind Alley to find yourself in the shades of maple crowns.

Igor Talkov was born on the Shchyokino land and studied at the Shchyokino School No. 11. He began to study music at an early age. Along with the general education school, he attended a music school.

At school Talkov began to play in a music band, and even was the choir leader. He learned how to play six instruments and picked up the melodies perfectly by ear. Even before leaving school in 1974, he began to write songs, and after graduation he performed with the popular Tula band, Fanta.

Igor Talkov wrote poetry comparing the history of the Russian Empire and the Soviet Union. The singer’s repertoire consisted partly of lyrical songs and partly of sociopolitical ones. As a poet and musician, he did not hesitate to speak the truth about the situation in the country, first in the USSR, and then in Russia.

The monument to Igor Talkov in Shchyokino conveys his personality perfectly. The boots of Prince Serebrenni, the defender of truth, whose part the singer played in the film Tsar Ivan the Terrible; shirt wide open with a cross on his chest – Igor Talkov was like that. The creator of the monument, Vitaly Kazantsev, said that he wanted to portray the musician like he’s about to leave. Talkov takes his coat from the chair and leaves the guitar. But the text of the song on the sheet behind Igor’s back becomes his voice. He turns around to tell us: “I will return...”

The Talkov Monument is one of the best stops on the fascinating route of exploring Shchyokinsky District. You may want to discover the history of this corner of Tula Region by visiting the Leo Tolstoy Museum-Estate Yasnaya Polyana. Once you arrive in Shchyokino, you should definitely stop by the Local Lore Museum, where you will know more not only about Talkov and Tolstoy, but also about the history of the cosmonaut and Hero of Russia Sergei Zaletin. After that it is worth visiting the wonderful monument to Igor Talkov in Shchyokino. To get from the Local Lore Museum to the memorial, you need to cross the road and walk a little to the end of the quiet central alley of the city park. It is best to finish the route through the Shchyokino land in a real open-air museum – the former district town of Krapivna.