Moscow got a new monument this morning — one that may be the first of its kind.
The monument is in honor of the more than 60,000 couriers whose work made it possible for Muscovites to self-isolate during the pandemic.
The monument was commissioned by some of the companies most reliant on delivery workers: Ozon, Perekrestok.ru (part of the X5 Retail Group), Azbuka Vkusa, Dodo Pizza and Delivery Club. The companies, which worked with Possible Group to bring their idea to fruition, explained their choice in a joint statement that read, in part, “Many towns across the world are preparing to install monuments to honor doctors and volunteers. We believe it’s also important to highlight the contribution of those frontline workers who continued delivering essentials across the country… they don’t just deliver goods. They deliver comfort and peace of mind.”
The monument of the courier — portrayed in negative space, both invisible and the main focus of the sculpture — was designed by Alexei Garikovich and now stands in the courtyard of the former Izmeritel factory on Kholodny Pereulok near the Tulskaya metro station. Garikovich said that all the materials and forms are connected in some way to the history of the city and country and placed in a way to accentuate both the negative and positive space. “From the street we see the monument’s interior, while from the courtyard where the monument is installed, we see its exterior,” he said in a statement on the opening.
Andrei Pavlovich, director of supply chain services at OZON, said that “We are grateful to our couriers and to all of our colleagues on the frontline for their immense dedication and professionalism.”
