The renowned Alenka monument, infamous among Novovoronezh residents for its eerie presence, has moved to the grounds of the Chernozem rock festival. The festival unfolds in Voronezh from August 19 to 21, drawing crowds who line up for photos with the statue and the surrounding art installations. The transfer was reported by REN-TV and has become a magnetic point of interest for attendees and locals alike.
Among the many visitors, the photo session with Alenka was captured by members of the metal band Aria. Soloist Mikhail Zhitnyakov, guitarist Vladimir Kholstinin, guitarist Sergey Popov, and bassist Vitaly Dubinin posed with the monument and shared the moment on their VKontakte pages. The image quickly circulated across fans’ feeds, fueling conversations about the sculpture’s evolving role in regional culture and its place within the festival’s dynamic energy.
Historically, the monument’s journey began on December 18, 2020, when a sculpture was unveiled in Novovoronezh to mark the 250th anniversary of the village known as Novaya Alenovka. Local sentiment around the piece was mixed, with many residents labeling it provocative and even unsettling. As debates intensified, calls emerged for the city authorities to reconsider the artwork’s location. Within a few days, the municipal leadership decided to dismantle the monument, reflecting a tense moment in local cultural life as communities weighed tradition against new forms of public art.
On July 1, 2022, Novovoronezh celebrated the official opening of a renewed Alenka monument. The new installation aimed to honor the same cultural motif while addressing earlier concerns about placement and reception. The reimagined sculpture sought to connect the town’s history with contemporary artistic expression, inviting residents and visitors to engage with a storied character in a refreshed urban landscape.