Husen Kochesokov: ‘I love my people, I know what we have experienced and want something to do for it”
16 декабрь 2011
In the competition for the design of a monument devoted to the memory of victims of the genocide of the Circassian people announced by the Government of Georgia, the 53-year-old sculptor from the Lower Kurkuzhin Husen Kochesokov won.
According to “Gazeta Yuga” member of the competition, representative of “Circassian Congress” and “Circassian Union” in Tbilisi Andro Gabisoniya, from Russia they had received only few projects: “There were several from Adygeya. The rest of them – from abroad. There are about 30 works in total. The sculpture of Hussein Kochesokov was chosen because of its simplicity and directness. It’s all clear: the entire history of the genocide. But at the same time it gives me a hope. The monument will be erected until May 21 of the next year in Anaklia.”
I thought to myself ‘Maybe I’ll be lucky?’ and said to my son that I would make the sculpture. And I worked over it for two months: after classes with children in school – as I have classes of sculpturing – I came home, sculpted from clay for 2-3 hours.
According to Hussein Kochesokov, he had learned about the competition “from people”:
I speak Russian rather badly- all my life I lived in Kurkuzhin. Therefore, I find it hard to express the whole meaning, which I had put in my sculpture. But I was very upset. Circassia was a big country. And now it’s not. This is the genocide. On the pedestal of my sculpture in a circle there is a figure: a Russian soldier facing a Circassian Wark on a horseback near – dying women and children, old plates with inscriptions, emblems, dolmens, a century-old oak tree – the symbol of Circassians and an old man, stretching his hands to the sky. Under an oak tree – the inscription “Praise be to Allah.” And then – the sea, a ship with Circassians, sailing to a strange land … On the pedestal there is a weeping woman, hugged by a girl, and a boy standing proudly and looking hard far away. Their father is not with them – all the men were killed …
– How did you find out that you won the competition?
– My son saw that in Internet – he is a historian and works in Nalchik. As I understood they wanted to contact me there. I heard them on the phone: “Is it Kochesokov Husen? Is this Kochesokov Husen?” But the contact broke off, hissing. So we did not talk then.
I was hoping, of course, to win, but my victory is still surprising for me. I know that in Nalchik there is a lot of good artists. I am not better, but I’m sure that if I do something I will do that not bad, too. And then I can not think about nothing but my work.
I have never showed my works, but since 5-6 classes in school I was able to fashion a portrait … After school I graduated an art school in Saratov. When I returned home I got sick, and parents did not allow me to go anywhere for further studying.
– The problem of the Circassian genocide is a political one. Don’t you fear that your participation in the competition could reflect on you once?
– At first I did not fear, and when I finished my sculpture I started thinking. But I do not care. I love my people. I know what we have experienced. I want at least something to do for him. I think I’m a patriot. I read a lot, I know a lot about our history, I worry about it… Let something happen to me, but all this is for my people.
– How do you plan to spend the prize of 10 thousand dollars?
– What? I did not know about that money! How you have pleased me! As much as formication!© Gazeta Yuga
Irina Yudina
Author’s photo
According to “Gazeta Yuga” member of the competition, representative of “Circassian Congress” and “Circassian Union” in Tbilisi Andro Gabisoniya, from Russia they had received only few projects: “There were several from Adygeya. The rest of them – from abroad. There are about 30 works in total. The sculpture of Hussein Kochesokov was chosen because of its simplicity and directness. It’s all clear: the entire history of the genocide. But at the same time it gives me a hope. The monument will be erected until May 21 of the next year in Anaklia.”
I thought to myself ‘Maybe I’ll be lucky?’ and said to my son that I would make the sculpture. And I worked over it for two months: after classes with children in school – as I have classes of sculpturing – I came home, sculpted from clay for 2-3 hours.
According to Hussein Kochesokov, he had learned about the competition “from people”:
I speak Russian rather badly- all my life I lived in Kurkuzhin. Therefore, I find it hard to express the whole meaning, which I had put in my sculpture. But I was very upset. Circassia was a big country. And now it’s not. This is the genocide. On the pedestal of my sculpture in a circle there is a figure: a Russian soldier facing a Circassian Wark on a horseback near – dying women and children, old plates with inscriptions, emblems, dolmens, a century-old oak tree – the symbol of Circassians and an old man, stretching his hands to the sky. Under an oak tree – the inscription “Praise be to Allah.” And then – the sea, a ship with Circassians, sailing to a strange land … On the pedestal there is a weeping woman, hugged by a girl, and a boy standing proudly and looking hard far away. Their father is not with them – all the men were killed …
– How did you find out that you won the competition?
– My son saw that in Internet – he is a historian and works in Nalchik. As I understood they wanted to contact me there. I heard them on the phone: “Is it Kochesokov Husen? Is this Kochesokov Husen?” But the contact broke off, hissing. So we did not talk then.
I was hoping, of course, to win, but my victory is still surprising for me. I know that in Nalchik there is a lot of good artists. I am not better, but I’m sure that if I do something I will do that not bad, too. And then I can not think about nothing but my work.
I have never showed my works, but since 5-6 classes in school I was able to fashion a portrait … After school I graduated an art school in Saratov. When I returned home I got sick, and parents did not allow me to go anywhere for further studying.
– The problem of the Circassian genocide is a political one. Don’t you fear that your participation in the competition could reflect on you once?
– At first I did not fear, and when I finished my sculpture I started thinking. But I do not care. I love my people. I know what we have experienced. I want at least something to do for him. I think I’m a patriot. I read a lot, I know a lot about our history, I worry about it… Let something happen to me, but all this is for my people.
– How do you plan to spend the prize of 10 thousand dollars?
– What? I did not know about that money! How you have pleased me! As much as formication!© Gazeta Yuga
Irina Yudina
Author’s photo
