Mosaic - "Plowman of the Universe" - Chisinau

The mosaic Plowman of the Universe on the facade of the former I.A. Gagarin Youth Centre in Chișinău, depicts a monumental figure of a man striding forward with a plow, set inside concentric circular bands of colors. The stylized silhouette of the plowman is rendered in dark tesserae made out of smalt, contrasting against a background of smalt in shimmering blues, yellows, and reds that radiate outward like cosmic rings. The outer bands incorporate star motifs. Its imagery unmistakenly depicts the dominance of mankind over the universe – shaping it to its will, as if it was a field. The array of colors, cosmic imagery, socialist realist depiction of a man, and simply wild concept make it one of my favorite designs. The Youth Centre, named after Yuri Gagarin, once contained an 800-seat hall, sports facilities, a disco, and a hotel reserved for foreign guests. Its construction was funded through volunteer labor organized by the All-Union Leninist Young Communist League (Komsomol), which regularly mobilized members for weekend building campaigns. Though the building is semi-abandoned, it’s still in use. Unfortunately, the mosaic is starting to deteriorate and could be cleaned to reverse the weathering effects.