The first sculptor and member of the Union of Artists of the USSR from Khakasia: Irina Karachakova and her unrealized project

The subject of the research is the history of the monumental project "Friendship," created by the first Khakass sculptor and the first member of the Artists' Union of the USSR, Irina Karachakova, which was intended as a monument for the 250th anniversary of the annexation of Khakassia to Russia. The object of the research is the creative work and activities of I.N. Karachakova, her contribution to the development of monumental sculpture in the region and the country, and her role as a pioneer in this field. Attention is drawn to the conception, recognition, and postponement of the implementation of the "Friendship" monument, raising the question of the reasons for the project's non-implementation and the significance of this project for the cultural identity of Khakassia, which remains insufficiently studied. Thus, the research aims to analyze the historical context, artistic value, and cultural significance of monumental art in Khakassia, with a particular emphasis on the unrealized project "Friendship." Historical analysis involves the study of historical documents, archival materials, and epistolary heritage to reconstruct the events associated with the creation and realization of the "Friendship" project. Iconographic analysis examines the symbolism of the "Friendship" monument—its elements and motifs—to understand the author's concept. The "micro-history" method investigates a specific event (the unrealized project) to comprehend broader social and cultural processes. Overall, the scientific novelty lies in the comprehensive study of an unrealized cultural object, its creator, and the context, contributing to a fuller understanding of the history and culture of Khakassia. As a result of the work, we have come to the following conclusions: 1. The artistic appropriation of public space in the USSR was closely related to the tasks of forming state ideology, visualizing political goals (in this case—the friendship of peoples and the assertion of historical narratives). 2. The "Friendship" project received institutional support but faced administrative collisions and a lack of interagency coordination. 3. I.N. Karachakova, being the first Khakass sculptor and the first member of the Artists' Union of the USSR from Khakassia, made a significant contribution to the development of monumental art in Khakassia and throughout the Soviet Union, opening a new path for artists in the region and gaining recognition at the all-Union level.