Unexpected silence is a true sign of a coming nearer sandy storm.All sounds disappear together with wind, suddenly ceased to submit life signs.The established closeness brings with itself alarm, and after a while on horizon there is a fast-growing black cloud.
It is suddenly revived wind with unknown force drives dust and sand from the earth storm, spontaneous phenomenon, so characteristic for deserts rises.
Turkmen nationals repeatedly faced a similar natural phenomenon. Occupying almost the desert Karakum is considered three quarters of the country one of the greatest in Central Asia. To immortalise a dusty storm and to transfer heat of natural disasters through art it was possible to sculptor Alexander Abramov who has created architecturally-memorial ensemble “Trailblazers”.
Works on monument erection were conducted in 1980-81, and soon the monument became a real symbol of Balkanabat (those years Nebit-Dag).The architectural composition is a group of men covered from a sandy storm and one-hump camel, loaded with cargo and helping people to overcome a difficult way.
The person before natural calamities is weak, prickly sand beats in the person and a fierce wind knocks down, but, despite of everything, the tiny caravan continues advance.
It is a very unusual work, critic Azat Annaev tells.As if stuck together of sand outside and absolutely hollow inside, the monument is made of concrete.The travellers going through desert are the geologists who opened an oil deposit.
Soon among deserted sand life will begin to boil, “oil” extraction will result in these areas of workers, farmers, and peasants and there will be a new city.On an idea of the author, the person nevertheless manages to subdue desert and to engender in it new life.
About destiny of the author of this monument Alexander Arushanovich Abramov there are few data. He was born in the city of Shusha, graduated from the Kharkov art institute in the workshop of Eleonora Blokh (a schoolgirl of French sculptor Auguste Rodin). After study he moved to Ashkhabad where he created set of works and monuments.
In Ashkhabad Alexander Abramov’s son also created Arthur who created some of plaster works in national style. Sculptural portraits of Turkmen poets Ata Salih, Durdy Klych, a marble bust of Mahtumkuli enter into Alexander Arushanovich’s creative heritage.
One cannot argue the fact that art and nature are inseparable from each other. Whether the person with natural disasters struggles wins it or nature a boundless source for inspiration of poets, writers, musicians, artists and sculptors obeys it.