A monument to director Alexei Balabanov has been unveiled in Yekaterinburg.

      In Yekaterinburg, a monument to director Alexei Balabanov was unveiled in the square near the Palace of Youth. The monument was installed not far from the house where the creator of the cult films "Brother" and "Dead Man's Bluff" once lived. This was reported on his Telegram channel by the city's head, Alexei Orlov. The ceremony was attended by the assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Medinsky, and director Nikita Mikhalkov. The sculpture, developed by a team of architects and sculptor Meiram Baymukhanov, depicts Balabanov sitting in an empty cargo tram. The walls of the carriage are designed as a kind of chronicle and contain references to the director's films, his biography, and the history of the Sverdlovsk rock club. According to the creators' concept, the tram symbolizes movement—a motif that frequently appeared in Balabanov's films, where the characters are constantly on the road. Orlov noted that the sculpture was created as part of the Year of Ural Rock and the 40th anniversary of the Sverdlovsk rock club. The project was realized with non-budgetary funds. "The monument has become a kind of metaphor for Alexei Oktyabrinovich's return to his hometown—the place where his creativity originated," he emphasized. Balabanov is one of the most famous and influential Russian directors of the post-Soviet period. His filmography includes works such as "Brother," "Brother-2," "Dead Man's Bluff," "Cargo 200," and "Morphine." He was born in 1959 in Sverdlovsk. He studied at the Gorky Pedagogical Institute of Foreign Languages, where he learned English. He then served in the army, worked as a translator, and traveled through countries in Africa and the Middle East.

      Balabanov first gained recognition after the release of the film "Happy Days" in 1991, but true fame came to him in 1997 after the premiere of the film "Brother." Three years later, the success was cemented by the film "Brother-2." Throughout his career, the director made more than one and a half dozen films of various genres—from crime dramas to historical films and black comedies. The director's last work was the film "I Also Want," released in 2012. A year later, Balabanov passed away at the age of 54.

      More news about the event:

      In Yekaterinburg, the first monument to Alexei Balabanov in Russia will be unveiled. The opening ceremony will be attended by Nikita Mikhalkov, Vladimir Medinsky, and other prominent figures. The solemn opening of the first monument to director Alexei Balabanov in Russia will soon take place in Yekaterinburg. 18:44 16.06.2026 Real Time - Kazan

      In Yekaterinburg, a monument to director Alexei Balabanov was unveiled in the square near the Palace of Youth. 17:23 16.06.2026 Business Online - Kazan

      Pantykin speculated on how Balabanov would have reacted to the monument in Yekaterinburg. Sculptor Pantykin expressed his opinion on how director Balabanov might have reacted to the monument installed in Yekaterinburg. 16:23 16.06.2026 Real Time - Kazan

      News from neighboring regions on the topic:

      The monument to Balabanov was opened in Yekaterinburg with the participation of Mikhalkov and Medinsky. The first monument to director Alexei Balabanov in Russia was ceremoniously unveiled in Yekaterinburg. 23:25 16.06.2026 IA All News - Nizhny Tagil

      The monument to Alexei Balabanov was opened in Yekaterinburg. His films have become part of the cultural code of Russians, and his portrait is now printed in the new unified school textbook on social studies. 23:11 16.06.2026 GTRK Ural - Yekaterinburg

      In Yekaterinburg, a monument to director Alexei Balabanov was unveiled. A new point of attraction has appeared near the Palace of Youth, not far from the Balabanov house and the school where the future filmmaker studied. 22:01 16.06.2026 Culture-Ural.RF - Yekaterinburg

      "He expressed himself in the language given to him by God." A photo report from the opening of the monument to the cult director Alexei Balabanov. The cultural elite of the country gathered today in Yekaterinburg, his homeland. On June 16, the cultural elite of the country gathered in Yekaterinburg. 20:54 16.06.2026 29.Ru - Arkhangelsk

      "He's expressed himself in the language given to him by God." A photo report from the opening of the monument to the cult director Alexei Balabanov. The cultural elite of the country gathered today in Yekaterinburg, his homeland. On June 16, the cultural elite of the country gathered in Yekaterinburg. 19:47 16.06.2026 76.Ru - Yaroslavl

      "He's expressed himself in the language given to him by God." A photo report from the opening of the monument to the cult director Alexei Balabanov. The cultural elite of the country gathered today in Yekaterinburg, his homeland. On June 16, the cultural elite of the country gathered in Yekaterinburg. 19:44 16.06.2026 161.Ru - Rostov-on-Don

      Relatives, friends, and colleagues shared what Alexei Balabanov was like. ...at the press conference after the opening of the monument to the famous director. Participants in the monument opening ceremony for Alexei Balabanov met with journalists and shared stories about the life and work of the director. 21:21 16.06.2026 Administration of Yekaterinburg - Yekaterinburg

      A tram for a lonely genius: a monument to Alexei Balabanov was opened in Yekaterinburg. Photo: Lydia Anikina © IA "Ural Meridian" A bronze cargo car with the figure of the director in a striped shirt has permanently "hit the rails" near the Palace of Youth—opposite the school where Balabanov studied and next to his house. 19:23 16.06.2026 IA Ural Meridian - Yekaterinburg