History of the Statue of Heroes or the Farmer's Monument

Hero Statue

The hero statue or also called the farmer's monument is a statue made of bronze with the figure of a man with a hat and a woman located near Gambir station, Jakarta. This statue was made by two famous sculptors in Russia, Matvey Manizer and Ossip Manizer, as a gift from the Soviet Union government for its friendship with Indonesia. The meaning of the building varies in terms of symbol and history.

In appearance, the peasant monument is solid black in color and made of bronze with the figure of a woman, in a bun and wearing a kebaya, providing food supplies to the figure of a man standing upright wearing a caping, a hat commonly used by the Indonesian peasantry with a full long-barreled weapon with a dagger. This statue depicts a family that went to fight for freedom. On the pedestal of the statue is written "Only a Nation that Can Appreciate Its Heroes Can Become a Great Nation"

The reasons for making the Tugu Tani statue from a historical perspective are different, but there are two versions of the background to the making of this statue. The first, the statue of the peasant monument was made with inspiration when Soekarno visited the Soviet Union in 1922. At that time, there was an upheaval in Russia between those who were pro-Russian imperial system and the communists. This reminded him of the situation in Indonesia. He was also looking for a sculptor to make a monument to honor the struggle of the farm workers in the G 30 SPKI movement.

Meanwhile, another version says the origins of the construction of the farmer's monument are related to the claim of the West Irian region, not about the communist movement in Indonesia. In a book it is stated that Sukarno wanted a farmer's monument to be made to commemorate the struggle of the Indonesian people in defending West Irian which had been controlled by the Dutch until 1963.

Meanwhile, the process of making the statue to resemble a farmer and a woman was obtained from Manizer's trip when he visited Indonesia in 1960. At that time, he heard a story about a mother who supports her child to fight for her country, and reminds her child never to leave her parents. Returning to the Soviet Union, he and his colleagues made the statue as a memento.

Interpretation

The style of the symbol of communism in making this statue can be seen from the humble and submissive female figure, while the man puffs out his chest, is athletic, and has a heroic posture. The appearance of a farmer dressed as a soldier, complete with a gun pointing upwards is a strong element that represents the ideology of the communists. The statue of the peasant monument was proposed to be demolished considering the history and meaning contained in it because everything related to communism was considered sensitive and taboo. However, this request was denied because the statue is a meaningful symbol of the history of the ideological struggle of the Indonesian people.