Bokeria spoke about Tsereteli's special contribution to the development of art throughout the country.

The President of the Russian Academy of Arts, painter and sculptor Zurab Tsereteli made a special personal contribution to the development of art throughout the country with his works. This was stated on April 23 by the president of the National Health League, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leo Bokeria in a conversation with Izvestia at the farewell ceremony for the master.

"Tsereteli belongs to the category of people who have permanently inscribed his name among those who contributed in peacetime or not in peacetime to the development of the country," Bokeria said.

He noted that in Russia, the art that Tsereteli was engaged in has always been considered one of the most important.

"You can recall many of our great artists, and I think he belongs to this circle. His works are very organic, natural, and pure, and they make you wonder why this is so and the other is so," said the academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Bokeria also recalled that there were always a lot of people in Tsereteli's house — friends, relatives, just people who wanted to get to know him.

"George H. W. Bush asked at the airport if it was possible to visit the artist Tsereteli"

What Zurab Konstantinovich told Izvestia about

The farewell ceremony for sculptor Zurab Tsereteli began in Moscow at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior earlier this day and will last until 18:00. Relatives, friends and admirers of the sculptor's work came to honor the memory of Tsereteli. Wreaths from Russian President Vladimir Putin and the presidential administration were also delivered to the ceremony.

The death of muralist, sculptor and President of the Russian Academy of Arts Zurab Tsereteli became known on April 22. He was 91 years old. His assistant Sergey Shagulashvili told Izvestia that the sculptor died of cardiac arrest in his studio at home.

Soviet and Russian painter, Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Viktor Kalinin noted in a conversation with Izvestia that thanks to his talent, Tsereteli won first places at competitions, including world ones, which were held in France, Spain, Latin America and other countries. The sculptor's grandson, artist Vasily Tsereteli, emphasized in a conversation with Izvestia that his grandfather left a huge legacy and made a huge contribution to the culture of the Soviet states, Georgia and Russia.