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...was a leading designer of medals for the Soviet Union when he announced
his desire to emigrate to the West in search of artistic freedom.
After which, he was immediately fired.
The medalist was born in Russia, near Leningrad, on January 21, 1947.
Alexander George Shagin is the only child of George and Ekaterina
Shagin. He studied at the Vera Mukhina School of Arts and Design,
completing his education in 1971. Shortly after completing his
education he was drafted into the soviet army where he spent a
little over a year. Following his discharge, he became an apprentice
at the Leningrad Mint. As an apprentice, he submitted his diploma
project, a medal of Peter the Great, to the Soviet authorities. His
work was so admired that he was recommended for appointment as an artist
of the mint. By 1974, Shagin had become a leading designer and sculptor.
In the 1970's the Leningrad mint was involved mostly in the production
of medals and commemorative coins. Shagin was responsible to produce
at least one medal every two months. Although he was allowed a rather
wide latitude in his work, all of his designs had to be approved by
the Council of Art medals before they could be struck.
By the end of the 1970's, Shagin began to become more and more
concerned about the Soviet government's control over his artistic
expression. While visiting an exhibit of medals in Poland in 1978,
Shagin was astonished to learn of the artistic freedom his Polish
colleagues. During that visit Shagin became convinced that he had to
seek artistic freedom in the West. Upon his return to Leningrad,
Shagin applied for an exit visa. This so angered the Soviet officials
that he was immediately relieved of his position. After waiting more
than a year, during which time he had no means of earning a living, he
was finally given an exit visa. In 1979 Shagin emigrated to the United
States and now resides in Santa Monica, California where he continues
his art. The 10 Scruple medallion is one of his most recently
commissioned works.
[ A special thanks to Yuri Barsby and Thomas Fitzgerald for their October 1999
article "Shagin's Medals from Leningrad" published in the Numismatist
(the official journal of the American Numismatic Association), which served
as the basis for the information provided above.]
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