Let Us Beat Swords into Plowshares (1959)

A Statue for Promotion of a Peaceful Slogan Donated by the Soviet Union to the United Nations

This bronze statue, Let Us Beat Swords into Ploughshares, was donated by the Soviet Union to the United Nations in 1959. Sculpted by Evgeniy Vuchetich, it symbolises the desire to end human conflict by converting implements of death into ones of productivity and peace. With this spirit, it depicts the figure of a man preparing to strike a sword with a hammer as he converts it a plough blade. The phrase “swords to ploughshares” originates from the Book of Isaiah, which introduced the concept of converting military weapons into civilian tools. Clearly, this was a gift of monumental significance given the political situation of the time. With relations between the capitalist ‘West’ and communist ‘East’ growing increasingly more tense across the world, the statue represents a remarkable message of peace from beyond the Iron Curtain. In a period dominated by international politics of division, this act of cultural diplomacy displays humanity and the importance of art and soft power.