The workshop seal of Master Shahram Goodarzi, the designer and builder of the most magnificent statue of Cyrus the Great

The workshop of Master Shahram Goodarzi, the designer and builder of the most magnificent statue of Cyrus the Great in the world, has been sealed.

Shahram Goodarzi, a sculptor, began constructing the statue of Cyrus the Great, King of Persia, in August 2016 in his personal workshop in the village of "Twaydere" in Kelardasht. This statue, which is 6 meters high and weighs over 12 tons, is considered the largest statue of Cyrus the Great.

In the past few years, after the construction of the Cyrus statue began, Shahram Goodarzi was invited by the United Kingdom to build the statue and teach at British universities, but he declined their invitation and announced that he would stay in Iran and bring self-respect to the Iranian nation.

Last year, he stated in an interview: "On November 1, as usual every year before Cyrus the Great Day, which is on November 27, I was respectfully asked by the security establishment to close the exhibition that features the Cyrus the Great statue on November 27 and 28. I cooperated with them, as in previous years, because I am not looking for controversy and I do not do political work. I am just an artist, and the creation of the Cyrus statue is also an artistic and cultural work. Cyrus is a symbol of human rights and a source of pride for Iranians around the world."

He continued his statement by saying: "Although I cooperated in closing the section dedicated to the Cyrus statue, a few days later, on November 4, another security agency, this time disrespectfully, ordered me to close the workshop and exhibition until further notice and told me to continue my artistic activities at home until further notice. Since that day, all follow-ups have gone unanswered and I have not been able to reopen the exhibition, and many of my compatriots are ashamed that they come to see the Cyrus statue but are faced with closed doors."

Now, after several months, reports on social media indicate that not only has his workshop and exhibition, which were supposed to be closed until further notice, not only not reopened, but also been sealed. Shahram Goodarzi, while introducing himself as a soldier of Cyrus and a soldier of the homeland, said in an interview: “The Iranian nation will eradicate superstition and betrayal. What do superstitions and betrayal come from? From the lies of fellow countrymen! A liar easily betrays and easily creates superstitions, in order to contaminate the dear children of Iran, the children of Cyrus the Great, with superstitions and make them into slaves and slaves. You can’t get anywhere with magic, magic, jinn, fairies, and superstitions, fellow countrymen.”

He also made a reference to the Jamkaran Well, where many travelers wrote their problems on paper and threw them into the well, hoping that one day a savior would come and free them from their problems. He added: "He who throws his wish into the well always ends up at the bottom of that well. My dears, use literature and art, science, knowledge, and wisdom to achieve your wishes. We are the children of Cyrus and the soldiers of Cyrus' path, and the covenant we must make together is that there is only one way in the world, and that way is truth and humanity like Cyrus."

The sealing of his workshop and exhibition, as well as the ban on his work on the Cyrus the Great statue, have sparked widespread reactions. His supporters, artists, and the Iranian people, while expressing their dismay, declared that the Islamic Republic of Iran is deeply afraid not only of an artist but also of a statue, namely the statue of Cyrus the Great, the king of Iran, and of Iranians. The authority that was in King Cyrus is even visible in his statue, which has terrified a regime.