Renowned Russian artist Nikolay Rogatnev at the unveiling of the new sculpture 'The Music Of The Beatles Unites The Earth' at The Beatles Story in Liverpool. Picture: Andrew Teebay _320

A SCULPTURE celebrating the musical impact that The Beatles had on Russia was unveiled yesterday at The Beatles Story.

Renowned Russian artist Nikolay Rogatnev unveiled his sculpture, titled The Music of the Beatles Unites the Earth.

Rogatnev said he wanted to pay tribute to the band that had symbolised Britain in the eyes of Russians for nearly 50 years.

The sculpture depicts the faces of the Fab Four in the strings of a guitar, and has been in the making since 2004.

Russian journalist, Valentin Bayoukan-sky, who originally came up with the concept for the sculpture, said: “There were four Beatles and we want to place a sculpture in four different countries to show how the people of the world were united by their wonderful music.” In the last few years, The Beatles Story has seen a rise in Russian visitors with the introduction of Russian audio guides.

The Beatles were hugely popular in Russia during Soviet times, although the Communist Party disapproved.

Liverpool is the first city to have unveiled the sculpture, but Rogatnev hopes it will be exhibited across the world in Beatles-related locations such as Hamburg and New York.