Monuments to soldiers of the Great Patriotic War
Nationwide memorial military glory
According to the Presidential Decree Russian Federation No. 1297 of November 17, 2009, the memorial architectural ensemble of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was given the status of a National Memorial of Military Glory and it was included in the State Code of Particularly Valuable Objects cultural heritage peoples of the Russian Federation
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is a memorial architectural ensemble in Moscow, in the Alexander Garden, near the walls of the Kremlin.
On December 3, 1966, to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the defeat of German troops near Moscow, the ashes of the unknown soldier were transferred from the mass grave at the 41st kilometer of the Leningradskoye Highway (at the entrance to the city of Zelenograd) and solemnly buried in the Alexander Garden.
On May 8, 1967, a memorial architectural ensemble was opened at the burial site “ Tomb of the Unknown Soldier", created according to the design of architects D. I. Burdin, V. A. Klimov, Yu. R. Rabaev and sculptor N. V. Tomsky. Lit on the grave Eternal flame L. I. Brezhnev, who accepted the torch from the Hero Soviet Union A. P. Maresyeva. On the tombstone there is a bronze composition - a soldier’s helmet and a laurel branch lying on a battle flag. In the center of the memorial there is a niche with the inscription - “Your name is unknown, your feat is immortal” (suggested by S. V. Mikhalkov) made of labradorite with a bronze five-pointed star in center, in the middle of which burns the Eternal Flame of Glory.
To the left of the grave is a wall made of crimson quartzite with the inscription: “1941 TO THE FALL FOR THE HOMELAND 1945”; on the right is a granite alley with blocks of dark red porphyry containing capsules with the soil of hero cities: “Stalingrad” (from Mamayev Kurgan) - until September 2004 the inscription read “Volgograd”, “Leningrad” (from Piskarevsky cemetery), “ Kerch" (from the defense lines), "Kiev" (from the foot of the Obelisk to the participants in the defense of the city), "Minsk" (from the defense lines), "Novorossiysk" (from the defense lines), "Odessa" (from the defense lines), "Sevastopol" (from Malakhov Kurgan), “Tula” (from the defense lines), “ Brest Fortress"(from the foot of the walls).
On December 12, 1997, in accordance with the Decree of the President of Russia, post No. 1 of the honor guard was moved from the Lenin Mausoleum to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The guard is carried out by military personnel of the Presidential Regiment. The changing of the guard occurs every hour. In connection with the work on the creation of the National Military Glory Memorial, the guard of honor was not displayed from December 16, 2009 to February 19, 2010. Also during this period, the ceremonies of laying wreaths and flowers at the memorial were stopped. On December 27, 2009, with military honors, temporarily for the period of reconstruction, the Eternal Flame was moved to Poklonnaya Hill in Victory Park.
On Defender of the Fatherland Day, February 23, 2010, the Eternal Flame was returned to the Kremlin wall.
A new element has appeared in the National Memorial of Military Glory for the 65th anniversary of the Great Victory - a stele in honor of the cities of military glory, which is installed next to the Alley of Hero Cities, near the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
On the days of remembrance dedicated to the Great Patriotic War, statesmen, veterans, delegations, heads of foreign states and governments lay wreaths and flowers at the “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”.
Eternal flame of memory and glory
Eternal flame- a constantly burning fire, symbolizing eternal memory about something or someone. Continuous combustion is achieved by supplying gas to a specific location where a spark occurs. Usually included in the memorial complex. The first Eternal Flame in the USSR was lit at the monument to fallen heroes near the village of Pervomaisky, Shchekinsky district, Tula region, on May 9, 1957. In many cities of the former Soviet Union, the Eternal Flame burns in memory of those killed in the Great Patriotic War.
Three Eternal Flames burn in Moscow: on Tomb of the unknown soldier, on Poklonnaya Hill , on Preobrazhenskoe Cemetery.
Eternal Flame on Poklonnaya Hill
Shot from the NTV channel On April 30, 2010, the second Eternal Flame was lit on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. It was decided to light a fire on Poklonnaya Hill at the request of the Moscow Veterans Council. From December 2009 to February 2010, the flame was located here, moved from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier during the reconstruction of the memorial complex near the Kremlin walls. The fire was later returned to its historical location. In addition, it was decided to create a kind of Post No. 1 for students near the Eternal Flame on Poklonnaya Hill cadet corps. Ten times a year, during days of military glory and major public holidays, young guys will stand watch here. The torch, lit at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden, was carried with honors to the memorial on Poklonnaya Hill. We were honored to light a new “hearth of Memory” honorable Sir Moscow, participant in the Battle of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow Council of Veterans of War, Labor and Law Enforcement Agencies Vladimir Dolgikh, Hero of Russia Colonel Vyacheslav Sivko, member of the Moscow Children's public organization"Commonwealth" Nikolai Zimogorov. Moscow Mayor Yuri Luzhkov, who took part in the ceremony, said that the new Eternal Flame will in no way compete with the memorial at the Kremlin wall. On the contrary, they will complement each other.
Eternal flame at Preobrazhenskoe cemetery
On April 30, 2010, at the military memorial necropolis of the Preobrazhenskoye cemetery, solemn ceremony lighting of the third Flame of Memory in Moscow. A torch with a piece of the main Eternal Flame of the country at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden arrived at the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery after the lighting of the Fire of Memory and Glory on Poklonnaya Hill.
The eternal flame at the Preobrazhenskoe cemetery was lit because it was the first and only one in Moscow - it was brought here in 1956 from Leningrad, from the Field of Mars. It burned until the pipes wore out. The fire was lit only on holidays.
Preobrazhensky necropolis is the largest military memorial in Moscow. Military personnel who died of wounds in Moscow hospitals during the Great Patriotic War are buried here. Some burials were individual, some were fraternal. 10,678 people are buried here. Some mass graves contain up to 20 burials. There are fewer and fewer nameless people. There are only the graves of 43 fighters without plaques. In addition to mass graves, the cemetery contains the graves of 41 Heroes of the Soviet Union, 3 Heroes of Russia and 3 full holders of the Order of Glory.
Obelisk to commemorate the conferment of an honorary title on Moscow - “ Hero City»
The obelisk commemorates the awarding of the honorary title of Hero City to Moscow. The Motherland highly appreciated the contribution of Muscovites to the defeat of the enemy: hundreds of thousands of Muscovites were awarded orders and medals, more than 800 of them were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, over 800 thousand people were awarded the medal “For Valiant” labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR of May 8, 1965, for outstanding services to the Motherland, mass heroism, courage and fortitude shown by the working people of the capital in the fight against the Nazi invaders, Moscow was awarded an honorary the title of “Hero City” with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal.
To commemorate the awarding of the honorary title “Hero City” to Moscow, a 40-meter “Obelisk” was erected in the park at the fork of Kutuzovsky Prospekt and Bolshaya Dorogomilovskaya Street. The “Obelisk” was opened on May 9, 1977. The authors of the monument are architects G. Zakharov, 3. Chernysheva, sculptor A. Shcherbakov.
Lined with gray ashlar granite, the “Obelisk” ends with a five-pointed gold star. On the facade of the monument there is the text of the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR "On conferring the honorary title "Hero City" on the city of Moscow", made of applied gilded bronze letters. Above the text is a bas-relief Order of Lenin cast in bronze and gilded. Three 4-meter granite figures - a warrior , worker and female worker - flank and close the obelisk, trapezoidal in plan. Each figure is located on its own pedestal. The entire structure is raised on a turfed hill with a bypass platform, to which three granite stairs lead. The monument expresses the unity of the front and rear, the greatness and heroism of the glorious defenders of Moscow who defended the capital Soviet state from enemy invasion.
Monument "Defenders of the Russian Land"
“View photo” The monument “Defenders of the Russian Land” was opened in 1998 at the intersection of Kutuzovsky Prospekt and Minskaya Street. Sculptor A. Bichugov.
The monument personifies the continuity of generations of defenders of the Motherland: the warrior Ancient Rus' with a sword in his hands, a soldier of the Patriotic War with Napoleon and a hero of the Great Patriotic War. Monument - Stele of the 1st Guards Moscow-Minsk Motorized Rifle Division The monument was erected in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the creation of the division and its exploits in the Great Patriotic War. Located on the Moscow-Minsk Division Square (the intersection of Malaya Filevskaya and Minskaya streets), Minskaya, 13. Architect O.K. Gurulev, artist-architect S.I. Smirnov, sculptor I.P. Kazansky. On the monument there is the inscription “Square of the MOSCOW-MINSK DIVISION.” Below it are bas-reliefs of the orders awarded to the division: Lenin, Red Banner, Suvorov, Kutuzov, and the Guards badge. Below are the inscriptions: “The square of the Moscow-Minsk Division was named in 1976 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the formation of the 1st Guards Proletarian Moscow-Minsk Division and its military exploits in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” “The stela was installed by the chiefs of Metrostroy.”
Victory Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Hill
Victory Park (in Moscow) is a memorial complex for the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. in the west of Moscow. The memorial complex was opened on May 9, 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary great Victory. Victory Park is bounded from the north by Kutuzovsky Prospekt, from the west by Minskaya Street, from the east by General Ermolov Street, from the south by Brothers Fonchenko Street and residential buildings located near the Moscow-Sortirovochnaya station of the Kiev direction of Moscow railway. In the eastern part of the memorial complex there is Poklonnaya Hill, not far from it is the Moscow metro station Victory Park .
History of Victory Park. It was first proposed to build a monument to the people's feat back in 1942 (architect J. Chernikhovsky). But it was not possible to implement it in wartime conditions. On February 23, 1958, a memorial granite sign was erected on Poklonnaya Hill with the inscription: “The Victory Monument will be built here Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945." At the same time, trees were planted around and a park was laid out, which was named after Victory. In the 1970s-1980s, for the construction monumental monument 194 million rubles were collected from community cleanups and personal contributions from citizens. Subsequently, funds were allocated by the state and the government of Moscow. A plot of land of 135 hectares was allocated for the entire complex. In the 90s, on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, a Victory memorial complex was built and opened on May 9, 1995.
Main alley “Years of War”
The main alley “Years of War”, located between Victory Square and the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, consists of five terraces symbolizing the five years of war. 1418 fountains were erected over five water surfaces - the war lasted for so many days and blood was shed. In the center of the square is a stele 141.8 meters high, crowned by the goddess of victory Nike. At the foot of the obelisk, on a granite podium, there is a statue of St. George the Victorious, who kills a snake with a spear - a symbol of the victory of good over evil.
Victory Monument - obelisk on Pobediteley Square in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Gora
The project architect is Zurab Tsereteli, design and calculations are by TsNIIPSK, under the leadership of B.V. Ostroumov. An obelisk made of especially strong steel weighing 1000 tons and 141.8 meters high (10 centimeters for each day of the war), covered with bronze bas-reliefs. At a height of 122 meters, a 25-ton bronze figure of the goddess of victory Nike is attached to the stele. At the foot of the obelisk on a granite podium is a statue of St. George the Victorious slaying a dragon with a spear. The Victory Monument was opened on May 9, 1995 as part of the Victory Memorial Complex.
Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War
The main object of the complex is the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, founded in 1993 on the initiative of veterans of the Great Patriotic War. Opened on May 9, 1995 during the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Victory. The museum building was built according to the design of a group of architects headed by A.T. Polyansky. The general fund of the museum is 50 collections with a volume of more than 50 thousand items.
In front of the museum is Pobediteley Square, to which the central alley of Victory Park leads from Kutuzovsky Prospekt. In the museum building there is a Hall of Memory, in which Books of Memory are located in special display cases - 385 volumes in which the names of people who died in the war are written; Hall of Fame, six dioramas dedicated to the main events of the war. The museum's holdings include authentic weapons and military equipment, numismatics, philately and philocarty, household items, a large number of handwritten documentary and photographic materials, materials visual arts, telling about the Great Patriotic War, the joint struggle of countries anti-Hitler coalition against Germany and its allies. The museum houses the Victory Banner, hoisted on April 30, 1945 over the Reichstag in Berlin. Exposition of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
Hall of Memory
Hall of Memory on the ground floor. The sculptural group of Lev Kerbel “The Weeping Mother” based on Michelangelo’s “Pieta” is installed here. Monument to the victims of the Great Patriotic War. The woman bending over the defeated warrior in grief is a mother mourning her son, a brother’s sister, and a husband’s wife. This is the face of sadness, loss, grief, always experienced in its own way. But the sculpture also has a meaning that is common to all. Five hundred years ago, Michelangelo sculpted the Pieta from marble - “Christ, taken from the crucifixion, is stretched out on the knees of the Mother of God mourning him.” This plot is old, Christian, so the sculpture takes on a new meaning. The fallen warrior is mourned by the Mother of God, and he is like Christ, who sacrificed himself to save people. But that's not all. In the teachings of Orthodoxy, Rus', Russia is the home of the Mother of God. Hence the well-known concept - Motherland. She mourns for her Savior. In Russian icon painting there is a subject similar to the drink - the Assumption. The apostles and saints on earth mourn the Mother of God; appearing in the radiance of Glory, Christ takes her soul, in the form of a swaddled baby, to heaven. Along the walls in the Hall of Memory there are glass cabinets in which 385 volumes of the Book of Memory are stored, listing all those who died in the battles for the Motherland and those missing in action. Information about each of them can also be obtained using e-book In memory. The military-historical exhibition is located around the entire perimeter of the building. The central relic is a table from the Yalta Conference in 1945, where Stalin, Roosevelt and Churchill met.
Hall of Fame
The main one in the Pantheon of Victory Park is the Hall of Fame. At the top of the dome of the Hall of Fame is the Order of Victory. The Hall of Fame is decorated with the sculpture “Soldier - Winner”, created by sculptor V. Znoba. In the hall there are 6 dioramas created by famous masters of the Studio of Military Artists named after. M.B. Grekova: “Counteroffensive Soviet troops near Moscow in December 1941", "Union of Fronts. Stalingrad", "Siege of Leningrad", "Kursk Bulge", "Crossing the Dnieper", "Storm of Berlin". Carved on the marble walls of the hall are 11,717 names of war participants who were awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union, the highest award in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War.
Monument "Spirit of the Elbe"
Poklonnaya Mountain. Monument "Spirit of the Elbe". Dedicated to the meeting of the Allied forces on the Elbe River in April 1945. Installed in 1995, the Victory Park metro station. Types Photos Sights of Moscow. The monument was opened in 1995 in the western part of Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. Address: Poklonnaya Gora, Victory Park, Victory Park metro station. The monument “Spirit of the Elbe” is dedicated to the meeting of the Allied forces on the Elbe River in April 1945.
Monument to the Missing
In the mighty sculpture “Missing in Action”, standing on the alley of tankers, there is acute pain and suffering in the appearance of a wounded soldier, and in our hearts there is bitterness and sadness, because heroism and death always walk side by side. This monument perfectly conveys the suffering of soldiers in the war. These heroes are even heroes, because no one will know their names or see their faces at victory parades. The sculptor K. Sokolovsky conveyed all this in his creation in the best possible way. The Monument to the Missing was opened in 1995.
Monument "Tragedy of Nations"
The “Tragedy of Nations” monument is a monument to prisoners of fascist concentration camps, erected in 1997. Sculptor - Zurab Tsereteli. The height of the monument is 8 m. It was originally located on Victory Square.
Monument to Soldiers of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition
The monument to the Soldiers of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition was inaugurated on May 9, 2005 on Partizan Alley. Author - Mikhail Pereyaslavets. A 20-meter stele made of white marble, topped with the emblem of the United Nations (UN), is located in the center of the Alley of Partisans, one of the most beautiful alleys of Victory Park. At the foot of the stele there is a pedestal on which four bronze figures of soldiers of the USSR, USA, Great Britain and France rise.
Monument to “Spaniards-volunteers who fought in the Red Army and died in the fight against fascism during the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” The monument was erected in 2001 in the western part of Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. Architect A. Mikhe. Engineer S.I. Vorontsov.
Exhibition of military equipment
File:Voorug pgm.JPGIn Victory Park, a unique open-air exhibition of military equipment and engineering and fortification structures has been launched. More than 300 samples of heavy equipment of the USSR and its allies, Germany and its allies that took part in the battles are presented here.
See also: Official website: http://www.poklonnayagora.ru/
Monument to the soldiers of the Moscow Air Defense on the Square of Defenders of the Sky in Krylatskoye
Erected in 1995. The authors of the monument, sculptor L. E. Kerbel and architect E. G. Rozanov, immortalized the feat of all air defense heroes: pilots and sky scouts, anti-aircraft gunners, balloon barrage fighters. The monument is an expressive and laconic composition: in front is the figure of the Motherland with a baby in her arms, saving our future. As a historical background to the ongoing event, at a distance, 13 meters from this sculpture, there is a screen made of metal structures in the form of a stylized radar installation with bronze high reliefs, on it are genuine wartime anti-aircraft guns with episodes of the heroic defense of the Moscow sky. Here air battle, in which our fighter defeated the fascist vulture. Here are the girls in military uniform carrying a balloon along the embankment. All these are pictures of the war years. And on the back of the screen are the names of the air defense units that defended Moscow from fascist aviation.
Monument to the Fallen (Heroes - Defenders of the Motherland) at the Brest cinema. Address: st. Yartsevskaya, 21. Sculptor Alexander Burganov.
Memorial sign to the underground members of the Young Guard. Installed in the park near the church at the intersection of Molodogvardeyskaya and Yartsevskaya streets.
Molodogvardeyskaya Street is named in memory of the underground heroes of Krasnodon and their immortal feat during the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945.
Monuments those who died in the Great Patriotic War on the territories of enterprises Western District
Monument to those killed during the Great Patriotic War, workers of the Nogin factory. Installed on the factory premises. Address: Vitebskaya street, possession 9. The factory was transferred to Yuzhny administrative District in 2003. On the territory of the former factory there are representative offices of various companies.
Monument to those killed during the Great Patriotic War, MRTZ workers. Installed on the territory of MRTZ. Address: st. Vereiskaya, 29.
The monument to VILSA workers who died during the Great Patriotic War was opened in 1964. Address: Mozhaisky district of Moscow, st. Gorbunova, 2.
Monument to the workers of the Rublevsk waterworks who did not return from the battlefields during the Great Patriotic War. Installed on the territory of the Rublevskaya water station. Architect Podstavkin P.K.
Memorial to those who fell and died from wounds in the Great Patriotic War at the Kuntsevo cemetery
Memorial at the Common Grave of soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War and died from wounds. Installed on the initiative of enterprises of the Kuntsevo district at the Kuntsevo cemetery in honor of the 30th anniversary of the Victory in 1975. An eternal flame burns at the memorial. Address: Kuntsevo Cemetery (Ryabinovaya St.)
Memorial plaques to the heroes of the Great Patriotic War
Memorial plaque on Artamonov Street, houses No. 3 and No. 20, named in 1961 in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union Alexei Alekseevich Artamonov. School students, working on the project “Names of Heroes for the Streets of the Western District,” discovered an error in the name of the hero on the memorial plaque on houses No. 3 and No. 20 on Artamonova Street, and they contacted the district government. The head of the council, Anatoly Alekseevich Stolpovsky, supported the initiative: it was decided to eliminate the inaccuracy and install a new plaque in memory of Hero A.A. Artamonov to coincide with the Victory Day. May 9, 2007 new board. The opening ceremony was attended by the hero’s relatives - the wife of T.I.’s son. Artamonova, granddaughter Elena Vyacheslavovna and great-grandson Vasily.
A memorial plaque on Botylev Street in Rublevo is installed on the building former school No. 580, where the military unit defending Moscow was formed. The street is named in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Andreevich Botylev.
Memorial plaque on Bogdanov Street, building 50, named in honor of Marshal of the Armored Forces Semyon Ilyich Bogdanov.
The memorial plaque on Bolshaya Ochakovskaya Street, building 33, perpetuates the memory of the Hero of the Soviet Union, partisan Elena Fedorovna Kolesova.
Memorial plaque on Vatutina Street, house number 1, named in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union Nikolai Fedorovich Vatutin.
Memorial plaque on Klochkov Street, named in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Georgievich Klochkov.
Memorial plaque on Natasha Kovshova Street, house number 5/2, named in honor of Hero of the Soviet Union, Red Army sniper Natalia Venediktovna Kovshova.
Memorial plaque on Matrosov Street, house No. 1, named in honor of the Red Army private, Hero of the Soviet Union Alexander Matveevich Matrosov.
Memorial plaque on Marshal Nedelin Street, building 40, named in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union, Chief Marshal of Artillery Mitrofan Ivanovich Nedelin in 1961.
Memorial plaque on Pivchenkova Street, house number 10, named in honor of the Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Timofeevich Pivchenkov in 1961.
Memorial plaque on Polosukhina Street, house No. 4, bldg. 1 named in 1966 in honor of V.I. Polosukhin, division commander of the 32nd Infantry Division, glorified in the battles of Mozhaisk.
Memorial plaque on Rashchupkina Street, house number 25, named after the tankman, Hero of the Soviet Union, Andrei Ivanovich Rashchupkin, who lived in this house before the war.
Memorial plaque on Alexey Sviridov Street, building No. 1, named after the hero of the Soviet Union Alexey Andreevich Sviridov in 1965.
Memorial plaque on Tolbukhin Street, building 8, named in honor of Marshal - Hero of the Soviet Union Fedor Ivanovich Tolbukhin.
Of course, the Great Patriotic War left a huge mark on the history of our Motherland. For 68 years now, we have annually honored the memory of those killed on May 9th. We all know that throughout the vastness of Russia monuments to the Great Patriotic War were built in huge quantities. Below in the article we will look at the most famous of them, which are located in the hero cities of Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, Murmansk, Tula, Volgograd, Novorossiysk and Smolensk. It was these cities that became most famous for their brave defense during the hostilities of 1941-43.
Let's start with Moscow. All Muscovites will certainly say that the most significant for this city is Poklonnaya Hill, on which Victory Park is located. The park was inaugurated on May 9, 1995 during the celebration of Victory Day. Monuments to the Great Patriotic War located here include exhibitions military equipment, WWII and Holocaust museums, a memorial mosque and synagogue, and a temple. In addition to these monuments, there are other minor buildings that can be seen throughout Moscow.
Next, let's move on to St. Petersburg. Like in the capital, the “Venice of the North” also has Victory Park, but here it is presented in a duplicate: Primorsky, which is dedicated to naval victories, and Moscow, which is built as a holistic memory of the victory. The former does not stand out in any way, but the latter has on its territory a large number of buildings that are monuments to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Among them, monuments-busts of twice Heroes of Socialist Labor, natives of the city, are especially notable. Also worth noting is the Rotunda monument, memorial crosses and plaques, various sculptures and the Temporary Chapel. In addition to these parks, it is worth mentioning the “Breakthrough the Siege of Leningrad” museum-reserve, as well as the memorial museum “Defense and Siege of Leningrad”, which highlight the severity of the battles and the “snatching” of victory from the fascist invaders.
Tula is not particularly replete with monuments, however, it is worth noting the monument to the defenders of Tula in the Second World War, which is located on the Mound of Immortality in the city of Efremov, built at the residents’ own expense.
Certainly one of the greatest cities to show heroic defense and no less heroic counter-offensive - this is Volgograd. On the most famous hill, where bloody battles took place from September 1942 to January the following - Mamayev Kurgan, there is an architectural ensemble of monuments dedicated to the Second World War. It includes, perhaps, the most famous monument to the Second World War of Russia “The Motherland is Calling!”, which, by the way, is one of 3 squares (Square of Sorrow, Square of Heroes, Square of Those Who Stood to Death), Monumental relief, high relief “Memory of Generations” , Military cemetery, Ruin walls. Construction, during which many architects were involved, lasted almost 10 years, from 1959 to 1967.
Next, we will briefly examine the monuments to the Great Patriotic War in Smolensk. In Readovka Park there is the Mound of Immortality, which was built by Smolensk residents in memory of the soldiers who died during the Second World War and ordinary people. It was inaugurated on September 25, 1970. Not far from the Kurgan you can see the Eternal Flame, and in the park itself it was also built where thousands of warriors are buried. Among other monuments in Smolensk, the Great Patriotic War monument “Bayonet” is worthy of mention, which was erected in memory of the soldiers of the legendary 16th Army that defended the city in July 1941.
They keep the memory of the little people of the war. And even about God’s little creatures - camels, donkeys and pigeons who helped in the war. These are monuments to courage and a destroyed world. And hope, of course.
"We'll all come back to you"
Praskovya Eremeevna Volodichkina had nine sons go to the front in one draft. Six died in the war, three died of wounds barely returning home. And then Praskovya Eremeevna herself left - she could not stand the grief that came to her. And she didn’t even say goodbye to her youngest son, Nikolai. He was finishing active service in Transbaikalia, they were already waiting for him home, but their unit was immediately taken to the front. When he was passing the Volga, he threw a rolled-up note out of the window of the car: “Mom, dear mother. Don't worry, don't worry. Don't worry. We're going to the front. Let's defeat the fascists and we'll all come back to you. Wait. Yours Kolka.”
Isn't the film Saving Private Ryan about a similar impossible story? Such cruel coincidences, which people try not to believe (“A bomb does not fall into the same crater a second time!”) reveal the cruelty of time and fate. This is what it is - too much. But there were several such families in Russia, we just don’t know about them all. Here, in Alekseevka, a suburb of Samara, circumstances developed in a certain way. In the 1980s, school teacher Nina Kosareva, working at the same school where the Volodichkin brothers once studied, created an amateur memorial museum in one of the rooms of their former house. And the initiative to build the monument belongs to working group regional Book of Memory.
And now on the street of the former Krasnoarmeyskaya, and now the Volodichkin Brothers, a monument appeared - to Praskovya Eremeevna, Alexander, Andrey, Peter, Ivan, Vasily, Mikhail, Konstantin, Fedor and Nikolai.
Monument to the Crying Horse
It is called the “monument to the crying horse.” The orphaned, exhausted bronze horse bowed its head - mourning its rider, master, friend. These days, fortunately, we rarely see horses crying. There were many of them during the Great Patriotic War. Unfortunately, the cavalrymen were practically doomed to certain death. IN civil war, which ended (relative to the beginning of the Great Patriotic War) relatively recently - just some twenty years ago, it was the cavalry that formed the basis of the army. But between the 20s and 40s of the last century, progress, including military progress, developed at a rapid pace - much faster than army administration. And as a result, many horsemen went to the front, helpless in front of enemy tanks and planes. Ossetians have always been excellent horsemen. It is not surprising that many of the dead cavalry soldiers were among them.
Postman
Triangles of front letters. One of the symbols of the Great Patriotic War. They were read by the whole family, and in villages - sometimes by the whole street, they were kept in boxes, rivers of tears were shed over them - tears of faith, hope, love. The symbol is more rear than front. However, Corporal Ivan Leontyev, a forwarding postman of the 33rd Infantry Regiment of the 6th Red Banner Rifle Division, immortalized on this monument, died in 1944 just at the front. He was delivering mail to the front line and came under enemy artillery fire. The last letter that Ivan Leontyev himself sent home is dated January 1944. Postman Leontyev was not a special hero - and he was, of course. But he became a symbol of the profession because his military fate was typical. He was awarded a medal - like many of his fellow army postmen; Many times, under fire, he brought letters from relatives to soldiers in the trenches; they were waiting for him, along with his bag full of letters - and the weight of a front-line postman’s bag on average was equal to the weight of a machine gun. This is what employees, veterans, heads of Russian Post branches said at the opening ceremony - everyone who participated in thinking about and discussing the monument. The monument was created with the participation of the Russian Post.
Bear and Masha
The hardships of wartime are when Astrakhan steppe camels are used as draft force. But there was such a thing. In particular, the camels Mishka and Mashka took part in the legendary Battle of Stalingrad and reached from the Lower Volga region to Berlin. Now they are cast in bronze, in their usual environment - next to a military weapon and a soldier with a machine gun on his knees, who sat down to rest. And one of the camels, without hesitation, followed his example. Tired.
Bronze fashion magazine page
There is a wide bronze stele, and on it, as if on an ordinary clothes hanger, women’s clothes are hanging on hooks. There are 17 sets in total, like a bronze page from a fashion magazine. There is only one difference, and it is very significant - these are not fashionable toilets, but uniform women who participated in the Second World War. These are work overalls, driver's overalls, welder's protective clothing, medical uniform... Helmets, jackets, riding breeches. This monument is called very simply - Women in the Second World War.
The war changed the lives of seven million British housewives. They replaced men - and became firefighters, fighters air defense, workers of the “women’s land army” and defense factories, drivers and mechanics. And the inscription on the monument used the font from wartime food cards.
The creation of this monument was proposed by retired Major David McNally Robertson in 1997. The idea was supported by the Speaker of the House of Commons, Baroness Betty Boothroyd, who became a patron of the project and raised money for it on the TV show “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?” About £1 million was given by Queen Elizabeth II, who herself worked as a driver during the war. The remaining funds were provided by various charitable foundations.
Bronze Shoes Embankment
Flowers are placed not only in crystal vases, but also in bronze shoes, tightly screwed to the Danube embankment. A total of 60 pairs - men's, children's and women's, new, elegant, trampled, old-fashioned. In 1944 - 1945, there were also many pairs of shoes here, only not bronze ones, but real ones - both worn out and sewn according to the latest fashion of the forties. Made to serve their owners for a long time, to make them beautiful and elegant, so that they can walk comfortably. But the fate of these shoes - and the whole world - turned out differently. Before being shot, people driven to the banks of the Danube were forced to take off their shoes so that the shoes would not disappear. She didn't disappear - people disappeared.
All donkeys go to heaven
Not only people fought and died. This monument is dedicated to animals who participated in World War II. It is not surprising that he appeared in England - a country where the Mary Dickin Medal, the highest military award for animals, exists. It depicts carrier pigeons, a dog, camels, horses, a mule, an elephant, a wolf, a cow and a cat. And the medal - it was first awarded in 1942 - was awarded to 60 animals: dogs, pigeons, donkeys, an elephant, and one cat.
The cat who received the highest honor was named Simon (circa 1947 - November 28, 1948). He was a ship's cat from the sloop of war Amethyst of the Royal Navy. He was awarded "for boosting the morale" of sailors during the Yangtze River Incident and for keeping the ship's supplies rat-free. During a military clash, the cat was wounded.
The inscription “They had no choice” is laconic and more than eloquent. The monument was erected with private donations.
Terkin - who is he?
The most famous fictional front-line soldier is Vasily Terkin, invented and sung by Alexander Tvardovsky. Both of them - the author and his hero - are sitting on a bivouac in the center of Smolensk - Tvardovsky’s homeland - and are cheerfully joking about something. Thus, Vasily Terkin, as it were, became incarnate, from something imagined he became real - a symbol of an apt word, consolation, perseverance, humility and good spirits - everything that is so necessary in war.
Pigeons
Vitya Cherevichkin lived in Rostov,
He did very well at school.
And in my free time I always usually
Released my favorite pigeons.
This song was sung by the entire post-war country. During the occupation of Rostov-on-Don, the Germans strictly forbade civilians from raising pigeons, equating them to radio transmitters - they were afraid of using pigeon mail. The feat of the teenager Vitya Cherevichkin was that, being an avid pigeon-keeper, he drew diagrams of the location of German units in the city, and transported them with pigeons to his brother in Bataysk. For this he was shot. According to another version, he simply defended his own dovecote from the invaders. And this in no way detracts from his merits - you need to have great courage to defend your dovecote from the enemy.
The most faithful friend
And yet man's most faithful friend is a dog. Everywhere - in warmth, in trouble, in sorrow, and in joy. Including at the front. There is nothing to add here.
Doll and teapot
Three children dressed warmly and very uncomfortably. A girl is holding an old, ugly, beloved doll. The boy is holding a large teapot. He is the eldest in this group, he needs to take care of the others. These are kids besieged Leningrad. And the monument itself stands in Omsk. Why? This is indicated by the signature on the pedestal: “More than 17 thousand children were evacuated from besieged Leningrad to the Omsk region.” This is how they were brought - exhausted, pulled out from their family (if the family was still intact, alive), rescued. They were taken along the legendary Road of Life and at the risk of this very life that had just begun.
Lidice
And again - children, children, children. In total - eighty-two children; their figures are cast in bronze in life-size. This is exactly how many children - 40 boys and 42 girls - were killed by the Nazis in 1942 in the Czech mining village of Lidice. The village itself was completely destroyed. This is a very laconic, very simple, strong monument.
In the Moscow region there are about three thousand monuments dedicated to the battles of the Great Patriotic War. Some are famous all over the world, others, small but embodying significant events, are not even known local residents. On the eve of Victory Day celebrations, we have selected for you several places with an unusual history.
"Feat 28"
Olga Razgulyaeva / Moscow region today
The memorial complex in Dubosekovo was created in May 1975, on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the Victory. On the memorial plate is carved: “Defending Moscow in the harsh November days of 1941, at this point in a fierce battle with the fascist invaders, 28 Panfilov heroes fought to the death and defeated.” Six ten-meter figures represent representatives of six nationalities who fought here.
According to the official version, when the Germans began to attack Moscow, 28 soldiers from the 4th company of the 2nd battalion of the 1075th rifle regiment, led by political instructor Klochkov, were defending a crossing near the village of Dubosekovo. During the four-hour battle, they destroyed 18 enemy tanks, and all were killed. Historians have noted many inconsistencies in this story; many are sure that there were more fighters, and that not all were killed. However, to this day the story of the 28 Panfilov men remains one of the most famous stories about the war.
By the way, famous phrase“Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat - Moscow is behind” is attributed to political instructor Klochkov.
"Peremilovskaya height"
Wilberus/Wikimedia.org
This place, within the boundaries of modern Yakhroma, received its current name in 1941. The Germans had no doubt that they would easily take this line, because the famous 7th Panzer Division was on the offensive, capturing Paris on the move. Our soldiers had almost nothing to fight back with: the company holding the defense on the western outskirts of Yakhroma did not even have hand grenades in its arsenal. The Germans captured the city, crossed the canal. Moscow, gained a foothold on its eastern bank and rushed to Peremilovo. Standing in their way were soldiers of the 3rd battalion of the 29th Rifle Brigade, led by Lieutenant Lermontov. A fierce battle broke out: German tanks accompanied by infantry on one side, and a handful of soldiers with two guns on the other.
At this time, the commander of the First Shock Army, Lieutenant General Kuznetsov, was in Dmitrov. At his disposal were only a rifle brigade, one armored train, the Dmitrov construction battalion and a Katyusha battalion with one ammunition load. With this reserve we decided to go to the rescue. The first battle did not bring any results, but on the morning of November 29, under cover of darkness, Soviet soldiers burst into the village. The enemy, having lost several dozen soldiers from the 14th motorized division and 20 tanks of the 7th tank division, retreated in disarray to the western bank of the canal. There was no more chance to quickly attack Moscow from the north.
In 1966, in the year of the 25th anniversary of the Battle of Moscow, a bronze monument was erected on Peremilovskaya Heights. And later, the poet Robert Rozhdestvensky, at the request of the residents of Yakhrom, wrote a six-line poem, the lines of which are now carved on a granite pedestal:
Remember:
From this threshold
In an avalanche of smoke, blood and adversity,
The road began here in '41
In victorious
Forty-fifth year.
Monument to Podolsk cadets
Wikipedia.org
It was erected in honor of the feat of the commanders and cadets of the military schools of Podolsk, who, together with the 43rd Army, defended the southwestern approaches to Moscow.
In 1939-1940, artillery and infantry schools were created in Podolsk. Before the start of the war, more than three thousand cadets studied there. On October 5, 1941, almost two thousand artillery cadets and one and a half thousand infantry school cadets were alerted and sent to the defense of Maloyaroslavets. For several days they held back the advance of the Germans, who were many times superior in strength. On October 13, enemy tanks approached with red flags, but the deception was discovered and the attack was repulsed. Soon, German troops captured the defensive lines in the Ilyinsky combat area, and almost all the cadets holding the defense there were killed. Only on October 25, those who remained were taken from the battlefield and sent on foot to finish their studies in Ivanovo. By that time, almost 2.5 thousand people had died.
Tank T-34 in Kalinovo
Tomcat/pomnivoinu.ru
The memorial in the Serpukhov region was erected in memory of tanker Dmitry Lavrinenko and his crew. After the battles near Mtsensk, the 4th Tank Brigade was transferred near Moscow, to the Volokolamsk direction. However, 105 kilometers from the capital, one tank was missing: Lavrinenko’s crew, which had previously been left to guard the headquarters of the 50th Army, arrived only a day later. It turned out that although the tankers were released to catch up with the brigade, they were unable to reach their own people along the road clogged with vehicles.
When the crew arrived in Serpukhov, a large reconnaissance detachment was already heading towards the city - a battalion of Germans on motorcycles, three vehicles with guns and one headquarters vehicle. The city had only a fighter battalion in reserve, in which old men and teenagers served. And then one of the soldiers remembered - there were tankers in the city! The commandant assigned Lavrinenko the task of stopping the enemy.
Having camouflaged the car at the edge of the forest in the area of present-day Protvino, the tankers began to wait for the Germans. They were so confident in themselves that they did not even send reconnaissance. Having brought the lead vehicle closer to 150 meters, Lavrinenko shot the column at point-blank range. Two guns were immediately destroyed, and the German artillerymen tried to deploy the third, but Lavrinenko gave the command to ram. The tank jumped out onto the road and, crashing into trucks with infantry, crushed the last gun. The commandant of Serpukhov received 13 machine guns, six mortars, 10 motorcycles with sidecars, an anti-tank gun with full ammunition, and several prisoners. The German staff bus allowed Firsov to be taken to the brigade. There were documents and maps there, which were immediately sent to Moscow.
Monument to Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya on Minsk Highway
histrf.ru
Installed near the village of Petrishchevo, where partisan detachment Zoya Kosmodemyanskaya was discovered by the Germans, and Zoya herself was tortured and killed. The girl’s body hung in the middle of the village to intimidate residents for more than a month (according to other sources, three days). She was buried in the nearby forest. In May 1942, Zoya's ashes were transferred with military honors from Petrishchevo to the Novodevichy cemetery in Moscow; By decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, she was posthumously awarded the title of Hero of the Soviet Union. Now her memorial museum is open in Petrishchevo.
Anti-tank hedgehogs in Khimki
Snezny Bars / Wikimedia.org
Installed on December 6, 1966 at the 23rd kilometer of the Leningradskoye Highway in honor of the 25th anniversary of the defeat fascist army near Khimki. To erect this memorial made of iron, stone and reinforced concrete, the swamp had to be drained on site and piles driven in. The composition is dedicated to four Moscow and one Ivanovo-Voznesensk divisions of the people's militia, which defended the capital in the autumn days of 1941.
Monument to the Soldier-Liberator in Serpukhov
memory-map.prosv.ru
The author's 2.5-meter model of the famous Vuchetich monument, installed in the German Treptow Park. The sculptor recalled how, after the Potsdam conference, he was called by Klement Voroshilov and offered to prepare a project for the ensemble, dedicated to victory. Someone suggested that Stalin signed the declaration, which means he should be in the center, the sculptor decided. He made the project, but was dissatisfied with it. And then he decided to create a second one as an experiment - a Russian soldier carrying a German girl out of the fire in his arms. He smashes the swastika with his machine gun.
They say that Stalin studied both models for a long time. “Listen, Vuchetich, aren’t you tired of this... with the mustache?” he said, pointing his mouthpiece at the main project. And I chose the second one. He only advised me to give the soldier something more eternal and symbolic than a machine gun. This is how the warrior-liberator got a sword.
In 1964, a model of the sculpture was brought from Berlin to Serpukhov, where since 2008 it has been installed on Cathedral Hill near the mass grave. There are also smaller copies of the monument in Vereya, near Moscow, in Sovetsk Kaliningrad region and in Tver.
Vasily Terkin in gold
DeerChum/Wikimapia.org
The gilded monument to a soldier with an accordion in Orekhovo-Zuevo actually represents a very specific person. This is Vasily Terkin, who, with the light hand of Tvardovsky, became the personification of a simple Russian guy during the Great Patriotic War. Tvardovsky began working on the poem and the image of the main character in 1939-1940, as a correspondent for the Leningrad Military District newspaper “On Guard of the Motherland” during the Finnish campaign. The name of the hero and his image were invented jointly by the editorial board of the newspaper. In particular, Samuil Marshak helped. In 2015, the Russian Reporter magazine awarded the poem 28th place in the Top 100 most popular poems in Russia.
Memorial of Glory.(Orsk)
The Memorial of Glory is located in the Leninsky district on Victory Square near Mira Avenue.
Opened on May 9, 1965. In 1967, the Eternal Flame was lit. The memorial was built on the mass grave of soldiers of the Soviet army who died during the Great Patriotic War in Orsky hospitals (1941-1945). On April 27, 1965, the remains of 216 soldiers were reburied from a closed city cemetery at the site of the future memorial in 12 urns. Initially, a block of unpolished Orsk variegated jasper and a bronze plaque was installed, on which the monument was depicted in relief Soviet soldier in Berlin's Treptower Park. A bowl with the Eternal Flame was installed in front of the stone. The entire structure was placed on a concrete pedestal. The authors of the monument are Orsk architects E.Ya. Markov, B.G. Zavodovsky, A.N. Silin. In 1975, the monument was reconstructed: the mass grave was lined with polished red Orsk jasper.
In its center is the Eternal Flame, above which hangs a bronze wreath of Glory. Behind the grave there is a wall of black stone with an inscription "Motherland! The Russian land, watered with the blood of its soldiers, honors their memory forever". Behind the wall there were spruce trees. Authors: Orsk architects P.P. Priymak, G.I. Sokolov, V.N. Yakimov. During the reconstruction of the memorial in 1988, the lining of the military grave was replaced with a green-black coil; marble slabs with the names of soldiers who died in Orsky hospitals, Orchan soldiers who died on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War, and those who died in Afghanistan were installed along the perimeter of the memorial.
The black stone inscription is transferred to white marble slabs in the center of the memorial.
In 1995, additional memorial pylons were installed with the names of Orchans who died in 1941 - 1945, in Afghan war 1979-1989, in hot spots of Russia ( North Caucasus) in the 1990s.
In April - August 2000, the Glory Square was reconstructed, a second line of pylons was installed, where more than 8,000 additional names of Orchan residents who died in hostilities were added. The main part of the memorial complex is equipped with lawns, flower beds and plantings of deciduous and coniferous trees.
On May 8, 2008, on the eve of Victory Day, the opening of the Alley of Heroes took place on the territory of Glory Square. The memorial has changed its appearance for the fourth time and is becoming better and more significant.
The idea of this project appeared back in the eighties of the last century. Then, taking into account the wishes of war veterans, the chief artist of Orsk P. Priymak worked on a project for the reconstruction of the square and envisaged opening the Alley of Heroes. But it was only now possible to install nine bronze busts of Heroes of the Soviet Union and two Heroes of Russia, thanks to the decision of the current head of the city.
Preparations for the implementation of the alley project began in 2008, when the necessary photographic materials were sent to Chelyabinsk. The busts of the Orchan heroes were sculpted by a creative group of Chelyabinsk sculptors under the leadership of the chairman of the Chelyabinsk branch of the Union of Artists of Russia E. Vargot. Professionals managed to convey not only the external similarity of the defenders of the Motherland, but also their character. As the sculptors themselves assure, the images were created based on the personal history of each hero. The bronze busts, weighing about 2 tons each, were installed on granite pedestals by specialists from the Requiem municipal unitary enterprise.
On the pylons erected on both sides of the alley are the names of the heroes of the Orsk land who won the Victory and defended the freedom of not only Russians, but also other peoples.
Literature
- Memorial of Glory // Orsk City Encyclopedia. - Orenburg, 2007. - P. 219.
- Post No. 1 // Orsk City Encyclopedia. - Orenburg, 2007. - P. 234 - 235.
- Memorial of Glory: photograph // Orsk: photo album. - M. 1995. - P. 87.
- Ivanov, A. Bust of the Hero joined the Walk of Fame / A. Ivanov // Orskaya Gazeta. - 2008. - September 5. - P. 2.
- Svetushkova, L. “Heritage” - to the city / L. Svetushkova // Orskaya Chronicle. - 2008. - September 5. - P. 2.
- Goncharenko, V. Ten busts of War Heroes are installed on columns / V. Goncharenko // Orskaya Chronicle. - 2008. - April 22. - P. 1, 2.
- Rezepkina, N. The living need this / N. Rezepkina // New Vedomosti. - 2007. - May 9. - P. 3.
- Efimova, T. without the past there is no future / T. Efimova // Orskaya Chronicle. - 2000. - August 31. - P. 2.
- Karandeev, A. Orchan residents laid flowers at the renovated memorial / A. Karandeev // Orskaya Chronicle. - 2000. - May 13. - P. 2.