“Motherland” is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sculpture-statue in the world at the time of its creation. Its total height is 85 meters, weight is 8000 tons. Today the legendary statue is in disrepair.
Motherland
Why was this particular image used when creating the monument to the heroic defense of Stalingrad? There is an opinion that Evgeniy Vuchetich took the image of the Nike of Samothrace as the basis for the sculpture; the bas-relief of the Marseillaise in Paris, which also depicts a woman with a sword, could also have influenced the creative concept. The very image of the “Motherland” became one of the main images of Soviet propaganda after Irakli Taidze created, perhaps, the most famous propaganda poster of the Great Patriotic War in 1941. Patriotic War"The Motherland is calling." The sculpture on Mamayev Kurgan is thus an allegorical image of the Motherland, calling its sons to fight the enemy. Evgeniy Vuchetich did not come to this image right away. Initially, the project assumed the presence of two figures (a woman and a kneeling soldier); in her hand the Motherland was supposed to hold not a sword, but a red banner.
Construction of the monument began in May 1959 and was completed on October 15, 1967. At the time of its creation, the sculpture was the tallest monument in the world. Its total height is 85 meters, weight is 8 thousand tons. The calculations for the monument were made by Nikolai Nikitin, who had previously taken part in the design of Moscow State University and Ostankino Tower. The height of the statue was determined by Nikita Khrushchev, who categorically stated that it should be higher than the Statue of Liberty in the United States. In comparison with the height of a person, the figure of the “Motherland” is increased 30 times. Today “Motherland” ranks 11th in the ranking of the tallest statues in the world. Restoration work on the Main monument of the monument-ensemble was carried out twice: in 1972 and 1986.
Sword of Victory
The sword in the hands of the “Motherland” has a connection with others famous monuments. It is implied that this sword is the same sword that the worker hands over to the warrior depicted on the "Rear to Front" monument (Magnitogorsk), and which is then dropped by the "Warrior Liberator" in Berlin. The sword, originally 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was made of stainless steel covered with titanium sheets. However, the titanium plating sheets rattled in the wind, created unnecessary windage and could lead to undesirable consequences. In 1972, the blade of the sword was replaced during restoration - with one consisting entirely of fluorinated steel.
Grave More than 35 thousand people are buried on the Mamevo mound. Of the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, the struggle for this height lasted 135 days. Even in winter, Mamayev Kurgan remained black from bomb explosions, for one square meter there were from half a thousand to 1200 fragments and bullets. In the spring of 1943, the grass never grew here. On the Mamayev Kurgan, at the foot of the “Motherland”, the commander of the 62nd Army, Marshal, was also buried Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov. Vasily Ivanovich expressed his desire to be buried here in his will.
Prototypes
Until now, there are several versions about who Vuchetich “sculpted” his sculpture from. On the eve of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, 79-year-old resident of Barnaul Anastasia Peshkova announced that she was the prototype. In 2003, Valentina Izotova, who worked as a waitress at the Volgograd restaurant, said exactly the same thing. Another contender for the title of prototype of the “Motherland” was former artistic gymnast Ekaterina Grebneva, but she, unlike previous contenders, believes that she was not the only model, and the image of the “Motherland” is still collective. Former deputy director of the monument-ensemble “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” Valentina Klyushina expressed a different opinion: “Evgeniy Viktorovich made the figure from Nina Dumbadze, the famous discus thrower. She posed for him in Moscow, in his workshop. But Evgeniy Viktorovich did not go far to find the face of the sculpture. He created it with his wife, Vera Nikolaevna. And sometimes he affectionately called the sculpture by his wife’s name – Verochka.”
Without foundation
Despite its enormous weight (8,000 tons), “Motherland” is a free-standing structure. Inside it consists of separate cells. The rigidity of the frame is maintained by ninety-nine metal cables, which are constantly in tension. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the sculpture is only 25-30 centimeters.
Materials
“Motherland” was cast layer by layer using special formwork made from gypsum materials, prestressed reinforced concrete blocks consisting of 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal. And this is weight without foundation. The monument stands on a slab 2 meters high, which is installed on a main foundation 16 meters high, almost completely hidden underground. To make the figure look even more monumental, an artificial embankment 14 meters high and weighing 150 thousand tons was also made at the top point of Mamayev Kurgan.
Green light
The entire time the statue was being built, there was a need for a continuous supply of concrete; even a slight delay could compromise the strength of the multi-ton structure. Trucks transporting concrete to the construction site were marked with special signs. Drivers were allowed to break the rules traffic, they could even drive through a red light without fear of being stopped by traffic police officers.
Copy of the statue
At Evgeniy Vuchetich’s dacha in the Timiryazevsky district of Moscow, where his workshop used to be, and today the sculptor’s house-museum operates, you can see a small copy of the statue - a model, working sketches, as well as a life-size model of the head of the sculpture.
Bias
Ivan Bukreev, foreman of the former Stalingradgidrostroy, a builder with 50 years of experience, said in 2010 that “Motherland” needed to be saved, since it had already deviated from the 270 millimeters laid down in the project by 221 millimeters. The monument tilts for two reasons: the movement of the foundation and the deformation of the figure itself. The situation is also aggravated by vibrations of the sword due to wind loads. Restorer Vadim Tserkovnikov also believes that “Motherland” is in disrepair. In his interview with MK in 2013, when asked whether the sculpture could fall, he directly answered: “Easily! She is unpredictable!
“Motherland” is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sculpture-statue in the world at the time of its creation. Its total height is 85 meters, weight is 8000 tons. Today the legendary statue is in disrepair.
1 Motherland
Why was this particular image used when creating the monument to the heroic defense of Stalingrad? There is an opinion that Evgeniy Vuchetich took the image of the Nike of Samothrace as the basis for the sculpture; the bas-relief of the Marseillaise in Paris, which also depicts a woman with a sword, could also have influenced the creative concept.
The very image of the “Motherland” became one of the main images of Soviet propaganda after, in 1941, Irakli Taidze created perhaps the most famous propaganda poster of the Great Patriotic War, “The Motherland Calls.”
The sculpture on Mamayev Kurgan is thus an allegorical image of the Motherland, calling its sons to fight the enemy.
Evgeniy Vuchetich did not come to this image right away. Initially, the project assumed the presence of two figures (a woman and a kneeling soldier); in her hand the Motherland was supposed to hold not a sword, but a red banner.
2 Dimensions
Construction of the monument began in May 1959 and was completed on October 15, 1967. At the time of its creation, the sculpture was the tallest monument in the world. Its total height is 85 meters, weight is 8 thousand tons. The calculations for the monument were made by Nikolai Nikitin, who had previously taken part in the design of Moscow State University and the Ostankino Tower.
The height of the statue was determined by Nikita Khrushchev, who categorically stated that it should be higher than the Statue of Liberty in the United States. In comparison with the height of a person, the figure of the “Motherland” is increased 30 times.
Today “Motherland” ranks 11th in the ranking of the tallest statues in the world.
Restoration work on the Main monument of the monument-ensemble was carried out twice: in 1972 and 1986.
3 Sword of Victory
The sword in the hands of the “Motherland” has a connection with other famous monuments. It is implied that this sword is the same sword that the worker hands over to the warrior depicted on the "Rear to Front" monument (Magnitogorsk), and which is then dropped by the "Warrior Liberator" in Berlin.
The sword, originally 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was made of stainless steel covered with titanium sheets. However, the titanium plating sheets rattled in the wind, created unnecessary windage and could lead to undesirable consequences. In 1972, the blade of the sword was replaced during restoration - with one consisting entirely of fluorinated steel.
4 Grave
More than 35 thousand people are buried on the Mamevo Kurgan. Of the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, the struggle for this height lasted 135 days. Even in winter, Mamaev Kurgan remained black from bomb explosions; there were from five hundred to 1,200 fragments and bullets per square meter. In the spring of 1943, the grass never grew here.
On the Mamayev Kurgan, at the foot of the “Motherland”, the commander of the 62nd Army, Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov was also buried. Vasily Ivanovich expressed his desire to be buried here in his will.
5 Prototypes
Until now, there are several versions about who Vuchetich “sculpted” his sculpture from.
On the eve of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in the Battle of Stalingrad, 79-year-old resident of Barnaul Anastasia Peshkova announced that she was the prototype. In 2003, Valentina Izotova, who worked as a waitress at the Volgograd restaurant, said exactly the same thing. Another contender for the title of prototype of the “Motherland” was former artistic gymnast Ekaterina Grebneva, but she, unlike previous contenders, believes that she was not the only model, and the image of the “Motherland” is still collective.
Former deputy director of the monument-ensemble “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” Valentina Klyushina expressed a different opinion: “Evgeniy Viktorovich made the figure from Nina Dumbadze, the famous discus thrower. She posed for him in Moscow, in his workshop. But Evgeniy Viktorovich did not go far to find the face of the sculpture. He created it with his wife, Vera Nikolaevna. And sometimes he affectionately called the sculpture by his wife’s name – Verochka.”
6 Without foundation
Despite its enormous weight (8,000 tons), “Motherland” is a free-standing structure. Inside it consists of separate cells. The rigidity of the frame is maintained by ninety-nine metal cables, which are constantly in tension. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the sculpture is only 25-30 centimeters.
7 Materials
“Motherland” was cast layer by layer using special formwork made from gypsum materials, prestressed reinforced concrete blocks consisting of 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal. And this is weight without foundation.
The monument stands on a slab 2 meters high, which is installed on a main foundation 16 meters high, almost completely hidden underground. To make the figure look even more monumental, an artificial embankment 14 meters high and weighing 150 thousand tons was also made at the top point of Mamayev Kurgan.
8 Green light
The entire time the statue was being built, there was a need for a continuous supply of concrete; even a slight delay could compromise the strength of the multi-ton structure.
Trucks transporting concrete to the construction site were marked with special signs. Drivers were allowed to violate traffic rules; they could even drive through “red lights” without fear of being stopped by traffic police officers.
9 Copy of the statue
At Evgeniy Vuchetich’s dacha in the Timiryazevsky district of Moscow, where his workshop used to be, and today the sculptor’s house-museum operates, you can see a small copy of the statue - a model, working sketches, as well as a life-size model of the head of the sculpture.
10 Offset
Ivan Bukreev, foreman of the former Stalingradgidrostroy, a builder with 50 years of experience, said in 2010 that “Motherland” needed to be saved, since it had already deviated from the 270 millimeters laid down in the project by 221 millimeters. The monument tilts for two reasons: the movement of the foundation and the deformation of the figure itself. The situation is also aggravated by vibrations of the sword due to wind loads.
Restorer Vadim Tserkovnikov also believes that “Motherland” is in disrepair. In his interview with MK in 2013, when asked whether the sculpture could fall, he directly answered: “Easily! She is unpredictable!
Few people know that one of the most famous and tallest Soviet sculptures, “The Motherland Calls!”, which was installed in Volgograd on the Mamayev Kurgan, is only the second part of a composition that consists of three elements at once. This triptych (a work of art consisting of three parts and united by a common idea) also includes the monuments: “Rear to Front”, which is installed in Magnitogorsk and “Warrior-Liberator”, located in Treptower Park in Berlin. All three sculptures have one common element - the Sword of Victory.
Two of the three monuments of the triptych - “Warrior-Liberator” and “Motherland Calls!” - belong to the hand of one master, the monumental sculptor Evgeniy Viktorovich Vuchetich, who turned to the theme of the sword three times in his work. The third monument to Vuchetich, which does not belong to this series, was erected in New York in front of the UN headquarters. The composition, entitled “Let's Beat Swords into Plowshares,” shows us a worker beating a sword into a plow. The sculpture itself was supposed to symbolize the desire of all people of the world to fight for disarmament and the triumph of peace on Earth.
The first part of the trilogy “Rear to Front”, located in Magnitogorsk, symbolizes the Soviet rear, which ensured the country’s victory in that terrible war. In the sculpture, a worker hands a sword to a Soviet soldier. It is implied that this is the Sword of Victory, which was forged and raised in the Urals, and was later raised by the “Motherland” in Stalingrad. The city in which a radical turning point in the war occurred, and Nazi Germany suffered one of its most significant defeats. The third monument of the “Warrior-Liberator” series lowers the Sword of Victory in the very lair of the enemy - in Berlin.
The reasons why Magnitogorsk had such an honor - to become the first Russian city, in which a monument to home front workers was erected, should not surprise anyone. According to statistics, every second tank and every third shell during the war was fired from Magnitogorsk steel. Hence the symbolism of this monument - a defense plant worker stationed in the East hands over a forged sword to a front-line soldier who is sent to the West. Where the trouble came from.
Later, this sword forged in the rear will rise up in Stalingrad on the Mamayev Kurgan “Motherland”. In the place where the turning point in the war took place. And at the end of the composition, the “Warrior-Liberator” will lower his sword on the swastika in the very center of Germany, in Berlin, completing the defeat of the fascist regime. A beautiful, laconic and very logical composition that unites the three most famous Soviet monuments dedicated to the Great Patriotic War.
Despite the fact that the Sword of Victory began its journey in the Urals and ended in Berlin, the triptych monuments were built in the reverse order. Thus, the monument “Warrior Liberator” was erected in Berlin in the spring of 1949, the construction of the monument “The Motherland Calls!” ended in the fall of 1967. And the first monument of the “Rear to Front” series was ready only in the summer of 1979.
"Rear to Front"
Monument "Rear to Front"
The authors of this monument were sculptor Lev Golovnitsky and architect Yakov Belopolsky. To create the monument, two main materials were used - granite and bronze. The height of the monument is 15 meters, while outwardly it looks much more impressive. This effect is created by the fact that the monument is located on a high hill. The central part of the monument is a composition that consists of two figures: a worker and a soldier. The worker is oriented to the east (in the direction where the Magnitogorsk Iron and Steel Works was located), and the warrior is looking to the west. Where the main events took place fighting during the Great Patriotic War. The rest of the monument in Magnitogorsk is Eternal flame, which was made in the form of a star-flower made of granite.
On the bank of the river, to install the monument, an artificial hill was erected, the height of which was 18 meters (the base of the hill was specially reinforced with reinforced concrete piles so that it could withstand the weight of the installed monument and would not collapse over time). The monument was made in Leningrad, and in 1979 it was installed on site. The monument was also supplemented with two trapezoids the height of a man, on which were listed the names of residents of Magnitogorsk who received the title of Hero of the Soviet Union during the war. In 2005, another part of the monument was opened. This time the composition was supplemented by two triangles, on which you can read the names of all residents of Magnitogorsk who died during the fighting in 1941-1945 (in total, a little more than 14 thousand names are listed).
"Rear to Front"
Monument “The Motherland Calls!”
Monument “The Motherland Calls!” located in the city of Volgograd and is the compositional center of the monument-ensemble “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad”, which is located on Mamayev Kurgan. This statue is considered one of the tallest on the planet. Today she ranks 11th in the Guinness Book of Records. At night, the monument is effectively illuminated by floodlights. This sculpture was created according to the design of the sculptor E.V. Vuchetich and engineer N.V. Nikitin. The sculpture on Mamayev Kurgan represents the figure of a woman standing with a sword raised up. This monument is a collective allegorical image The Motherland, which calls on everyone to unite in order to defeat the enemy.
Drawing some analogy, we can compare the statue “The Motherland is Calling!” with the ancient goddess of victory Nike of Samothrace, who also called on her children to repel the forces of the invaders. Subsequently, the silhouette of the sculpture “The Motherland Calls!” was placed on the coat of arms and flag Volgograd region. It is worth noting that the peak for the construction of the monument was created artificially. Before this, the highest point of Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd was an area that was located 200 meters from the current peak. Currently, there is the Church of All Saints there.
“The Motherland is calling!”
The creation of the monument in Volgograd, excluding the pedestal, took 2,400 tons of metal structures and 5,500 tons of concrete. In this case, the total height sculptural composition amounted to 85 meters (according to other sources, 87 meters). Before starting construction of the monument, a foundation for the statue, 16 meters deep, was dug on Mamayev Kurgan, and a two-meter slab was installed on this foundation. The height of the 8,000-ton statue itself was 52 meters. In order to ensure the necessary rigidity of the statue's frame, 99 metal cables were used, which are in constant tension. The thickness of the walls of the monument, made of reinforced concrete, does not exceed 30 cm; the internal surface of the monument consists of separate chambers that resemble the structures of a residential building.
Initially, the 33-meter sword, which weighed 14 tons, was made of stainless steel in a titanium sheath. But the huge size of the statue led to strong swinging of the sword, which was especially noticeable in windy weather. As a result of such impacts, the structure gradually deformed, the titanium plating sheets began to shift, and when the structure rocked, an unpleasant metallic grinding sound appeared. To eliminate this phenomenon, in 1972, the reconstruction of the monument was organized. During the work, the sword blade was replaced with another one, which was made of fluorinated steel, with holes made in the upper part, which were supposed to reduce the windage effect of the structure.
“The Motherland is calling!”
Once the main sculptor of the monument, Evgeniy Vuchetich, told Andrei Sakharov about his own famous sculpture“The Motherland is calling!” “Often my superiors asked me why a woman’s mouth was open, it’s ugly,” said Vuchetich. To this question, the famous sculptor answered: “And she screams - for the Motherland... your mother!”
Monument "Warrior-Liberator"
On May 8, 1949, on the eve of the fourth anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany, the grand opening of a monument to Soviet soldiers who died during the assault on the German capital took place in Berlin. The “Warrior Liberator” monument was erected in Berlin’s Treptow Park. Its sculptor was E. V. Vuchetich, and its architect was Ya. B. Belopolsky. The monument was opened on May 8, 1949, the height of the sculpture of the warrior itself was 12 meters, its weight was 70 tons. This monument became a symbol of victory Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, it also personifies the liberation of all European peoples from fascism.
The sculpture of a soldier with a total weight of approximately 70 tons was produced in the spring of 1949 in Leningrad at the Monumental Sculpture plant; it consisted of 6 parts, which were then transported to Germany. Work on the creation of a memorial complex in Berlin was completed in May 1949. On May 8, 1949, the memorial was solemnly opened by the Soviet commandant of Berlin, Major General A.G. Kotikov. In September 1949, all responsibilities for the care and maintenance of the monument were transferred by the Soviet military commandant's office to the magistrate of Greater Berlin.
"Warrior Liberator"
The center of the Berlin composition was the bronze figure of a Soviet soldier who stands on the rubble fascist swastika. In one hand he holds the lowered sword, and with the other hand he supports the saved German girl. It is assumed that the prototype for this sculpture was the real Soviet soldier Nikolai Maslov, a native of the village of Voznesenka, Tisulsky district Kemerovo region. During the storming of the German capital in April 1945, he saved a German girl. Vuchetich himself created the monument “Warrior - Liberator” based on the Soviet paratrooper Ivan Odarenko from Tambov. And for the girl, 3-year-old Svetlana Kotikova, who was the daughter of the commandant of the Soviet sector of Berlin, posed on the sculpture. It is curious that in the sketch of the monument the soldier was holding a machine gun in his free hand, but at Stalin’s suggestion, the sculptor Vuchetich replaced the machine gun with a sword.
The monument, like all three monuments of the triptych, is located on a mound, with a staircase leading to the pedestal. Inside the pedestal there is a round hall. Its walls were decorated with mosaic panels (author - artist A.V. Gorpenko). Representatives were depicted on the panel various peoples, including peoples Central Asia and the Caucasus, who lay wreaths on the grave of Soviet soldiers. Over their heads in Russian and German languages it is written: “Nowadays everyone recognizes that the Soviet people, through their selfless struggle, saved the civilization of Europe from the fascist pogromists. This is the great merit of the Soviet people to the history of mankind.” In the center of the hall there was a cubic pedestal made of black polished stone, on which was mounted a golden casket with a parchment book bound in red morocco. This book contained the names of heroes who fell in battles for the German capital and were buried in mass graves. The dome of the hall was decorated with a chandelier with a diameter of 2.5 meters, which was made of crystal and rubies; the chandelier reproduces the Order of Victory.
"Warrior Liberator"
In the fall of 2003, the sculpture of the “Warrior-Liberator” was dismantled and sent for restoration work. In the spring of 2004, the restored monument returned to its rightful place. Today this complex is the center for memorable celebrations.
Information sources:
http://ribalych.ru/2014/08/04/unikalnyj-triptix
http://www.pravda34.info/?page_id=1237
http://defendingrussia.ru/love/pamyatniki_pobedy
http://www.tgt.ru/menu-ver/encyclopedia/tourism/countries/dostoprimechatelnosti/dostoprimechatelnosti_155.html
https://ru.wikipedia.org
The monument is simply colossal in size // Photo: tvzvezda.ru
“The Motherland is calling!” is a monument included in the triad of sculptural structures. In addition to it, there is the equally majestic, but, unfortunately, less famous building “Rear to Front”, located in Magnitogorsk. The third part of the composition is “Warrior-Liberator” from Berlin’s Treptower Park. The architects' idea was the following: the motherland would raise its sword forged in Stalingrad on the banks of the Urals. She will only lower it in Berlin at the time of victory.
General parameters of the monument
The height of the monument is only 87 meters. At the same time, the height of the woman’s figure is only 52 meters. The rest is the sword, raised up. In particular, the length of the woman’s arm is 20 meters, and the sword itself reaches 33 meters. The total weight of the monument is 8 tons, as for the sword, it weighs all 14 tons. Surprisingly, the statue is empty inside, and the thickness of its walls is only 25-30 cm.After overestimation construction work The monument was almost immediately included in the Guinness Book of Records. It occupied the championship among the highest monuments in the world for almost a quarter of a century. Today she is no longer a leader, but is still among the 10 highest architectural structures. In Russia, the monument is still the tallest and most majestic statue.
After overestimating the construction work, the monument was almost immediately included in the Guinness Book of Records // Photo: volfoto.ru
At the foot of the monument
Near the monument “The Motherland is Calling!” there is a cemetery. Approximately 34,500 people sleep there in eternal sleep. But this is by no means simple people. They were once soldiers and heroes of the Great Patriotic War, as well as those who defended Stalingrad. Also buried at the foot of the huge monument, sleeping on Mamaeva Hill, is the commander of the 62nd Army (Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov), who distinguished herself in a special way during the harrowing of Stalingrad.Sword made of steel
When making the sword, a special - aviation - technology was used. It was made of stainless metal and then sheathed with titanium sheets. A similar manufacturing method was not applied to the figure of a woman, because the sword eventually began to creak and sway a little when there was gusts of wind. In 1972, they decided to change the sword. A sword made of steel was handed into the hands of the Motherland, which had several holes that reduced windage. The architects of this majestic monument lost the Lenin Prize due to the fact that they initially failed to execute the sword in the best possible way.
A sword made of steel was handed into the hands of the Motherland // Photo: pikabu.ru
Prototype of the Motherland
The image standing on the mountain has collected everything best features Soviet people. He was so good that in 1941 he began to appear frequently on Soviet government propaganda posters. The artist and painter Irakli Toidze worked on it. In subsequent years, he admitted that he still took the image of his own wife as a basis. He remembered her facial expression when, upon hearing the announcement of the start of hostilities, she ran into the kitchen and shouted: “War!” The artist was so shocked that he instantly made sketches of his wife’s facial expressions.The monument has an entrance to the inside, but it is closed to the public. Perhaps that is why the sculpture has become surrounded by mysteries and rumors. Many believe that a woman’s mouth contains a spacious viewing platform. Near one of the ears, architects once built a restaurant for Soviet VIPs. However, this is absolutely all wrong.
in 1941 he began to appear frequently on propaganda posters of the Soviet government // Photo: sib.fm
There is another Motherland in the world. It is located in Kyiv on one of the steep banks of the Dnieper. It is also the creation of the architect Vuchetich, but its dimensions are not so impressive. Height younger sister Motherland 23 meters. It stands on a pedestal, inside of which the museum is located. Thanks to him, the statue turns out to be a little taller.
The Motherland Monument is a gorgeous monument located in the city of Volgograd. The monument represents a woman with a sword raised in the air, encouraging everyone to rise up against the enemy. The monument is an interpretation of the famous image of the ancient goddess of victory Nike. The statue is also the center of the ensemble “To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad”. ( 11 photos)
1. All the best architects of that time were involved in the construction of such a grandiose monument, because the statue had to meet strict requirements and, first of all, had to become dear to millions of people. The chief design engineer was Evgeniy Viktorovich Vuchetich, who at that time already had considerable experience in the construction of the country’s assets, albeit of lesser importance. The second creator of the statue was N.V. Nikitin, who later became the creator of the famous.
2. Upon completion of construction, both were awarded the Lenin Prize, and the main creator, Vuchetich, was awarded the golden Hero Star Socialist Labor. Construction of the monument began in May 1959 and lasted 8 years until 1967. Grand opening took place on October 15, 1967. At the time of completion of construction, the monument was the tallest in the world. The height of the monument is 87 meters, and the height of the woman is 52 meters. The sculpture was created from prestressed reinforced concrete (at that time it was widely used, but not in vain).
3. The entire sculpture stands on only a two-meter slab, which in turn rests on a relatively small foundation 16 meters deep. The statue stands like a piece on a chessboard, and does not wobble; we must pay tribute to the engineers of that time, after all, they knew how to build for centuries. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the statue is only 25-30 centimeters, and inside the monument consists of small windows, and the rigidity of the tower is supported by constantly tense iron ropes. The structure of the sculpture can be compared to the structure of bones in birds.
4. The total weight of the structure is 7,900 tons. Monument to the Motherland has become real business card Volgograd. The monument is surrounded by an artificially created walk of fame; specifically, 200 granite steps lead to the monument along the walk, which is exactly how long it lasted Battle of Stalingrad. In this photo you see that the statue was made with open mouth, when Vuchetich was asked why the monument’s mouth was open, because it was not beautiful, he said the following in response: “And she screams - for the Motherland... your mother! ".
5. The statue rises above the city and symbolizes it both day and night; at night the Motherland is illuminated. At night, the Motherland can be seen for tens of kilometers around. Since 2008, the Motherland monument has become one of the seven wonders of Russia.
6. On this moment In the list of the tallest buildings in the world, the Motherland takes an honorable 11th place. During its existence, the statue has become an integral part of Volgograd residents, and the inhabitants of Russia in general. But unfortunately, you and I are in danger of losing such a grandiose monument.
7. The fact is that due to groundwater under the statue, the Motherland is gradually tilting, examinations were carried out and scientists came to the conclusion that if the tilt of the statue increases by at least another 3 cm, the tower will inevitably collapse.
8. You will be interested to know that when developing the flag and coat of arms of the Volgograd region, the silhouette of the Motherland monument became the basis of the image.
9. For a long time It remained a mystery from which woman the sketch was taken to create such a monument. Currently 83 people live in Volgograd summer woman who once, back in 1958, posed for the great architect. Valentina Ivanovna Izotova never liked to dwell on this topic, and her profession is “model” in Soviet years to put it mildly, she was not held in high esteem.
10. Our heroine was working as a waitress when the sculptor Lev Maistrenko approached her and offered to pose, since Valentina Ivanovna was raising two daughters, of course she always needed money, so she agreed. And besides, the girl was rewarded by nature with a good “Soviet” appearance. Valentina Ivanovna was then 26 years old, now she not only regrets the act of her youth, but even, on the contrary, is proud that her figure has become so famous.
