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The monument to the heroes of the First World War was opened in Moscow in the most significant place of the capital - on Poklonnaya Hill between the Museum of the Great Patriotic War and Arc de Triomphe. The celebration took place on August 1, 2014 in memory of the centenary of the beginning of this tragedy - the First World War. The decision to install such a monument in Moscow at the initiative of the Russian Military Historical Society was made in April 2013. The authors were sculptors A. Kovalchuk, People's Artist of Russia, P. Lyubimov and V. Yusupov, who won the right to embody their idea on a competitive basis. The Russian Military Historical Society was raising funds for the construction of the monument.
The memorial consists of two compositionally and ideologically arranged parts-elements. On a high round column in the classical antique style stands a Russian soldier cast in bronze. This, according to A. Kovalchuk, is a collective image. The soldier is not young - he may have gone through more than one war. He honestly fulfilled his duty and was brave, as evidenced by the St. George crosses adorning the chest of the hero. He has a simple face - slightly tired, with the stamp of a wise attitude to the horrors of war and losses experienced. A neatly folded overcoat roll and a three-line rifle are thrown over the shoulder of a stately figure of a warrior. On the column, the image of the St. George Cross, covered with gold leaf, stands out in relief.
The second part of the monument is on a low conical pedestal a little behind the soldier. This is a multi-figure composition depicting the flag of Russia with a relief coat of arms and the people. There are warriors on the uneven granite ledge. Hotel, a little ahead, against the background of the flag, the figure of an officer with a raised sword. Compositionally (by turning the head and shoulders) it is turned to a dense group of armed warriors going on the attack. There is one recognizable soldier in this group. This is the Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov, who was the first to be awarded the St. George Cross in the First World War. Further - already in high relief in the next ledge of the rock - a two-figure element. This is a wounded young soldier and a sister of mercy supporting him. The woman's appearance resembles the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. Even further, in the next stone fold, repeating the bend of the flag, the image of battle scenes becomes embossed.
The monument is designed for a circular view - it stands on a large free space. Therefore, with back side flag is also an image. This is the attacking cavalry. In the rapid dynamics here are both people and animals.
As Andrei Kovalchuk emphasized in an interview, he wanted to cover the topic of defending the Motherland in many ways. This is a monument not only to a soldier, but rather to the entire people of a great power.
| Monument | |
| Monument to the heroes of the First World War | |
|---|---|
| Monument on opening day |
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| 55°44′07″ s. sh. 37°30′56″ E d. HGIOL | |
| Country | Russia Russia |
| City | Moscow |
| Project author | A. N. Kovalchuk |
| Construction | - years |
| Monument to the heroes of World War I at Wikimedia Commons | |
Story
The decision to install a monument to the heroes of the First World War in Moscow was made in April 2013.
The initiator of the installation of the monument and the organizer of the competition was the Russian Military Historical Society. It was decided to install the monument on Poklonnaya Hill between the Arc de Triomphe and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War.
The competition began on April 15 and was held in several stages. 32 contestants participated in the first stage. On July 12, the second stage of the competition started, in which 15 works participated. On the website of the competition, until August 16, Internet voting was held, in which about 200 thousand users took part. An exhibition of finalist projects was held at the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War. On September 18, the jury announced the winner of the competition. It turned out to be the project of the sculptor Andrey Kovalchuk. According to the results of the Internet voting, this project entered the top five, gaining about 6% of the votes.
The Russian Military Historical Society collected donations for the construction of the monument. They collected 97 million rubles. Another 74 million were allocated by the Moscow authorities.
Opening
« Exactly a century ago, Russia was forced to join the First world war. And today we open a memorial to its heroes - Russian soldiers and officers. We open on Poklonnaya Hill, which keeps a grateful memory of the military glory of the Russian army. About all those who at different stages of the history of the Russian state defended its independence, dignity and freedom", - said Vladimir Putin.
Description
According to sculptor Andrei Kovalchuk, the monument consists of " of two elements: a Russian soldier who went through the war, honestly fulfilled his duty and became a Cavalier of St. George, and a multi-figure composition that personifies the flag of Russia» . At the opening of the monument, the sculptor spoke about his idea: “ The main soldier is definitely a collective image, and when creating him, I deliberately did not do young man, but I wanted to show a little deeper, to reveal this topic of protecting the Motherland. And here is a Russian soldier, XX century, this is the Russo-Japanese War, the First World War, Civil War and the Great Patriotic War, and this person could actually go through all these wars. And such people are real heroes, heroes to whom tribute is paid today, because for many years, for many decades, in our country there was not a single monument dedicated to the First World War and these people» .
The bronze figure of a soldier, mounted on a high column, is made in classical style. A roll of an overcoat and a three-ruler are thrown over his shoulder, and St. George's crosses adorn his chest. On the pedestal - St. George's Cross, covered with gold leaf.
Notes
- On August 1, a monument to the heroes of the First World War will be unveiled on Poklonnaya Hill (indefinite) . Moscow 24 (July 14, 2014). Retrieved 28 July 2014.
- Monument to the heroes of the First World War will open on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow (indefinite) . - gazeta.ru Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- Opening of the monument to the heroes of the First World War (indefinite) . Kremlin.ru (August 1, 2014). Retrieved 2 August 2014.
- A monument to the heroes of the First World War will be erected in Moscow (indefinite) . itar-tass.com. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- On August 1, Vladimir Putin will take part in the opening ceremony of the monument to the Heroes of the First World War. (indefinite) . Kremlin.ru (July 31, 2014). Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- The project of the monument to the heroes of the First World War was chosen (indefinite) . lenta.ru (September 18, 2013). Retrieved March 25, 2014.
- The winner of the competition for the monument to the heroes of the First World War has been announced (indefinite) .
In the list of the tallest monuments in the world, the Victory Monument is in second place, after the "Washington Monument". The height of the monument to the first president of the United States, George Washington, reaches 169 meters, and before the construction of the Eiffel Tower (324 meters), it was the tallest building on Earth.
It is noteworthy that the completion of the construction of the two tallest structures on the planet (until recently) took place at the end of the 19th century. The Americans built the monument for a little over 40 years, and by 1885 the majestic giant was finally completed. The enterprising French, on the other hand, took a little more than 2 years to build their main attraction, and by the spring of 1889, the beautiful iron tower began to bring fabulous profits to its investors.
It is impossible not to mention another giant monument, which was also erected at the same time. In 1886, on Liberty Island, about 3 km southwest of the southern tip of Manhattan Island, the torch of the Statue of Liberty, which was 93 meters high, “lit up”. It is noteworthy that the frame and pedestal of this monument was designed by the brilliant engineer Gustave Eiffel.
The very word monument came to us from Latin (monumentum "remembrance; monument", from Ch. monere "to remind"). It has been customary to build monuments or monuments (which are essentially the same) in honor of some great person or significant event since ancient times. But most of the monuments or monuments on the planet are connected in a strange way with peace and war, with life and death. The Statue of Liberty was designed to mark the centenary of American independence. Eiffel Tower for the centenary of the French Revolution.
By the way, did you know that instead of the main French attraction on the Champ de Mars, the project of a “giant guillotine” was considered, which was supposed to remind of the Great French Revolution? As is known from the history books, during the years of the revolution, a giant guillotine was installed on the “Place de la Concorde”, replacing the statue of the king, and to the jubilation of the crowd in the square, King Louis XVI and Queen Marie Antoinette were beheaded, later Danton and Robespierre ...
In Russia, the highest monument, symbolizing life and death, terrible years war and unconditional victory, valor and heroism of fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers and the entire Soviet people, is the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill. The tallest monument in Russia, included in the "Russian Book of Records", was erected only in 1995, and not in the planned post-war period ...
The monument and Victory Park began to be designed even before the end of the war. But in peacetime after the war, the priority was to restore the destroyed country as soon as possible. In addition, the USSR faced a new threat in the face of armed nuclear weapons America. In addition, a sharp struggle unfolded between the two powers in the space industry. In addition to external threats, there were also problems within the country - the death of Stalin, who left no successor, and the struggle for power in the party did not fade away for many years ...
Finally, in 1957, the place for the future memorial was finally determined - Poklonnaya Hill. Why on Poklonnaya Hill?
For centuries, the main route from Europe to the ancient capital of Russia passed along Poklonnaya Gora. The Orthodox stopped at this place and, according to tradition, “bowed” to the churches and monasteries of Moscow. At this place M.I. Kutuzov decided the fate of the city. Here Napoleon waited in vain for the keys to Moscow. From here, in 1941, Soviet troops went west along the Mozhaisk highway.
In 1958, an open all-Union competition for the best design of the memorial was held, but its results were not implemented. Nevertheless, on February 23, 1958, a commemorative granite sign was erected on Poklonnaya Hill with the inscription:
Foundation stone on Poklonnaya Hill. Family archive."A monument to the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will be erected here."
In 1961, trees were planted around the stone with the inscription, and a park was laid, which was named after the Victory. For many years, the park fulfilled its natural purpose - here Muscovites went in for sports and walked with their children. It was only in the early 1980s that earthworks, the laying of communications, and roads began. For some time, the construction site was called "Shock Komsomol" - according to the number of declared volunteers and students.
In modern sources, the construction of the Victory Memorial is attributed exclusively to the merits of the Moscow Mayor's Office and the then mayor Yu. 194 million rubles. And of course, such an impressive amount was not enough. The project was frozen for more than 10 years.
In 1992, the government of Moscow started talking about long-term construction, and 3 years later, on May 9, 1995, the year of the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory, the Memorial Complex was officially opened. Since then, it has continued its development and the most recent object of the Memorial was the monument to the Heroes of the First World War, opened in 2014.
Victory Monument
The Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill is the tallest monument in Russia. Photo source: Wikipedia The obelisk was originally supposed to look like a monument, where soldiers rose on a high pedestal under the victorious Red banner with the image of Lenin. But in connection with the death of the author of the project, architect A.T. Polyansky, this creatively complex idea remained only on paper. And over time, the image of Lenin ceased to personify the history of the winners. And this is good news. The benefit of the sober minds of modern architects and sculptors immortalized the victory of the Soviet people , and not leaders and revolutionary figures ...
So, the project was headed by a well-known monumental sculptor, at that time vice president Russian Academy art Zurab Tsereteli. He owns the authorship of the main Victory Monument.
The height of the Obelisk is 141.8 meters - according to the number of days of the war (1418).
Its shape is in the form of a triangular bayonet. Stela "Bayonet" weighing 1000 tons is made of extra strong steel and lined with stone. It was built in record time - just 9 months!
Most of the monument is covered with bronze bas-reliefs, with the most important battles: Stalingrad and Battle of Kursk, as well as the Belarusian operation, and all the cities where there were fierce battles up to Berlin.
Bas-relief of the victory monument. Source: loveopium.ru At a height of 104 meters, a 25-ton bronze sculptural group is attached to the stele, which includes the goddess of victory Nike, carrying a crown, and two cupids trumpeting victory.
Nike with cupids. Obelisk of Victory. Author: Evgeny Chesnokov To maintain the balance of the statue, special counterweights were placed at its “legs”.
The statue of the goddess Nike increased the instability of the monument, its windage, therefore, during the construction of the foundation, it was also necessary to pour an additional 2,000 cubic meters of concrete. To service the stele, an elevator was installed (it was ordered in Sweden), which rises 87 meters.
Inside the hill on which the Monument stands, there are service premises, which are equipped with a monitoring station for the condition of the structure, control rooms, lighting and ventilation equipment, signaling devices, etc.
At the foot of the obelisk is a statue of George the Victorious, the defender of Moscow, who strikes a snake with his spear, which is a symbol of evil. AT this case- fascism.
George the Victorious Victory Park. In Moscow, on Poklonnaya Hill, a monument to the heroes of the First World War was unveiled. The ceremony was attended by President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Kuzhugetovich Shoigu, Minister of Culture VladimirRostislavovichMedinsky, Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, representatives of other religious denominations, politicians, members of military history clubs, citizens.
A company of honor guard marched in front of the monument, soldiers in the uniform of the times of the First World War stood near the monument.
Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin noted that it was no coincidence that the monument took its place on Poklonnaya Hill, a memorial complex dedicated to the Great Patriotic War. After all, some veterans of the First World War fought in the Second, setting an example for young soldiers.
The idea to erect a monument in honor of the 100th anniversary of the entry of the Russian Empire into the First World War belongs to the Russian Military Historical Society. The competition of projects was won by the sculptor Andrey Nikolaevich Kovalchuk.
The monument consists of two parts - a soldier on a high pedestal, which depicts the St. George Cross. Behind the soldier is a multi-figured composition: against the background of the Russian flag, an officer raises a soldier to attack. In a group of soldiers, Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov was the first to be awarded the St. George Cross in the First World War. Nearby sister of mercy saves the wounded. In the image of a sister of mercy, you can recognize the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna.
The monument was created with the people's money, foreign patrons also made their contribution. So, in France, on the initiative of the chairman of the Society for the Memory of the Imperial Guard, Prince Alexander Alexandrovich Trubetskoy hosted a charity concert-action "Symphony of the World", which resulted in €22,000 raised.
Charitable events were held in Moscow to support the erection of the monument. Moscow Art Theater named after A.P. Chekhov showed the play "The White Guard" based on the novel by Mikhail Bulgakov, the Bolshoi Theater gave the opera "Tosca" by Puccini.
The Moscow Philharmonic hosted concerts by Yuri Bashmet, Boris Berezovsky and the Symphony Orchestra " New Russia". Moscow State Conservatory named after P.I. Tchaikovsky arranged a charity concert "To the Heroes of the First World War", in which the winners of the competition for young musicians "The Nutcracker" and pianist Ekaterina Mechetina took part.
74 million rubles were allocated from the reserve fund of the mayor of Moscow. The total cost of work on the creation of the memorial was about 180 million rubles.
“Exactly a century ago, Russia was forced to enter the First World War. And today we are opening a memorial to its heroes - Russian soldiers and officers. We open on Poklonnaya Hill, which keeps a grateful memory of the military glory of the Russian army. About all those who at different stages of the history of the Russian state defended its independence, dignity and freedom,” said Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin at the opening ceremony of the monument.
The Monument to the Heroes of the First World War is a majestic sculptural ensemble installed in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill in the hero city of Moscow in memory of the 100th anniversary of Russia's entry into the First World War. It is located between the building of the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War and the Arc de Triomphe located on Victory Square.
In honor of the heroes of yesteryear...
The first years of the 20th century turned out to be a turning point for the Russian Empire - on August 1, 1914, it became involved, as it turned out later, in the largest military campaign in the history of mankind - the First World War. Having entered into a military conflict with Germany on the side of the Entente (together with England and France), Russian empire sent her best soldiers and officers to the battlefields, whose names were practically unknown for many decades - the Bolsheviks who came to power in 1917 in every possible way belittled the significance of this truly large-scale military conflict, which eventually led to the collapse of the four largest powers of that time - Russian, German, Austria -Hungarian and Ottoman Empires.
Thousands of teachers, doctors, writers, including Nikolai Gumilyov and Vikenty Veresaev, who volunteered for the front, fought “for the Faith, the Tsar and the Fatherland”, steadfastly and courageously enduring all the hardships of a soldier's life. Famous generals who wrote heroic pages in the history of the First World War - Generals A. A. Brusilov, M. V. Alekseev, F. A. Keller, A. I. Denikin, fighter aces of the Imperial Air Force, one of which - A. A. Kazakov - became the first pilot in history to survive after a ram, sisters of mercy, among whom was the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna - they all increased the glory of Russian weapons, and many of them laid down their lives on the altar of the Fatherland.
About the competition for the best project
Everything is returning to normal ... A century after the start of the First World War, members of the Russian Military Historical Society decided to perpetuate the memory of their heroic ancestors in a sculptural monument, in April 2013, by submitting such a proposal to the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation and the Government of Moscow. The initiative was supported and a competition was immediately announced for the best project of the monument, which was held in two stages. Top 15 design work according to the results of the first round, they were posted on the website of the society and in the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, and everyone could vote for the project they liked. Nearly 200 thousand Internet users took part in the voting and in September of the same year the jury announced the name of the winner of the competition, whose work received the most votes - the sculptor, People's Artist of Russia, Professor Andrei Nikolayevich Kovalchuk became the winner.
Most of the necessary amount for the erection of the monument (97 million rubles) was collected by the military historical society, and the missing part (74 million rubles) was allocated by the Moscow Government.
To install the monument, they chose a large open area in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Gora, and for 10 months a team of sculptors, artists, architects, and workers worked to bring the sculptural composition to life.
On August 1, 2014, the solemn opening ceremony of the monument was held, in which the President of the Russian Federation V.V. Putin, who delivered a speech, the Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill, the Mayor of Moscow S.S. Sobyanin, the Minister of Defense of the Russian Federation S.K. Shoigu took part.
In granite, in bronze, in hearts
The majestic sculptural ensemble is a monument consisting of two compositionally interconnected parts, the central element of which is a bronze sculpture of a soldier with a three-line rifle thrown over his shoulder and a rolled overcoat, mounted on a high classical column-pedestal with a relief, covered with gold leaf image of the George Cross, which is a collective image of all the soldiers who went through the battle paths of the First World War.
Somewhat behind the sculpture of a soldier, on a low granite pedestal, there is a multi-figured composition against the background of the Russian flag, the overview of which is available from both sides.
On the one hand, against the background of the Russian tricolor, there are figures of attacking soldiers led by an officer. In one of the sculptural images of warriors, the figure of the stately Don Cossack Kozma Kryuchkov, the first to be awarded the St. George Cross of the IV degree in the First World War, is clearly guessed. The following composition shows the figures of a wounded soldier and a sister of mercy supporting him, in the features of which one can see the appearance Grand Duchess Elizabeth Feodorovna. The compositional picture is completed by a high-relief image of battle scenes. On the reverse side tricolor is a sculptural composition, very brightly and dynamically depicting the cavalry rushing to attack. In front of the sculptural tricolor there is a massive granite slab with an inscription placed on it "Heroes of the First World War".
The monument reminds current generation about the glorious history of their ancestors, for, paraphrasing the great Russian scientist M.V. Lomonosov, we can say that a people who do not remember their past have no future. Therefore, to know the history of your people, your country is simply necessary in order not to repeat the mistakes made by past generations in the future.
