Russia's Tallest Monument: Moscow's Victory Monument

The Victory Monument (Монумент Победы), officially known as the Monument to the Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, stands in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow. It is one of Russia's most important architectural landmarks commemorating the victory in the Great Patriotic War. 🏛️ The monument was unveiled on May 9, 1995, marking the 50th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. Designed by architect Anatoly Polyansky (Анатолий Полянский) and sculptor Zurab Tsereteli (Зураб Церетели), the monument weighs 1,000 tons and stands at an impressive height of 141.8 meters. Each 10 centimeters of its height represents a day, symbolizing the 1,418 days of the war, making it Russia's tallest monument. 🎯 The design of the monument is inspired by the bayonet of the Russian 1898 pattern rifle. From a distance, it looks like a sword piercing the sky. At the top of the monument, there is a golden statue of the goddess of victory, Nike (Ника), holding a laurel wreath symbolizing victory. Two angels beside her hold trumpets, as if sounding the triumphal hymn of victory to the world. The wreath and trumpets are both gilded. 🌟 The entire monument is adorned with bas-reliefs depicting major scenes from the Battle of Stalingrad, the Battle of Kursk, and the Battle of Belarus, as well as the names of these heroic cities. At the base of the monument stands a statue of St. George slaying the dragon, a famous religious story in Europe. In the statue, St. George rides a horse and holds a spear, symbolizing the valiant Soviet soldiers and civilians. The dragon, representing the Nazis, is cut into pieces beneath the horse, signifying that justice will always prevail over evil. 🐉 As early as 1942, the Soviet Union had planned to build a monument and triumphal arch in Red Square for the Soviet people and army, but the idea was ultimately rejected by Stalin. In the mid-1950s, at the suggestion of Soviet Marshal Zhukov, the Soviet Union passed a resolution to build the monument and chose Poklonnaya Hill as the site. However, the project did not make much progress for many years. In 1985, the Soviet Union had envisioned a 72-meter-tall statue of a Red Army soldier holding a victory banner riddled with bullet holes, but the plan was not approved. 🏛️ It wasn't until 1993 that the construction of the monument was put back on the agenda. By this time, the Soviet Union had already dissolved, and Tsereteli's avant-garde design, which transcended national boundaries, ultimately won out. The monument is made of corrosion-resistant high-carbon alloy steel, with the main body assembled from several 12-meter-long components. 🛠️ The monument is stabilized by a dynamic damping system composed of three counterweight blocks, preventing it from swaying and ensuring it can withstand strong winds and earthquakes. Even in a hurricane, the deviation of the monument from its axis will not exceed one meter. Visitors can take the elevator inside the monument to a height of 87 meters for a breathtaking view. This complex and massive construction project was completed in just nine months. 🚀 #Russia #Moscow #SovietUnion #VictorySquareMoscow #VictoryParkMoscow #GreatPatrioticWar #MoscowTravelGuide #VictoryDay #80thAnniversaryOfVictory #TallestMonumentInRussia