The most interesting facts about the sculpture “Motherland is calling! The height of the "Motherland" (sculpture). The history of the creation of the Motherland Motherland monument is the tallest statue in the world

Sculpture "Motherland is calling!" is the compositional center architectural ensemble"To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad", is a 52-meter figure of a woman rapidly moving forward and calling her sons behind her. In the right hand is a sword 33 meters long (weight 14 tons). The height of the sculpture is 85 meters. The monument stands on a 16-meter foundation. The height of the Main Monument speaks of its scale and uniqueness. Total weight it is 8 thousand tons. The main monument - a modern interpretation of the image of the ancient Nike - the goddess of victory - calls on her sons and daughters to repel the enemy, to continue the further offensive.

Great importance was attached to the construction of the memorial. There were no restrictions in funds and building materials. The best creative forces were involved in the creation of the monument. Evgeny Viktorovich Vuchetich, who had already created a monument-ensemble to soldiers ten years earlier, was appointed the chief sculptor and project manager. Soviet army in Treptow Park in Berlin and the sculpture “Let's beat swords into plowshares”, which still adorns the square in front of the UN building in New York. Vuchetich was assisted by architects Belopolsky and Demin, sculptors Matrosov, Novikov and Tyurenkov. Upon completion of construction, all of them were awarded the Lenin Prize, and Vuchetich was also awarded the Gold Star of the Hero of Socialist Labor. The head of the engineering group working on the construction of the memorial was N.V. Nikitin is the future creator of the Ostankino tower. Marshal V.I. became the chief military consultant of the project. Chuikov - the commander of the army that defended, whose reward was the right to be buried here, next to the dead soldiers: along the serpentine, in the hill, the remains of 34,505 soldiers - the defenders of Stalingrad, as well as 35 granite tombstones of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, participants in the battle of Stalingrad, were reburied

Monument construction "Motherland" was started in May 1959 and completed on October 15, 1967. The sculpture at the time of creation was the highest sculpture in the world. Restoration work on the Main Monument of the monument-ensemble was carried out twice: in 1972 and 1986. It is also believed that the statue was modeled after the Marseillaise figure on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and that the statue's pose was inspired by the statue of Nike of Samothrace. Indeed, there are some similarities. In the first photo of the Marseillaise, and next to it is Nika of Samothrace

And in this photo Motherland

The sculpture is made from blocks of prestressed reinforced concrete - 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal structures (without the base on which it stands). The total height of the monument " Motherland is calling”- 85 meters. It is installed on a concrete foundation 16 meters deep. The height of the female figure is 52 meters (weight - more than 8 thousand tons).

The statue stands on a slab only 2 meters high, which rests on the main foundation. This foundation is 16 meters high, but it is almost invisible - most of it is hidden underground. The statue stands freely on the slab, like a chess piece on a board. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the sculpture is only 25-30 centimeters. Inside, the rigidity of the frame is maintained by ninety-nine metal cables, constantly in tension.

The sword is 33 meters long and weighs 14 tons. The sword was originally made of stainless steel sheathed with sheets of titanium. On strong wind the sword swayed and the sheets rattled. Therefore, in 1972, the blade was replaced with another - entirely consisting of fluorinated steel. And they got rid of problems with the wind with the help of blinds at the top of the sword. There are very few similar sculptures in the world, for example, the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro,. For comparison, the height of the Statue of Liberty from the pedestal is 46 meters.

The most complex calculations of the stability of this structure were performed by N. V. Nikitin, Doctor of Technical Sciences, the author of the stability calculation. Ostankino television tower. At night, the statue is illuminated by spotlights. “The horizontal displacement of the top of the 85-meter monument is currently 211 millimeters, or 75% of the allowable calculations. Deviations have been going on since 1966. If from 1966 to 1970 the deviation was 102 millimeters, then from 1970 to 1986 - 60 millimeters, until 1999 - 33 millimeters, from 2000-2008 - 16 millimeters, ”said Alexander Velichkin, director of the State Historical and Memorial Museum-Reserve“ The Battle of Stalingrad ”.

The sculpture "The Motherland Calls" is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sculpture-statue in the world at that time. Its height is 52 meters, the length of the arm is 20 and the sword is 33 meters. The total height of the sculpture is 85 meters. The weight of the sculpture is 8 thousand tons, and the sword is 14 tons (for comparison: 46 meters high; 38 meters). On this moment the statue takes 11th place in the list of the tallest statues in the world. Motherland is threatened with collapse due to groundwater. Experts say that if the slope of the statue is increased by another 300 mm, it could collapse due to any, even the most insignificant reason.

A 70-year-old pensioner Valentina Ivanovna Izotova lives in Volgograd, with whom the sculpture "The Motherland Calls" was sculpted 40 years ago. Valentina Ivanovna is a modest person. For more than 40 years, she was silent about the fact that, as a model, she posed for sculptors who sculpted perhaps the most famous sculpture in Russia - the Motherland. She was silent, because in Soviet times it was, to put it mildly, indecent to talk about the profession of a model, especially for a married woman raising two daughters. Now Valya Izotova is already a grandmother and willingly talks about that distant episode in her youth, which has now become perhaps the most significant event of her whole life.

In those distant 60s, Valentina was 26 years old. She worked as a waitress in a prestigious, by Soviet standards, Volgograd restaurant. This institution was visited by all the eminent guests of the city on the Volga, and our heroine saw with her own eyes Fidel Castro, the Emperor of Ethiopia, Swiss ministers. Naturally, only a girl with a real Soviet appearance could serve such persons during lunch. What that means, you probably already guessed. Strict face, purposeful look, athletic figure. It is no coincidence that one day a frequent guest of Volgograd, a young sculptor Lev Maistrenko, approached Valentina with a conversation. He conspiratorially told the young interlocutor about the sculpture that they, together with their comrades, should make for the sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, already eminent in those days. Maistrenko walked around for a long time, scattering compliments in front of the waitress, and then invited her to pose. The fact is that the Moscow model, who arrived in the province directly from the capital, did not like the local sculptors. She was too arrogant and pretentious. Yes, and the face of the "Mother" was not like.

I thought for a long time, - recalls Izotova, - the times were strict then, and my husband forbade it. But then the husband relented, and I gave the guys my consent. Who in his youth did not embark on various adventures?

The adventure turned into serious work that lasted two years. Vuchetich himself claimed Valentina's candidacy for the role of the Motherland. He, having listened to the arguments of his colleagues in favor of a simple Volgograd waitress, nodded his head in the affirmative, and it began. Posing turned out to be a very difficult task. Standing for several hours a day with outstretched arms and forward left foot was tiring. According to the plan of the sculptors, a sword was supposed to be in the right hand, but in order not to tire Valentina too much, they put a long stick in her palm. At the same time, she had to give her face an inspired expression calling for feats.

The guys insisted: "Valya, you must call people after you. You are the Motherland!" And I called, for which I was paid 3 rubles per hour. Imagine what it's like to stand with your mouth open for hours.

Was during work and one juicy moment. The sculptors insisted that Valentina, as befits a model, pose naked, but Izotova resisted. Suddenly the husband comes. At first they agreed on a separate swimsuit. True, then the upper part of the swimsuit had to be removed. Breasts should come out as natural. By the way, there was no tunic on the model. It was only later that Vuchetich himself threw a fluttering robe over Rodina. Our heroine saw the finished monument a few days after its official opening. It was interesting to look at myself from the outside: the face, hands, legs - everything is native, only made of stone and 52 meters tall. More than 40 years have passed since then. Valentina Izotova is alive and well and is proud that a monument was erected to her during her lifetime. For a long life.

The sculpture "The Motherland Calls", created by E.V. Vuchetich, has an amazing property of psychological impact on everyone who sees it. How the author managed to achieve this, one can only guess. Sharp criticisms of his creation: it is both hypertrophied and monumental, and frankly similar to the Marseillaise that adorns the Parisian triumphal arch, absolutely do not explain its phenomenon. We must not forget that for a sculptor who survived the most terrible war in the history of mankind, this monument, as well as the entire memorial, is first of all a tribute to the memory of the fallen, and only then a reminder to the living, who, in his opinion, will never be able to forget anything.

Sculpture Motherland, together with Mamaev Kurgan, is a finalist of the competition

You can safely call it art of the highest level, literally and figuratively. Since ancient times, statues have been a way for people to show their devotion to religion or leave the memory of a significant historical figure. Obviously, the bigger the statue, the greater its grandeur, so here are the top 10 tallest statues in the world. Perhaps you have already visited the places listed below and the sculptures made an indelible impression on you, share your experience.

For example, I was, of course, in Moscow and saw the Monument to Peter the Great, and also in New York I took pictures with the Statue of Liberty, I plan to visit Rio de Janeiro and climb to the Statue of Christ the Redeemer.

10. Statue of Christ the Redeemer with outstretched arms is located on the top of Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro, is a symbol of the city and Brazil as a whole. The height of one of the most famous statues in the world is 38 m.

9. monument-sculpture "Motherland", located in Kyiv on the banks of the Dnieper, rises 62 meters into the sky and is 102 meters along with the pedestal.

8. Statue "Motherland is calling!", standing in the Russian city of Volgograd, is dedicated to the "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad". The total height of the monument is 85 m. The statue is an image of the Motherland calling its sons to fight the enemy.

7. Statue of Liberty(illuminating the world) - perhaps the most famous sculpture in the world, often called the symbol of the United States. The copper statue is located on Liberty Island in New York, its height is 93 m including the base.

6. Sculptural Monument to Peter I in Moscow. Monument 98 m high, made of bronze and stainless steel, mounted on artificial island at the confluence of the Moscow River and Obvodny Canal. The monument was designed by Georgian architect Zurab Tsereteli and there is an unofficial opinion that the sculpture was originally dedicated to Christopher Columbus, but after being rejected by the US government, it was sold to Russia as a representation of Peter the Great.

5. Buddha statue - Sendai Dai Kannon is in Japanese city Sendai. It is the sixth tallest statue in the world at 100m and has an elevator for tourists to climb to the top of the statue and enjoy the breathtaking view.

4. Sculptures the first two emperors China Jan And Juan are located in Zhengzhou city in China. The height of the sculptures is 106 m, which is the fifth tallest statue in the world.

3. Statue of Goddess Guanyin in Sanya 108 m high is located on Hainan Island in China. The statue has three faces, one of which is facing the mainland of China, and the other two are facing South China Sea blessing China.

2. Bronze buddha statue Ushiku Daibutsu installed in Japan in the city of Ushiku. Its height, together with a platform and a pedestal in the form of a lotus flower, is 120 m. Tourists who want to admire the surroundings can take the elevator to the observation deck at a height of 85 meters.

- this is the most big statue in the world, made of copper. Located in Henan province in China. Its height is 128 m, including the pedestal, but if we also take into account the hill on which the statue is located, then the height will be 208 m.

“15 years of search and doubt, sadness and joy, rejected and found solutions. What did we want to tell people with this monument on the historical Mamaev Kurgan, on the site of bloody battles and immortal deeds? We tried to convey, first of all, the indestructible morale of Soviet soldiers, from selfless devotion to the Motherland, ”the great Soviet sculptor said at the opening of the memorial. Evgeny Vuchetich.

Before the construction of the memorial, the top of the mound was a place located 200 meters from the current peak. Now it houses the Church of All Saints. The current peak was artificially formed to build a monument.

During the design phase, Vuchetich constantly made changes. Initially, the project assumed the presence of two figures (a woman and a kneeling soldier), and in her hand the Motherland was supposed to hold not a sword, but a red banner. But it was abandoned, as well as the magnificently decorated pedestal. The monumental staircases that had already been built were replaced with a serpentine path, which, like a ribbon, encircles the statue. The dimensions have also changed - the Motherland has grown from 36 meters to 52. Although the sculptor's idea has nothing to do with it, Nikita Khrushchev simply stated in an ultimatum form that it must certainly be taller than the Statue of Liberty.

Mamaev Kurgan, on which the monument is located, has always been a strategic object, from which a panorama of the city was opened. Of the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, the struggle for Mamaev Kurgan lasted 135 days. It remained black even in the snowy season: the snow here quickly melted from the explosion of bombs. For every square meter, there were from 500 to 1250 bullets and shrapnel. In the first post-war spring, Mamaev Kurgan did not turn green, even grass did not grow on the burnt earth.

According to the most conservative estimates, about 35 thousand people are buried on Mamaev Kurgan. On the site of this huge mass grave, the main monument of Russia was erected.

Motherland is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sculpture-statue in the world at that time. Its total height is 85 meters, weight - 8 thousand tons. The most complex calculations of the stability of this structure were made by Doctor of Technical Sciences Nikolai Nikitin (he also participated in the design of Moscow State University and the Ostankino Tower). At the moment, the statue takes 11th place in the list of the tallest statues in the world. The tallest sculpture was built in 2008. This is a Buddha statue in the Chinese province of Henan, its height, together with the pedestal, is 153 meters.

The sword, 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was originally made of stainless steel sheathed with titanium sheets. But the sheets of titanium cladding rattled in the wind, and additionally loaded the arm. As a result, the blade was replaced with another - entirely consisting of fluorinated steel.

During the construction of the monument, a stable supply of concrete was necessary, otherwise the seams between the layers could not be strong enough. Trucks delivering concrete for the construction of the monument were marked with ribbons of a certain color. Drivers were allowed to pass "on red", traffic police officers were forbidden to stop them.

From the foot to the upper platform leads 200 degrees, according to the number of days of the Battle of Stalingrad. Inside the statue itself, there also had to be 200 degrees. But due to overflights, their number increased to 203.

Entry inside for outsiders is strictly prohibited, which is why it has become overgrown with rumors and riddles. Many people think that the mouth is Observation deck, and closer to the ear is a restaurant for VIPs. However, it is not. According to another legend, shortly after creation, a man was lost in the sculpture, after which no one saw him.

At the monument on Mamaev Kurgan - a fighter with a machine gun and a grenade and the inscription on the pedestal "Stand to the death!" face of Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov. He was the memorial's chief military consultant. According to the will of the commander of the 62nd Army, he was buried on Mamaev Kurgan.

According to the memoirs of a Soviet physicist, academician Andrei Sakharov, Evgeny Vuchetich, the author of the memorial ensemble to the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad on Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd, shared with him in a private conversation: “The authorities ask me why her mouth is open, because it’s ugly. I answer: And she screams - for the Motherland ... your mother!

The monument is the second part of the triptych, which also consists of the monuments "Rear to Front" in Magnitogorsk and "Warrior-Liberator" in Treptow Park in Berlin. It is understood that the sword, forged on the banks of the Urals, was then raised by the Motherland in Stalingrad and lowered after the Victory in Berlin.

The silhouette of the sculpture "Motherland" was taken as the basis for the development of the emblem and flag of the Volgograd region.

On May 9, 2045, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War, a capsule with an appeal to the descendants of the participants in the war should be opened on Mamaev Kurgan in Volgograd.

There is another Motherland - in Kyiv, this is also the creation of Vuchetich. It stands on the right bank of the Dnieper. She is 23 meters smaller than her comrade-in-arms, but she stands on a huge pedestal, inside of which there is a museum. Due to this, the overall height is higher.

In Moscow there is a copy of the head of the Volgograd Motherland. She hides behind the fence of Vuchetich's workshop on Vuchetich Street, and no one is allowed to look at her, but since the head is hefty and the fence is small, the head and her colleagues can be seen pretty well from behind the fence.

Perhaps the biggest mystery is who the Motherland was molded from, there are enough contenders. Anastasia Peshkova, a 79-year-old resident of Barnaul, on the eve of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory near Stalingrad, announced that she had become the prototype of the famous sculpture of Vuchetich. In 2003, Valentina Izotova made the same statement. She worked as a waitress at the Volgograd restaurant and claimed that Vuchetich himself invited her to work as a model. “I was paid 3 rubles an hour. There is a lot of me in it - the neck, broken arms, legs, hips - everything is mine! Izotova said. Another contender is Ekaterina Grebneva, an artistic gymnast, and now a retired honored teacher. She also posed for Vuchetich, but she does not claim to be unique: “This is a collective image. I think I'm not the only one who posed for the sculptors."

However, the former deputy director of the monument-ensemble "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" Valentina Klyushina calls all the pretenders impostors: "Evgeny Viktorovich made the figure from Nina Dumbadze, the famous disco-bolt. She posed for him in Moscow, in his workshop. But for the face of the sculpture, Evgeny Viktorovich did not go far. He created it with his wife, Vera Nikolaevna. And sometimes he affectionately called the sculpture after his wife - Vera."

Made of prestressed concrete - 5500 tons of concrete and 2400 tons of metal structures (without the base on which it stands).

The total height of the monument is 87 meters. It is installed on a slab only 2 meters high, which rests on the main foundation 16 meters high, most of which is hidden underground.

The height of the female figure is 52 meters (weight - over 8 thousand tons). The statue stands The statue stands freely on the slab, like a chess piece on a board. Inside, the entire statue consists of separate chamber cells. The rigidity of the frame is supported by 99 metal cables that are constantly in tension.

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The sculpture "The Motherland Calls!" is 45 years old. Andrey MIREYKO

Large and tall statues have been built since ancient times. For example, the Great Sphinx built by the ancient Egyptians was 20 meters high. However, over the past century, a number of statues have been built, far exceeding the height of the ancient wonders of the world. In this list, I will list the 7 tallest statues in the world at the moment

7. Sculpture Motherland in Kyiv

This is a monument in honor of the Great Patriotic War calling for patriotism. The creation of the sculpture was completed in 1981, the statue itself rises to 62 meters, and together with the overall structure, the height is 102 meters. The weight of the statue is 560 tons. Interestingly, the Motherland Motherland sculpture in Volgograd, on Mamaev Kurgan, is much more famous, but its height is 54 meters

6. Sculpture of Emperors Yan and Huan

This sculpture was carved into the rock, it took more than two decades. Completed its creation in 2007. the total height of the sculpture is 106 meters. For those who are not in the know, the sculpture is dedicated to the two very first emperors of China - Yan Di and Huan Di

5. Statue of Kuan Yin in China

The statue of Bodhisattva Huan Yin, 108 meters high, is located on south coast Hainan Islands in China. It took 6 years to create the statue, the work was completed in 2005

4. Statue of Cristo Rei (110 meters)

This statue was inspired by the famous Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro in 1959. The construction took 10 years, and the size of the statue is fully consistent with the statue in Rio. the total height of the monument is 110 meters

3. Statue of Ushiku Daibutsu in Japan (120 meters)

The statue of Ushiku Daibutsu is dedicated to the Buddha Amitabha and is located in the city of Ushiku in Japan. It was built in 1995. This is the third highest statue in the world, the total height of the monument is 120 meters. There is an elevator inside the statue, where you can go up to the observation platform at the top of the statue.

2. Laykyun Setkyar in Myanmar (130 meters)

This statue is the second tallest in the world. It is built on Kaung Hill in central Myanmar. At his feet is also the largest reclining Buddha statue in the world. The reclining Buddha was built in 1991 and the tall Laykyun Setkyar in 2008

1. Buddha of the Spring Temple (153 meters)

This is the largest and tallest statue in the world. The total height of the entire monument is 153 meters. The construction of this sculpture was started after terrorists blew up the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. The statue was completed in 2008

The graph below clearly demonstrates the size of the Spring Buddha in relation to the Statue of Liberty, the Motherland in Volgograd and Christ the Redeemer

The statue of the Motherland monument, located in Volgograd, is recognized as the highest in Europe and Russia. The element of the compositional center is the second part of the triptych, which includes such elements as: the Magnitogorsk “Rear Front” and the Berlin “Liberator Warrior”.

The overall picture implies a sword made in Ural mountains, raised to defend the fatherland near Stalingrad and lowered after the surrender of the Nazi command in the capital of Germany.

The monument is located on Mamaev Kurgan almost in the center of the city of Volgograd. It is located near the banks of the Volga and the river station. The location facing the northeast implies an appeal to the fatherland with a call to stand up to fight against the hated enemy, who is trying to destroy everything in its path.

The hill, which became the location of the monument, according to legend, is the burial place of the temnik of the Golden Horde Mamai. This is confirmed by numerous archaeological finds made even before the war.

Daily fighting continued here from September 1942 to January 1943. In total, about 34,000 soldiers died here. That is why this place was chosen for the construction of the sculpture.

The author's idea of the monument "Motherland Calls" in Volgograd

The idea to perpetuate the place, which became a turning point during the Second World War, came to the Supreme Commander even before its end. Already at the end of 1944, a competition was announced to determine the appearance of the monument.

Not only Soviet architects and ordinary people took part in it, variations came from foreign countries: Morocco and China. Options depicting Stalin and a pyramid of melted tanks acting as the base were rejected. As a result, the version of the sculptor Yevgeny Viktorovich Vuchetich was chosen, which has the name "Motherland".

The history of the construction of the monument "Motherland Calls"

The statue "Motherland" in Volgograd, the height of which allowed her to get into the Guinness Book of Records, was built by almost the entire Soviet Union. As an example, we can cite the memoirs of a worker at one of the Ural metallurgical plants" "Having learned that our metal would be used to make the frame of the monument, although this would require working in 2 shifts, we unanimously agreed."

The presented example is not unique. At the stage of pouring the figure, any idle time could cause the concrete to set and form a micro-gap between the layers. To prevent this, the vehicles delivering the material were marked with special tapes, allowing them to pass "on the red" light of a traffic light.

The erection of the monument began in the summer of 1959. It lasted 8 years and ended in the fall of 1967. For this, a large amount of building material was used, as a result of which the walls of the pedestal were 0.3 m thick. The foundation, completely dug into the ground at the base, was deepened by 15 m.

Total spent:

Concrete - 5500 tons.
Metal structures and fittings - 2,500 tons.

The main persons in charge of the construction were the sculptor E. V. Vuchetich and the engineer N. V. Nikitin, under whose guidance many other specialists involved in various fields worked.

For example:

Musical accompaniment and scoring of each sculptural composition of the ensemble on Mamaev Kurgan - announcer A. I. Levitan, sound engineer A. I. Geraskin, director V. K. Magatoev.
Marshal of the USSR, who was directly involved in the defense of Stalingrad, was V. I. Chuikov, a military consultant.

The prototype of the statue

The Motherland statue in Volgograd, whose height was an absolute record of that time, partially resembles the face of the sculptor's wife.

There is an opinion that the author was inspired by other people and ancient figures:

Girls who posed for him, but did not suspect for what purpose: A. A. Peshkova; V. Izotova; E. Grebneva.
Sportswoman Nina Dumbadze, a disco wrestler, with whom he sculpted a figure.
The figure of the Marseillaise painted on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Antique statue of Nike of Samothrace.

Whose image Yevgeny Viktorovich actually took as a prototype, no one will know. The author died at the age of 65, 7 years after the discovery of his sculpture.

Elimination of design flaws

Concerns about the stability of the structure appeared at the construction stage. 2 years before graduation, the inspection commission from the State Construction Committee recommended to the management to strengthen the soil for fear of "sliding" to the river bank. As a result, major additional reinforcement and concreting was carried out on the very base of the statue.

A year after the opening, another problem appeared. The sword of the statue, made of stainless steel and sheathed with titanium sheets, was made with errors in the calculations. The wide canvas caused excessive tension, resulting in rocking. During the winter, the metal deformed and began to make a sharp creaking sound.

The decision was made only in 1972.

The sword was replaced by a new one, cast at the local metallurgical plant "Red October". Now it was made of steel. The windage has been reduced by adding holes in the top. Another survey in 1986 revealed a number of deviations from the specified parameters. According to the recommendations received, work was carried out to strengthen the skeleton and facade.

A key mistake during the construction was made through no fault of the architect and workers. "Motherland" was built in a difficult time for the country. Many cities have not yet been rebuilt from ruins, so all funds were directed to construction, and not to the development of new innovative technologies to improve the quality of concrete.

The result was periodic weathering and small cracking of the structure under ultraviolet light and strong steppe winds. Therefore, every year it undergoes minor decorative repairs.

Specifications of the monument

The basis for the statue is a 2-meter pedestal, based on a solid foundation. The hill on which it is located was formed artificially. Initially, the hill was on the spot where the church stands.

The soil for the embankment was transported by trucks for 1 month. According to tentative data, more than 150 tons of land were delivered. The weight of the resulting structure of the statue is 8,000 tons of reinforced concrete.

The inner cavity is hollow, there are 119 metal cables, each of which is designed to hold a load of 60 tons. The purpose of the tension is to hold and stiffen the entire structure. Pretension control is carried out using sensors located at the ends of the stretch marks. Some of them are not intact, but are joined on intermediate floors, reinforcing the concrete structure.

The most complex structure is located at the chest level of the monument. The mentioned steel cables distribute the loads of the structure, pulling together the stress of the weight of the arms of the monument. It should be noted that the "Motherland" has no adhesion to the foundation, thus, it is held like a chess piece, under its own weight.

Contrary to numerous speculations about an elevator that once existed and a restaurant for VIPs and an observation deck located in the head and sword, there is nothing of the kind here. The upper part can only be reached by a 52 m high staircase with 203 steps. Most of the rooms are small rooms with an area of 3 * 3 m.

However, in the area of the head and chest there are 2 large rooms, in which there is equipment that takes into account the vibration of the structure. You can only get into the head by a metal ladder installed vertically. To do this, you will have to overcome a shaft with a diameter of not more than 1.5 m. The room has an exit designed for industrial climbers. There are 2 more in the hilt of the sword.

Interesting facts about the monument "Motherland Calls"

At the time of design, Vuchetich changed the concept of the project after it was approved. Initially, he proposed a variant of two compositions: a warrior kneels in front of a woman, holding out a sword to her.

The ideological considerations of Yevgeny Viktorovich were based on the fact that a soldier cannot give up his weapon, since the war is not yet over. This is not the only deviation from the planned project.

Gradually, a number of changes were made that few people know about:

Excursions to Mamaev Kurgan. Prices

Mamaev Kurgan is a place where the bitterness of losses and the joy of victory in the Great Patriotic War are still felt. Familiarize yourself with the main attractions, expositions memorial complex You can do it on your own or with the services of a guide.

The review begins and ends in one place: at the foot in front of a staircase consisting of 200 steps, similar to the number of days that the Battle of Stalingrad continued. As an approximate acquaintance, the table below provides information on the cost of excursion services of the Stalingrad Battle Museum-Reserve (Mamaev Kurgan).

Category, civil status of a tourist	Cost of services, rub.
Groups of citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus from 1 to 5	1 200 for a group
Groups of foreign citizens from 1 to 5	2 500 for a group
Citizen of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus	250
Pupils of the Russian Federation, the Republic of Belarus, applicants of higher educational institutions of full-time education	150
Pupils of secondary educational institutions of the Russian Federation, Belarus	100
Citizens of foreign countries	400

The cost of providing services is given in accordance with the order of the Museum-Reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" dated February 22, 2018.

Statue Destruction Chance

The statue "Motherland" in Volgograd, whose height reaches 85 m, is able to stand still long time. Despite the numerous design errors discussed earlier, there is no likelihood of failure. With proper maintenance and control, one of the unique monuments recognized as a miracle of Russia will remain intact for many years.

Starting in 1966, the statue began to deviate from its original position. However, the calculated information shows that there is nothing critical in this, exceeding the permissible standards. For example, between 2000 and 2008 it has moved 16 mm. Design features project assume and allow deviation from the vertical axis by 272 mm.

One of the most unique buildings in Russia has been haunted by various legends and stories throughout its history. If some of them are real, then a number of others are just fiction.

If we talk about facts from the present past, we can distinguish the following:

Among the fairy tales, the most common are 2:

The story of the elevator, restaurant and observation deck, functioning many years ago, about which was mentioned earlier.
The myth that after the monument was opened inside it, one of the members of the selection committee was lost. Despite the huge number of small rooms, getting lost in them is problematic.

Comparison of the statue with other large monuments in the world

The statue "Motherland" in Volgograd, the height of which allows it to enter the 10 highest monuments depicting a human figure in full growth. If we talk about Russian sculptures, only the monument to Peter I, located on the Moscow River, exceeds it.

However, if we take into account that the Volgograd exhibit is over 50 years old, and the Moscow exhibit is only 21 years old, and if we imagine the difference in the technological progress of these times, preference is given to the first. The height of a person is only 18 m, and 98 m is achieved taking into account the ensemble of the ship's masts.

Statue of Liberty in New York

"Statue of Liberty" in English means "Illuminating the world of freedom." It is located not far from New York Manhattan, on an island in the middle of the bay. The monument was built at the end of the 19th century as a reminder of the centenary of the independence of the United States. Remarkably, the construction of the statue was carried out not by the Americans, but by the French, and the element itself was presented as a gift.

The monument represents a woman dressed in a tunic that covers her entire body, except for her head, hands and feet. With bare feet, she stands on broken chains, representing independence. On the head is a 7-pointed crown, in the right raised hand - a lit torch, in the left - a tablet, reminiscent of the date of the Declaration of Independence.

Unlike the Volgograd monument, thin copper sheets were used for the construction, which were minted in wooden molds and mounted on a steel base.

Acquainted with technical specifications Statues of Liberty can be in the table below:

Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian statue is classified as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Its height is 38 m, but due to the fact that it is located on the very high point, periodically it becomes the so-called lightning rod. Approximately 4 - 5 times a year lightning strikes it.

The date of foundation of the monument is equal to the centenary of the independence of Brazil.

Work on it began in 1922, after 9 years the construction was completed. The uniqueness of the work performed lies in the fact that for a number of reasons it was not possible to perform them on the spot. As a result, the production of the frame took place in France. For this, reinforced concrete and soapstone were used.

You can get acquainted with the general technical characteristics of the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in the table:

Buddha statue in Japan

In Japanese, she is called Ushiku Daibutsu, which means Big Buddha, it is located in the city of Usik. It is the third largest statue in the world and the largest made of bronze. It rises above the ground to a height of 120 m, of which the size of the platform is only 20 m.

His appearance she shows that she is transmitting the teachings to followers who are on the right path of enlightenment. The right hand is in a raised state, the left is lowered along the body. The palms are turned towards the observers. The index and thumb of each of them are connected at the tips, the rest are straight.

The technical characteristics of the monument are given in the table:

Motherland in Ukraine

The monument was opened in 1981. It was the first steel monument of this size built on the territory of the Soviet Union. The work on the appearance of the statue was carried out by E. V. Vuchetich, who created the “Motherland” on Mamaev Kurgan. The sudden death of the sculptor did not stop the work. His work was continued by Vasily Borodai and a number of other specialists who worked under Evgeny Viktorovich.

The statue on the banks of the Dnieper is depicted as a woman holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, symbolizing the defense of the Fatherland. The structure is hollow, inside it there are 2 elevators designed for the movement of maintenance and repair personnel. In the early 2000s, sightseers were allowed to climb to the top of the statue, where an observation deck was equipped.

However, in 2003 there was a case of a visitor falling, as a result of which entry was restricted. Regular inspections of the technical condition suggest that the Motherland monument has a safety margin of more than 150 years.

You can get acquainted with the technical characteristics of the statue in the table:

The Motherland statue emphasizes the high morale of the Russian people, the creator of the great historical event that turned the tide of the Great Patriotic War. The battles for Volgograd (Stalingrad) revealed the unrequited love of a soldier for his homeland, regardless of nationality and civil status.

Article formatting: Lozinsky Oleg