Whose motherland is higher: Volgograd vs Kyiv. The most interesting facts about the sculpture “Motherland is calling! Comparison of the Statue of Liberty and Motherland Calls

Monument "Motherland is calling!" opened in 1967. How the monument became the highest in the world, whose face a female figure has and what kind of sculptural “relatives” she has - we recall 10 facts about the Motherland.

Volgograd. Memorial complex "Motherland is calling!". Andrey Izhakovsky / Photobank Lori

Competition without borders. The victory in the Battle of Stalingrad was a turning point in the history of the Great Patriotic War. The competition for the creation of a monument in Stalingrad was announced already in September 1944. Both well-known architects and soldiers who sent their sketches by military field mail participated in it. Architect Georgy Martsinkevich suggested placing a tall column with a figure of Stalin at the top, and Andrei Burov proposed a 150-meter pyramid with a frame made of remelted tanks.

Projects came even from abroad - from Morocco, Shanghai. Interestingly, the future creator of the Motherland Evgeny Vuchetich did not take part in the competition. There were legends that he discussed his project directly with Stalin.

Construction of the monument "Motherland is calling!". Mamaev Kurgan, Volgograd. 1962. Photo: zheleznov.pro

Construction of the monument "Motherland is calling!". Mamaev Kurgan, Volgograd. 1965. Photo: stalingrad-battle.ru

Construction of the monument "Motherland is calling!". Mamaev Kurgan, Volgograd. 1965. Photo: planet-today.ru

Changes in composition. The sculptural composition had to look different. It was assumed that next to the female figure there would be a statue of a kneeling soldier holding out his sword to the Motherland. However, the original composition of the monument seemed to Evgeny Vuchetich too complicated. He changed the project after the approval "from above". The sculptor had an important ideological argument: the soldier could not hand over his sword to anyone, because the war was not over yet.

Who was the prototype? Art critics agree that Yevgeny Vuchetich was inspired by the Marseillaise bas-relief on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and the antique sculpture of Nike of Samothrace. However, who specifically posed for him is not known for certain. It is most likely that the sculptor sculpted the figure of the Motherland from the Soviet sportswoman Nina Dumbadze, and the face from his wife Vera. Today, the model of the head of the statue is kept in the Vuchetich Estate Museum in Moscow.

The first reinforced concrete monument. The Motherland became the first monument in the USSR completely made of reinforced concrete. In the 1960s, after the war, many more cities, including Volgograd, were not rebuilt, and reinforced concrete was one of the cheapest materials. However, this choice caused some difficulties. For example, a year after the opening of the monument, small cracks began to form on it. To preserve the monument, the head and arms of the sculpture were covered with a water-repellent every year.

Soviet athlete Nina Dumbadze at the competition. 1950s Photo: russiainphoto.ru

Bas-relief "Departure of volunteers to the front in 1792" ("La Marseillaise"). Triumphal Arch. Sculptor Francois Rude. Paris, France. 1836

Sculpture "Nike of Samothrace". Pythocrite from Lindos. Around 190 BC Louvre, Paris

Structural reinforcement. All engineering calculations were carried out under the direction of Nikolai Nikitin, who was building the Ostankino television tower. Monument "Motherland is calling!" during the construction they did not fix it in any way: it stands on the ground due to its own weight. Metal ropes are stretched inside the statue, which make it more stable and maintain the rigidity of the metal frame. Today, sensors are installed on the cables, specialists monitor the state of the structure.

Monument to the era of the three general secretaries. Although the architectural design competition was held in the 1940s, work on the monument began after Stalin's death. The construction order was signed in January 1958 by Nikita Khrushchev. The monument was erected for almost ten years - it was opened in October 1967. The opening was also attended by the General Secretary of the Central Committee of the CPSU - at that time already Leonid Brezhnev.

The tallest statue in the world. It was planned that the height of the Motherland would be 36 meters. However, Khrushchev ordered to "grow up" the female figure. The statue on Mamayev Kurgan was supposed to "surpass" the Statue of Liberty - its height without a pedestal was 46 meters.

After the construction was completed, the Motherland was the tallest statue in the world. The female figure towered 52 meters above the pedestal, and taking into account the length of her arm and sword, the height of the monument was 85 meters. The monument weighed 8 thousand tons, excluding the sword. Today, the Motherland remains in the top ten highest statues in the world.

steel sword. The sword of the statue was made using aviation technology. It was made of stainless steel and lined with titanium sheets. But such a decision was not suitable for the monument - the sword swayed and creaked in the wind. In 1972, the weapons were replaced with steel ones with holes to reduce windage. Because of the "problematic" sword, the designers of the monument did not receive the Lenin Prize. The monument "The Motherland Calls!". Sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich, architect Nikolai Nikitin. Volgograd. 1959-1967

Monument "Warrior-Liberator". Sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, architect Yakov Belopolsky. Berlin, Germany. 1949

The image of the "Motherland". The collective image of the Motherland appeared on propaganda posters as early as 1941. They were created by the Soviet painter Irakli Toidze. The artist recalled that his wife became the prototype of the woman on the poster. Hearing a message about an attack on the USSR, she ran into the artist's studio shouting "War!". Irakli Toidze was shocked by her facial expression and immediately made the first sketches.

“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, it opened the panorama of the city. 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 there is an observation deck in the mouth, and a restaurant for VIPs is closer to the ear. 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 applicants impostors: “Evgeny Viktorovich made the figure from Nina Dumbadze, the famous disco ball. She posed for him in Moscow, in his workshop. But behind the face of the sculpture, Evgeny Viktorovich does not go far He created it with his wife - Vera Nikolaevna. And sometimes 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

The Great Patriotic War, apparently, will never be forgotten. It was too hard for us to win. In every city there are either squares or parks and squares where monuments are erected to its heroes.

Woman with a sword

A whole ensemble was created on the famous Mamaev Kurgan (Volgograd). It is dedicated to those who won the Ideological and compositional center of this large structure - a sculpture that is known all over the world. It's called "The Motherland Calls!" True, not everyone is aware that she herself is not independent, but part of a triptych, but central.

The second part of the complex is the composition "Rear - Front". It is completed and stands in Magnitogorsk. It is depicted how a worker hands a sword to a warrior. And they forged it just in the Urals. And the whole ensemble is also completed by the well-known monument - "Warrior-Liberator". Location - Berlin.

The tallest

Many are interested in the height of the Motherland statue in Volgograd. We answer: 85 meters, and the height of a woman is 52 m. The weight of the structure is 8000 tons. The length of the sword is 3300 cm. And it weighs no less than 14,000 kg! These are the "passport" parameters of this unique work.

In the year the construction was completed, the sculpture turned out to be the largest in the world. She was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Compare: the Statue of Liberty rises 46 m from the pedestal, and the height of Christ (the Redeemer) is only 38. Today, given the height of the “Motherland”, experts took her 11th place in the list

It was a long time ago

The erection of such a memorial was given extraordinary importance. Everything was taken into account. And also what is the height of the Motherland statue. They were not limited either in money or in the most modern building materials. Invited the best creators. Evgeny Vuchetich, People's Artist of the USSR, a participant in the Great Patriotic War, was the main one here. He has already made a marvelous army (ten years ago) that adorns Berlin's Treptow Park. Also his work is “Let's beat swords into plowshares”. The sculpture flaunts in front of the UN building in New York.

The head of the engineering group was Nikolai Nikitin, a professor-architect, as well as a doctor of technical sciences. In the 1950s, he designed the buildings of Moscow State University. In the future, he will be assigned to work on the Ostankino Tower. Now we needed calculations of particular complexity. For this monument has a super-high height. "Motherland" in Volgograd must be impeccable.

Vasily Chuikov, Marshal, took up the consultation from a military point of view. At the front, he was nicknamed the "assault commander." It was he who commanded the 62nd Army, which did not surrender the Mamaev Kurgan to the enemy. During the defense of Stalingrad, Chuikov came up with special assault groups. They suddenly burst into houses, passing to them through underground communications. The Germans could not even understand where this blow fell from.

After the war, the marshal was awarded for his work on the monument in an original way: they allowed (at his request) to be buried on Mamaev Kurgan, next to those 34,505 soldiers who died defending Stalingrad. In 1982, their commander himself was buried near the Motherland.

The architectural and engineering group created the figure of a woman (the height of the Motherland statue, as we have already said, is 85 meters), which makes an impetuous, energetic step forward. In her hand is a sword raised against the invaders. the country calls the people to battle with the enemy.

The prototype of the statue

And who, I wonder, posed for the sculptor then? The candidate - Valentina Izotova - was found by chance. Now she is a pensioner, a resident of Volgograd. And then she was 26 years old. And she worked as a waitress in a restaurant. There she was seen by Vuchetich's assistant, also a sculptor L. Maistrenko. He liked the stern, serious face, the athletic figure of Izotova, her purposeful look. The nomination was approved.

It took Valentina Ivanovna two years to complete this work. Be that as it may, the creative process is a complex matter. Especially considering the incredible height of the sculpture. “Motherland” in Volgograd really turned out to be outstanding. People come from everywhere to look at it, to pay tribute to the defenders of the country. At night, the monument (the height of the "Motherland" is really amazing) is illuminated by powerful spotlights, and the impression is the strongest.

Interesting fact. When we decided to develop the design of the flag and the region), we decided to take the silhouette as a basis. There were no other opinions. And on the postage stamp of the GDR, issued in 1983, is the same image.

Not an easy job

Being in this place, you understand the full significance of those battles. More than four months (more precisely, 140 days) there were bloody, fierce battles for only one point - height No. 102. And every piece of this land is still dangerous. Although more than 70 years have passed since there were no more shots and volleys here, people still find shells on the hill that did not explode then. That is why this territory was chosen to perpetuate the feat of people.

The construction of an unusual monument (the height of the “Motherland” is very high) began in 1959, in the spring. Completed in the fall of 1967. That is more than eight years of work. First - laying the foundation of concrete. A box base was placed on top. The builders intended to overlay the pedestal with stones. But an order came from Secretary General Khrushchev, and 150 thousand tons of earth were poured on top in order to further strengthen the foundation. Therefore, today the top of the mound is imported.

Under the sculpture (the height of the "Motherland" is amazing) lies a thick (one and a half meters) slab and another base of 16 meters.

Reduced layout

When it was the turn of the figure of a woman, they cast it right here on the hill. How else, if the height of the statue "Motherland" in Volgograd is extremely large! But a reduced (exactly ten times) layout stood nearby. And gradually, looking at the stencil, they poured tier after tier. So they collected the "woman". Cars with cargo arrived here around the clock. Everything was done very well. Concrete, for example, was taken exactly the same as that allocated for the Volga hydroelectric power station. And the fillers for it, too, were chosen in the most careful way.

But now the whole figure is ready. Then they took over the head. True, they cast it separately. And lifted by helicopter. It couldn't be done otherwise. The height of the "Motherland" did not allow.

I had to work a lot with the sword. At first it was made of stainless steel, sheathed with durable pieces (made of titanium). However, it swayed from the wind, thundered strongly. That is why in 1972 this weapon was removed and another steel structure was installed.

Restoration

Restoration measures were carried out in 1972 and in 1986. Five years ago, they were engaged in ensuring its safety. After all, the height of the monument "Motherland" in Volgograd is not enough to say decent. She is huge! And over time, everything changes, ages, weakens. And this is despite the fact that the thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the monument is 25-30 cm. Inside, it is assembled from large individual cells. The frame itself is rigid, yet supported by 119 cables made of durable metal. And they are under constant pressure.

The heaviest sword, with its simply fabulously gigantic size, swayed in the wind. And where it was attached to the woman's hand, there was an excess of tension. The design of the sword deformed over time. So we've worked on that issue as well.

sliding down

Since the height of the “Motherland” is great, and the figure stands on clay soil, which slowly but invariably slides towards the Volga, the experts sounded the alarm. After all, the statue can collapse. She has already shifted by 214 mm. And this is almost 80 percent of the allowable initial calculations. But experts say: the planned strength has not yet been exhausted.

This project was conceived for a deviation of 272 mm. Yes, and its base was deformed slightly. In total, the norm took only 90 mm. After the next restoration, the monument will last a long time.

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 108-meter high statue of the Bodhisattva Huan Yin is located on the southern coast of Hainan Island 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 the Ural Mountains, raised to defend the fatherland near Stalingrad and lowered after the capitulation 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. for which a pit was dug more than 8 m.

Total spent:

1. Concrete - 5500 tons.
2. 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:

1. Musical accompaniment and sounding of each sculptural composition of the ensemble on Mamaev Kurgan - announcer A. I. Levitan, sound engineer A. I. Geraskin, director V. K. Magatoev.
2. 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:

1. Girls who posed for him, but did not suspect for what purpose: A. A. Peshkova; V. Izotova; E. Grebneva.
2. Sportswoman Nina Dumbadze, a disco wrestler, with whom he sculpted a figure.
3. The figure of the Marseillaise painted on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
4. 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 in total. 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. You can get acquainted with the main sights, expositions of the memorial complex on your own or using the services of guides.

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).

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 for a 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. The design features of the project assume and allow a 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:

1. The story of the elevator, restaurant and observation deck, functioning many years ago, about which was mentioned earlier.
2. 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.

You can get acquainted with the technical characteristics of the Statue of Liberty 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 at the highest point, from time to time 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, it is called Ushiku Daibutsu, which means Big Buddha, and is located in the city of Ushiku. 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.

With her appearance, she shows that she is transmitting the teachings to followers who are heading along 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, a visitor fell, 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

Video about Motherland Mother statue

The history of the creation of the Motherland Mother statue in Volgograd: