Height of "Motherland" (sculpture). The history of the creation of the monument. The most interesting facts about the sculpture “The Motherland Calls! Comparison of the motherland and the statue of liberty

I sincerely hope that those who do not need this article, especially those under 30, are in the majority. Hopefully, but not really believing. But even if so, I publish it all the same for this lesserness. There is never too much patriotism.

So let's go:

If you ask the average inhabitant of any country a question about the tallest statues in the world, he will most likely remember the Buddha statues carved out of rocks, the Statue of Liberty in New York, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio - well, the one from the TV series; Perhaps someone will remember the Kolos of Rhodes - it must have been huge, why not remember ... And, perhaps, that's all. In Russia, the older generation will still remember Mamaev Kurgan, but probably not everyone will remember the Motherland-Mother of Kiev, at least in the context of the largest in the world. Where there is ours to theirs, to the Western (aspirated). Vaughn, Christ the Redeemer in 2007 was recognized as one of the seven New Wonders of the World, the Statue of Liberty in the finalists of applicants for this honorary title, And ours are not even close there. The Kremlin just got into the finalists of the contenders.

Statue of Liberty. NY. Who has not dreamed of visiting Liberty Island, or at least taking that famous free ferry and sailing right next to Liberty Island an infinite number of times. Yes, dreams ...

We know everything about her. We know that its full name is "Freedom Illuminating the World". When and who created it, when and where a hand with a torch was exhibited separately, by what date the entire statue was donated and by whom. We even know that we were 10 years late with her. Without exaggeration, the Statue of Liberty can be called the most famous statue in the world and our man is no exception here. He knows more about this overseas beauty than about his relatives.

How huge - look at the little people at the base of the statue - they are practically invisible, unless you look closely. She stands on the broken chains, holding a torch and a tablet with the date of July 4, 1776 in her hands. Visitors walk 356 steps to the crown of the Statue of Liberty or 192 steps to the top of the pedestal. There are 25 windows in the crown, which symbolize earthly gems and heavenly rays that illuminate the world. The seven rays on the crown of the statue symbolize the seven seas and seven continents (the western geographical tradition has exactly seven continents). She is not just a symbol of the United States, she is a symbol of a global scale. But, in my opinion, today it is a symbol of the ending world order, and a monument on the grave of freedom, which, in fact, never existed.

But back to the facts. So.

Most of our compatriots do not even think that our statues will be more massive than Western ones. Moreover, after such propaganda pictures that hundreds are walking on net, we have no thought to doubt this.

What a huge embracing Christ the Redeemer statue. And in the last picture - the Statue of Liberty looks even larger than the statue of the Kiev Motherland, which even here is 9 meters higher.

Is this so? In the next photo, we will see the real size of the Statue of Liberty in New York compared to the figure in Volgograd and the same hugging statue in Rio, and we see that this Christ, if he could hug anyone, would definitely not be our girls. With its size, it could only embrace the monuments to Lenin fleeing from Ukraine.

And in the next photo we will see the actual dimensions of the statues without pedestals. In addition to the New Wonder of the World - the statue of Christ the Redeemer, which, apparently, had to leave the pedestal so that it would not be the smallest in the photo. After all, even with a pedestal, it is only 38 meters high. The facial expressions of Vladimir Ilyich in this photograph, of course, are hard to see, but it seems to me that he is grinning.

Now someone, of course, will say that our statues still fall short of the huge Buddhist ones. It's hard to argue here, because the numbers speak for themselves. But I, with your permission, will allow myself to argue with the level of complexity of the construction of these statues. So, the sculpture Motherland Calls is the ONLY DYNAMIC statue of this size in the WORLD! ! ! I emphasize - the only one !!!

The statue, by sculptor Vuchetich and engineer Nikitin, is made of 5500 tons of concrete and 2400 tons of metal structures. The height of the monument is 86 meters, the height of the sculpture itself is 53 meters. Moreover, the thickness of the walls of the sculpture is no more than 30 centimeters. The sword in the hand of the Motherland weighs 14 tons and is 33 meters long. It is said that a car fits freely in the palm of the statue. In 2008, the statue of the Motherland on the Mamayev Kurgan was recognized as one of the Seven Wonders of Russia.

In 1972, restorers replaced the sword in the statue's hand with a lighter stainless steel. They also made holes in it to reduce the wind pressure. The old sword was made of titanium and thundered in the wind. In the mid-sixties, when the monument was unveiled, it was the tallest monument on the planet. The Statue of Liberty has never been anything "the most", except, perhaps, the most recognizable in the world.

At the moment, the statue is among the ten tallest statues in the world. The motherland is threatened with collapse due to groundwater. Experts say that if the tilt of the statue increases by another 300 mm, it can 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, at that time she worked as a waitress in the Volgograd restaurant. 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, talking about the profession of a model was, to put it mildly, indecent, 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 entire life.

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

The gamble turned into a serious work that lasted two years. Valentina's candidacy for the role of Motherland was approved by Vuchetich himself. After listening to the arguments of his colleagues in favor of a simple Volgograd waitress, he nodded his head in the affirmative, and it began. Posing turned out to be very difficult. Standing for several hours a day with arms outstretched and left leg outstretched was exhausting. As conceived by 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 that called for deeds.

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

There was also one piquant moment during work. The sculptors insisted that Valentina, as befits a model, pose naked, but Izotova resisted. Suddenly the husband comes in. First, we agreed on a separate swimsuit. True, then the upper part of the swimsuit had to be removed. Breasts should be natural. By the way, the model was not wearing any tunic. It was only later that Vuchetich himself threw a flowing robe on the "Motherland". Our heroine saw the finished monument a few days after its official opening. It was interesting to look at myself from the side: face, arms, 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.

So, the height of the female figure of the sculpture Motherland Calls! 52 m, the height of the Statue of Liberty is 46 m and this is before the torch. That is, the figure itself is not more than 40 meters there.

And the last thing. Purpose.

The Statue of Liberty is known all over the world and many, as I already wrote, dream of seeing it in reality. Seeing, at least, people feel a kind of emptiness - that's all? is this the "great statue"? and, at most, they feel disappointed. There is no soul there. Perhaps Americans are feeling the influx of patriotism under or v this statue, but our man, most certainly, does not feel anything like that.

And the diametrically opposite can be said about our Native statue. It has the opposite effect. The calling Motherland has an amazing property of psychological impact on everyone who sees it. There are so many feelings that no one can fail to notice them. After the first meeting with the appearance of their homeland, people walk under the impression for a long time. How the author managed to achieve this is anyone's guess.

I think it's in our blood. Check it out?

No matter how much you turn on the song Khasbulat Udaloy (the US anthem), the impact of the Freedom Monument on a person does not increase.

But, on the other hand, I will quietly turn on our patriotic little letters for you, and in your heads, like Babakhnet now, for all who are a real patriot in their spirit !!!

get up the country is huge

rise to mortal combat. ... ...

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

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

The monument is located on Mamayev Kurgan practically in the center of the city of Volgograd. It is located not far from the banks of the Volga and the river station. Facing to the northeast implies an appeal to the fatherland with an appeal to stand up to fight the hated enemy trying to destroy everything in its path.

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

Daily fighting here continued 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 that became a turning point in the course of the Second World War at the Supreme Commander-in-Chief appeared even before its end. Already at the end of 1944, a competition was announced to determine the appearance of the monument.

It was attended not only by Soviet architects and ordinary people, variations came from foreign countries: Morocco and China. Variants depicting Stalin and a pyramid of melted tanks serving as the basis were rejected. As a result, a version of the sculptor Evgeny Viktorovich Vuchetich was chosen, which has the name "Motherland".

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

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

The presented example is not unique. At the stage of filling the figure, any downtime 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 through the "red" 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 foundation pit of more than 8 m was dug.

In total was spent:

1. Concrete - 5500 t.
2. Steel structures and fittings - 2,500 tons.

The main persons leading the construction were the sculptor E.V. Vuchetich and the engineer N.V. Nikitin, under whose leadership many other specialists worked in various directions.

For example:

1. Musical accompaniment and sounding of each sculptural composition of the ensemble on Mamayev Kurgan - announcer A. I. Levitan, sound engineer A. I. Geraskin, director V. K. Magatoev.
2. V.I. Chuikov, a military consultant, Marshal of the USSR, who took a direct part in the defense of Stalingrad.

The prototype of the statue

The statue of the Motherland 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 other people and ancient figures were the inspirers of the author:

1. Girls who posed for him, but did not suspect for what purpose: A. A. Peshkova; V. Izotova; E. Grebneva.
2. The athlete of the disco ball Nina Dumbadze, with whom he sculpted the figure.
3. The figure of the Marseillaise painted on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
4. Antique statue of Nika 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 during the construction phase. 2 years before the end, the inspection commission from the State Construction Committee recommended the management to strengthen the soil for fear of "slipping" to the river bank. As a result, a major additional reinforcement and concreting was carried out on the very base of the statue.

A year after the opening, another problem arose. The statue's sword, made of stainless steel and sheathed in titanium sheets, was miscalculated. The wide canvas caused the appearance of excessive tension, resulting in swaying. Over the winter, the metal became deformed and began to emit a sharp creaking sound.

The decision was made only in 1972.

The sword was replaced with a new one cast at the local Krasny Oktyabr metallurgical plant. Now it was made of steel. Sailability has been reduced by the addition of 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 the facade.

The key mistake during construction was not the fault of the architect and the workers. "Motherland" was erected at a difficult time for the country. Many cities have not yet been rebuilt from the ruins, so all funds were spent on construction, and not on the development of new innovative technologies to improve the quality of concrete.

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

Technical characteristics of the monument

The base for the statue is a 2-meter pedestal resting on a solid foundation. The hill on which it is located was formed artificially. Initially, the hill was located in the place where the church stands.

The soil for the embankment was transported by trucks for 1 month. According to approximate 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 internal cavity is hollow, there are 119 metal cables, each of which is designed to hold a load of 60 tons. The purpose of tension is to hold and stiffen the entire structure. Pretension control is carried out using sensors located at the ends of the guy wires. Some of them are not whole, but are joined on the 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 load of the structure, pulling on themselves the tension of the weight of the arms of the monument. It should be noted that "Motherland" does not have a grip on the foundation, so it holds itself like a chess piece, under its own weight.

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

However, in the area of ​​the head and chest there are 2 large halls in which the equipment is located, taking into account the vibration of the structure. The only way to get to the head is via a vertical metal ladder. To do this, you will have to overcome a shaft with a diameter of no more than 1.5 m. The room has an exit 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 offered a version of two compositions: a warrior is kneeling in front of a woman, holding out a sword to her.

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

A number of changes were gradually introduced, which 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 survey 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 lasted. As a rough introduction, the table below provides information on the cost of excursion services for the Battle of Stalingrad Museum-Reserve (Mamayev Kurgan).

The cost of providing services is given in accordance with the order of the Museum-Reserve "Battle of Stalingrad" dated 02.22.2018.

The likelihood of destruction of the statue

The statue "Motherland" in Volgograd, whose height reaches 85 m, is able to stand for a long time. Despite numerous design errors, which were mentioned earlier, the likelihood of destruction is not observed. With proper maintenance and control, one of the unique monuments recognized as a miracle of Russia will remain intact for many years.

Beginning in 1966, the statue began to deviate from its original position. However, the calculated data show that there is nothing critical in this, exceeding the permissible standards. For example, in the period from 2000 to 2008. it has shifted by 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 throughout the history of its existence is haunted by various legends and stories. If some of them are real, then a number of others are just fiction.

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

Among the tales, the most common are 2:

1. The story of the elevator, restaurant and observation deck, which functioned many years ago, which were mentioned earlier.
2. The myth is that after the monument was opened, one of the members of the selection committee was lost inside it. 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 Motherland statue in Volgograd, the height of which allows it to enter the 10 tallest monuments depicting a full-length human figure. If we talk about Russian sculptures, it is exceeded only by the monument to Peter I, located on the Moscow River.

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

Statue of Liberty in New York

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

The monument represents a woman wearing a tunic covering her entire body, except for the head, hands and feet. She stands barefoot on the broken chains that represent independence. On the head is a 7-pointed crown, in the right raised hand - a lighted torch, in the left - a tablet, reminiscent of the date of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence.

In contrast to the Volgograd monument, thin copper sheets were used here, which were minted in wooden molds and installed on a steel base.

You can familiarize yourself with the technical characteristics of the Statue of Liberty in the table below:

Christ statue in Rio de Janeiro

The Brazilian statue is classified as 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, it periodically becomes a so-called lightning rod. Lightning strikes it about 4 - 5 times a year.

The date of the foundation of the monument is equated 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 carry out them on site. As a result, the frame production 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, it is located in the city of Ushiku. It is the third largest statue in the world and the largest in bronze. It rises above the ground to a height of 120 m, of which the size of the platform is only 20 m.

By her appearance, she shows that she is transmitting the teachings to followers who are heading on the right path to enlightenment. The right hand is in a raised state, the left is lowered along the body. At the same time, 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 unveiled 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 "Motherland" on Mamayev 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 Yevgeny 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, there are 2 elevators inside it, 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 the entrance was restricted. Regular inspections of the technical condition suggest that the “Motherland” monument has a margin of safety for 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 a great historical event that changed the course of the Great Patriotic War. The battles for Volgograd (Stalingrad) revealed the soldier's unrequited love for his homeland, regardless of nationality and civil status.

Article formatting: Lozinsky Oleg

Video about the Motherland statue

History of the creation of the Mother Motherland statue in Volgograd:

Its height is 182 meters.

In India, on the island of Sadhu Bet in the state of Gujarat, they erected the highest statue in the world - the Statue of Unity.

Its height is 182 m and it is taller than the statue of Christ in Brazil (38 m), the Statue of Liberty in the USA (93 m) and "Motherland" in Kiev (102 m).

Read also:

The sculpture was erected in honor of one of the creators of the modern Indian state, Vallabhai Patel. After India gained independence in 1947, he served as the country's deputy prime minister and interior minister. Patel is also the author of the Indian Constitution and has made tremendous efforts to keep India within its borders and prevent the country from collapsing into smaller states.

For services to India, Vallabhai Patel was given the honorary nickname Sardar, which means the leader or leader in many languages ​​of India.

Read also:

Vallabhai Patel's sculpture consists of a 40-meter pedestal and a 142-meter statue. An observation deck is installed at the level of 153 meters, which can simultaneously accommodate up to 200 people. The construction cost of the statue is $ 430 million.

Video From Rio with love. The statue of Christ the Savior painted in Ukrainian colors

The statue of Christ the Savior is in Ukrainian colors. In Rio de Janeiro, a famous sculpture shone yellow and blue. In the colors of the Ukrainian flag, the Brazilians highlighted it specially for the Independence Day of our state. They have been doing this for 5 years in a row. Moreover, they say, the Ukrainian diaspora has a double holiday the other day. After all, they also celebrate the Day of the Ukrainian community.

Sculpture "The Motherland Calls!" - the compositional center of the monument-ensemble "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad" on the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd. One of the tallest statues in the world.

A huge hill rises above the Square of Sorrow, which is crowned with the main monument - the Motherland Mother. This is a mound about 14 meters high, in which the remains of 34,505 soldiers - defenders of Stalingrad are buried. A serpentine path leads to the top of the hill to the Motherland of Mother, along which there are 35 granite tombstones of the Heroes of the Soviet Union, participants in the Battle of Stalingrad. From the foot of the mound to its top, the serpentine consists of exactly 200 granite steps 15 cm high and 35 cm wide - according to the number of days of the Battle of Stalingrad.

Mamaev Kurgan in the winter of 1945. In the foreground is a broken German cannon Cancer 40.

The end point of the path is a monument "The Motherland Calls!", the compositional center of the ensemble, the highest point of the mound. Its dimensions are enormous - the height of the figure is 52 meters, and total height of the Motherland - 85 meters(along with a sword). For comparison, the height of the famous Statue of Liberty without a pedestal is only 45 meters. At the time of construction, the Motherland was the tallest statue in the country and in the world. Later, the Kiev Motherland-Mother appeared with a height of 102 meters. Today, the tallest statue in the world is the 120-meter statue of Buddha, built in 1995 and located in Japan, in the city of Chuchura. The total weight of the Motherland is 8 thousand tons. In her right hand she holds a steel sword, which is 33 meters long and weighs 14 tons. Compared to the height of a person, the sculpture is increased 30 times. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the Motherland is only 25-30 centimeters. It was cast layer by layer using a special formwork made of gypsum plaster materials. Inside, the rigidity of the frame is supported by a system of more than a hundred ropes. The monument is not fastened to the foundation, it is supported by gravity. The mother's homeland stands on a slab only 2 meters high, which rests on the main foundation 16 meters high, but it is almost invisible - most of it is hidden underground. To enhance the effect of finding the monument at the peak of the mound, an artificial embankment 14 meters high was made.

Stalingrad, Mamayev Kurgan. In the foreground is the Renault UE Chenillette, a light French armored personnel carrier in service with the Wehrmacht.

As soon as the cannonade died down in Stalingrad, the grateful country began to think about what a monument to the creators of this great victory should be. Drawings and sketches were sent not only by professionals, but also by people of completely different professions. Some sent them to the Academy of Arts, others to the State Defense Committee, someone personally to Comrade Stalin. Moreover, everyone saw the future monument as grandiose, unprecedented in size, to match the significance of the victory itself.

The All-Union competition was announced immediately after the war. All prominent Soviet architects and architects took part. The results were summed up ten years later. Although few doubted that the winner of the Stalin Prize, Yevgeny Vuchetich, would win. By that time, he had already created a memorial in Berlin's Treptower Park and enjoyed the confidence of the top officials of the state. On January 23, 1958, the Council of Ministers of the USSR made a decision to start construction of a monument-ensemble on the Mamayev Kurgan. In May 1959, the construction site began to boil.

In his work, Vuchetich addressed the theme of the sword three times - the sword is raised by the Motherland on the Mamayev Kurgan, calling for the expulsion of the conquerors; cuts the fascist swastika with a sword. The victorious warrior in Berlin's Treptower Park; the sword is forged on the plow by the worker in the composition “Let's Beat Swords into Plowshares”, expressing the desire of people of good will to fight for disarmament in the name of the triumph of peace on the planet. This sculpture was donated by the Vuchetech to the United Nations and was installed in front of the headquarters in New York, and its copy - to the Volgograd gas equipment plant, in the workshops of which the Motherland was born). This sword was born in Magnitogorsk (during the war, every third shell and every second tank was made of metal from Magnitogorsk), where the Rear Front monument was erected.

During the construction of the monument motherland many changes were made to the already finished project. Few people know that initially on the top of the Mamayev Kurgan on a pedestal there should have been a sculpture of the Motherland with a red banner and a kneeling fighter (according to some versions, the author of this project was Ernst Unknown). According to the original plan, two monumental staircases led to the monument. But later Vuchetich changed the basic idea of ​​the monument. After the Battle of Stalingrad, the country had more than 2 years of bloody battles ahead of it, and Victory was still far away. Vuchetich left his Motherland alone, now she called her sons to begin the victorious exile of the enemy.

He also removed the pompous pedestal of the Motherland of Mother, practically repeating the one on which stands his Soldier-winner in Treptower Park. Instead of monumental staircases (which, by the way, were already built), a serpentine path appeared at the Motherland. The Motherland Mother itself has "grown" relative to its original size - its height has reached 36 meters. But this option did not become final either. Soon after the completion of work on the foundation of the main monument, Vuchetich (on the instructions of Khrushchev) increases the size of the Motherland to 52 meters. Because of this, the builders had to urgently "load" the foundation, for which 150 thousand tons of earth were laid in the embankment.

In the Timiryazevsky district of Moscow, at Vuchetich's dacha, where his workshop was located and today the architect's house-museum, you can see working sketches: a reduced model of the Motherland, as well as a life-size model of the head of a statue.

In a sharp, impetuous impulse, a woman stood on the mound. With a sword in hand, she calls on her sons to defend the Fatherland. Her right leg is slightly laid back, the torso and head are vigorously deployed to the left. The face is stern and strong-willed. Throwing eyebrows, a wide open, screaming mouth, short hair blown out by gusts of wind, strong arms, a long dress that fits the shape of a body, the ends of a scarf blown out by gusts of wind - all this creates a feeling of strength, expression and an irresistible striving forward. Against the background of the sky, she is like a bird soaring in the sky.

The sculpture of the Motherland of Mother looks great from all sides at any time of the year: in the summer, when the mound is covered with a continuous grass carpet, and on the winter evening, it is bright, illuminated by the beams of searchlights. The majestic statue, standing against the background of the dark blue sky, seems to grow out of the mound, merging with its snow cover.

The work of sculptor E.V. Vuchetich and engineer N.V. Nikitin is a multi-meter figure of a woman stepping forward with a raised sword. The statue is an allegorical image of the Motherland calling its sons to fight the enemy. In an artistic sense, the statue is a modern interpretation of the image of the ancient goddess of victory Nike, who calls on her sons and daughters to repulse the enemy and continue their further offensive.

The construction of the monument began in May 1959 and completed on October 15, 1967. The sculpture at the time of its creation was the tallest statue in the world. Restoration work on the Main Monument of the monument-ensemble was carried out twice: in 1972 and 1986, in particular in 1972 the sword was replaced.

The prototype of the sculpture was Valentina Izotova (according to other sources, Anastasia Antonovna Peshkova, a graduate of the Barnaul Pedagogical School in 1953).

68-year-old Valentina Izotova was a model in the creation of the famous Russian memorial "Motherland". For almost 40 years, she did not say that she was involved in its creation.

Could I refuse when the sculptors asked me to pose for a statue in memory of the huge losses suffered by the Red Army in Stalingrad? But I was horrified when they announced that I should pose nude.

It was the early 1960s, and decent women did not undress in front of anyone but their husbands. Artists, even such respected and famous as Lev Maistrenko, who worked on the memorial, meant nothing to the 26-year-old woman.

It was Lev who turned to me. I worked as a waitress in the main restaurant in the city, Volgograd - which is still there - and usually served the room reserved for high-ranking party officials and delegations. Lev said that I am beautiful and embody all the physical and moral qualities of an ideal Soviet woman. Of course, I was flattered, how could it be otherwise?

Curiosity got the better, and I agreed to pose. None of us had any idea how famous Motherland would be. Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) is famous for this sculpture as well as for the battle fought here.

My husband did not like that I would pose for a group of artists sent from Moscow. He was terribly jealous and took me to every session in the studio they set up in the old gas apparatus factory.

After a while, it became the same job as any other, I hardly thought about standing in a swimsuit, and was glad that I was paid three rubles a day, because then it was a decent amount. But only six months later, I finally gave in to the persuasion of the sculptors to take off my bra and bare my breasts. But that was all. I was unshakable in my determination to maintain a vestige of modesty and not pose completely naked. It was inconceivable.

No one except relatives and closest friends found out about this. Soon after the sessions ended, I went to get my first higher education: I have two diplomas - economist and engineer. Then I left Volgograd and began to live and work in Norilsk.

After the opening of the memorial in 1967, I thought little about it and lived my life.

In October 2010, work began to secure the statue.

The sculpture is made of blocks of prestressed reinforced 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 85-87 meters. It is installed on a concrete foundation 16 meters deep. The height of the female figure is 52 meters (weight - over 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 loosely 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 entire statue is made up of separate cells, like rooms in a building. The rigidity of the frame is supported by ninety-nine metal cables, which are constantly in tension.

The sword, 33 meters long and 14 tons in weight, was originally made of stainless steel sheathed with titanium sheets. The huge mass and high windage of the sword, due to its colossal size, caused a strong swing of the sword when exposed to wind loads, which led to excessive mechanical stress at the place where the hand holding the sword was attached to the body of the sculpture. The deformations of the sword's structure also caused the titanium sheathing sheets to move, creating an unpleasant sound of clattering metal to the ear. Therefore, in 1972, the blade was replaced with another - entirely composed of fluorinated steel - and holes were provided in the upper part of the sword, which made it possible to reduce its windage. The reinforced concrete structure of the sculpture was reinforced in 1986 on the recommendation of the NIIZhB expert group led by RL Serykh.

There are very few such sculptures in the world, for example - the statue of Jesus Christ in Rio de Janeiro, "Motherland" in Kiev, the monument to Peter I in Moscow. For comparison, the height of the Statue of Liberty from the pedestal is 46 meters.

The most complicated calculations of the stability of this structure were carried out by Doctor of Technical Sciences N.V. Nikitin, the author of the calculation of the stability of the Ostankino TV tower. At night, the statue is illuminated by spotlights.

“The horizontal displacement of the upper part 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 " Battle of Stalingrad "" Alexander Velichkin.

Interesting Facts

• The sculpture "Motherland" 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 meters and the length of 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 weight of the sword is 14 tons (for comparison: the Statue of Liberty in New York is 46 meters high; the Statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro is 38 meters). At the moment, the statue is ranked 11th in the list of the tallest statues in the world.
• Vuchetich told Andrei Sakharov: “The bosses are asking me why she has an open mouth, it’s ugly. I answer: And she screams - for the Motherland ... your mother! - shut up. "
• There is a legend according to which a man was lost in the sculpture shortly after its creation; after that no one saw him. But this is just a legend
• The silhouette of the sculpture "Motherland" was taken as a basis for the development of the coat of arms and flag of the Volgograd region

During construction, Vuchetich made changes to the project more than once. Little-known fact: at first, the main monument of the ensemble was supposed to look completely different. At the top of the mound, the author wanted to put a sculpture of the Motherland with a red banner and a kneeling soldier. According to the original plan, two monumental staircases led to it. They managed to be built when Vuchetich went to Khrushchev, the then leader of the country, and convinced him that it would be better if people began to climb the serpentine path to the top.

But these are not all the changes that the master made to the already finished project. Valentina Klyushina, who was the deputy director of the memorial for many years, told me about how all this happened. During the years of the creation of the complex, she worked in the Volgograd City Executive Committee and oversaw the construction.

- "Motherland" Vuchetich decided to leave alone. He also removed the pompous pedestal, practically repeating the one on which stands his Soldier-winner in Treptower Park. The main figure has become taller - 36 meters. But this option did not last long either. As soon as the builders had time to make the foundation, the author increased the size of the sculpture. Up to 52 meters! In the competition between the superpowers, it was necessary for the main monument of the USSR to be taller than the American Statue of Liberty. We had to urgently "load" the foundation so that it could withstand an 85-meter (with a sword) sculpture weighing 8 thousand tons. At that time, 150 thousand tons of earth were laid in the embankment. And since the deadlines were running out, a military battalion was allocated to help the brigades.

There was a problem with the current Hall of Military Glory. It was supposed to install a panorama canvas there. As soon as the "box" of the building has been completed, Vuchetich decides that the panorama should be placed separately. And then they did. And in the finished structure along the perimeter of the walls there are mosaic banners with the names of the fallen defenders of the city. The author also quickly passed this question through the Central Committee of the CPSU.

There was also an embarrassment with these very banners. Here is what Klyushina said:

Masters from Leningrad worked with the mosaic. Art glass was supplied from the Ukrainian city of Lisichansk. Mosaic workers laid out the interior as the material arrived. When everything was ready and the scaffolding was removed, everyone gasped. The tones on the wall were so different that it looked like a chessboard. The date of completion of the object was approaching. And Vuchetich had no choice but to call "up". This time Brezhnev. He immediately dialed the first secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Ukraine Shelest and explained the problem to him. In a word, a few days later the cars delivered new glass to Volgograd.

Now imagine: it's June, four months are left before the opening of the memorial. And it is necessary to restore the forests again, prepare and lay more than a thousand square meters of multi-colored glass pieces. The legendary commander of the 62nd Army Vasily Chuikov helped a lot. He, by the way, was Vuchetich's chief consultant for the project. At the disposal of the headquarters of the construction site, 500 soldiers were seconded. The fighters worked in a Stakhanov way. Within three weeks, the interior of the hall took on its intended look.

But these are not all the difficulties that the creators of the complex faced. On one of the spring days of the same 1967, a critical situation arose with a 33-meter sword.

... As usual, the chief engineer of Volgogradgidrostroy, Yuri Abramov, went to work at the headquarters in the morning. On the way he came across a flock of boys arguing ... why is the sword swinging so strongly in the hand of the Motherland? Abramov raised his head and was horrified. They immediately carried out an operative, and the very next day a special commission arrived from Moscow. It soon became clear that the designers did not take into account the data of long-term observations of the wind rose. So it turned out that the sword turned out to be turned flat in relation to the wind. We urgently had to make several holes in it so that it could blow freely. In addition, the commission generally recommended replacing the heavy titanium sword with a lighter steel one.

At the very finish of the construction site, 50 powerful floodlights were required to illuminate the sculpture. They could not be obtained anywhere. The country at that time was preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution - and everything that was produced went to Moscow and Leningrad according to the order. Klyushina was sent to the capital to the chairman of the Moscow City Executive Committee Promyslov. He said that Moscow was not able to help. And he advised me to go to the manufacturing plant. And Klyushina rushed to the city of Gusev, which is in the Kaliningrad region. The director of "Electromash" also threw up his hands at the request. Then he thought about it and invited Valentina to speak on the factory radio in front of the workers and ask them to work beyond the norm. Two additional shifts were organized and the Saira searchlights left for Volgograd. On October 15, 1967 the monument-ensemble was inaugurated.

The construction lasted eight years and five months. The memorial has been standing for another forty years. He always looked dignified. Even when everything in the country collapsed and fell into disrepair, the grass was neatly cut on the mound. But only the people working here know what this order is worth. And how you have to knock out money from the bosses of all ranks in order to patch and repair a huge unique economy.

Someone inadvertently said that, they say, "Motherland" is so tilted that it may soon fall. This is nonsense. “Any structure of this type,” says the director of the memorial, retired general Vladimir Berlov, “can bend over. This is even foreseen by the designers. Let's say that the design of our monument is designed for a deflection of 272 millimeters. The figure, - continues Berlov, - is constantly examined for the formation of cracks, roughness, its position is analyzed. And the analysis of concrete chips, carried out in a German laboratory, showed an excellent state of the structure and the presence of the necessary margin of safety. From the inside, it is supported by 99 tension ropes. Believe me, says the director, this system will never allow the monument to tilt to a critical level. "

You can take a walk with Sergey Dolya inside the monument

And here is a walk with Artemy Lebedev

At the end of June 1941, perhaps, the main graphic work of the Great Patriotic War was published, which was later included in all history textbooks - Irakli Toidze's poster "The Motherland Calls". By the artist's own admission, the idea of ​​creating a collective image of a mother calling her sons for help came to him quite by accident. Hearing the first message from the Soviet Information Bureau about the attack of Nazi Germany on the USSR, Toidze's wife ran into his studio shouting "War!" Struck by the expression on her face, the artist ordered his wife to freeze and immediately began to sketch the future masterpiece. In the future, the very concept of "Motherland" became almost the cornerstone of all Soviet propaganda, embodied in countless imitations and migrated to related fields of fine art, including monumental art.

The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is

“15 years of searching and doubts, sadness and joy, rejected and found solutions. What did we want to say to people with this monument on the historic Mamayev 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 the area located 200 meters from the present peak. Now it houses the Temple 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 have already been built have been replaced with a serpentine path that surrounds the statue like a ribbon. The dimensions have also changed - the Motherland has grown from 36 meters to 52 meters. Although the sculptor's intention has nothing to do with it, Nikita Khrushchev simply declared in an ultimatum that it must certainly be higher 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 the Mamayev Kurgan lasted 135 days. It remained black even in the snowy season: the snow here quickly melted from the explosion of bombs. Each square meter accounted for from 500 to 1250 bullets and shrapnel. In the first post-war spring, the Mamayev Kurgan did not turn green, and even grass did not grow on the burnt ground.

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

The 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 is 8 thousand tons. The most complicated 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 is ranked 11th 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 14 tons in weight, was originally made of stainless steel sheathed with titanium sheets. But the sheets of titanium cladding rattled in the wind, and additionally loaded the hand. As a result, the blade was replaced with another one made entirely of fluorinated steel.

During the construction of the monument, a stable supply of concrete was necessary, otherwise the joints between the layers might not be strong enough. The trucks delivering concrete for the construction of the monument were marked with colored ribbons. The drivers were allowed to pass "on the red", the traffic police were forbidden to stop them.

From the foot to the upper platform there are 200 degrees, according to the number of days of the Battle of Stalingrad. Inside the statue itself, there should also 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 the Mamayev Kurgan - a soldier with a machine gun and a grenade and an inscription on the pedestal "Stand to death!" the face of Marshal of the Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov. He was the chief military advisor to the memorial. According to the will of the commander of the 62nd Army, he was buried at the Mamayev Kurgan.

According to the memoirs of the Soviet physicist, academician Andrei Sakharov, Yevgeny Vuchetich, the author of the memorial ensemble to the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad on the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, shared with him in a private conversation: “My bosses are asking me why she has an open mouth, it’s ugly. I answer: And she screams - for the Motherland ... your mother! "

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

The silhouette of the sculpture "Motherland" was taken as a basis for the development of the coat of arms 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 on the Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, a capsule with an appeal of the participants in the war to their descendants should be opened.

There is one more Motherland - in Kiev, this is also the creation of Vuchetich. It stands on the right bank of the Dnieper. It is 23 meters smaller than its companion, but it stands on a huge pedestal, inside 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 her head is huge and the fence is small, her head and her colleagues can be seen quite well from behind the fence.

Perhaps the biggest mystery is - with whom the Motherland was sculpted, there are enough applicants. Anastasia Peshkova, a 79-year-old resident of Barnaul, announced on the eve of the 70th anniversary of the Victory at Stalingrad that she became the prototype of the famous sculpture of Vuchetich. In 2003, Valentina Izotova made the same statement. She worked as a waitress in the Volgograd restaurant and claimed that Vuchetich himself invited her to work as a model. “I was paid 3 rubles an hour. She has a lot of me in her - neck, broken arms, legs, hips - everything is mine! " - said Izotova. Another contender is Ekaterina Grebneva, a gymnast, and now a retired retired teacher. She also posed for Vuchetich, but she does not pretend to be unique: “This is a collective image. I think that I was 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 discobolt. She posed for him in Moscow, in his workshop. But for the face of the sculpture, Evgeny Viktorovich is not far to go far. He created it with his wife, Vera Nikolaevna. And sometimes he affectionately called the sculpture by the name of his wife, Vera ".

Made of prestressed reinforced 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 a 16 meter high main foundation, 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 free on a slab, like a chess piece on a board. Inside, the entire statue is made up of separate chambers. The rigidity of the frame is supported by 99 permanently tensioned metal cables.

x Html code

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