“The Motherland is calling!” – the greatest monument to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Elimination of design defects

Monument “The Motherland is Calling!” opened in 1967. How the monument became the tallest in the world, whose face is female figure and what kind of sculptural “relatives” she has - let’s remember 10 facts about the Motherland.

Volgograd. Memorial Complex“The 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. A competition for the creation of a monument in Stalingrad was announced already in September 1944. It was attended by famous architects, and soldiers who sent their sketches by military field mail. Architect Georgy Martsinkevich proposed erecting a tall column with the figure of Stalin at the top, and Andrei Burov - a 150-meter pyramid with a frame made of melted down tanks.

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

Construction of the monument “The Motherland is Calling!” Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd. 1962. Photo: zheleznov.pro

Construction of the monument “The Motherland is Calling!” Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd. 1965. Photo: stalingrad-battle.ru

Construction of the monument “The Motherland is Calling!” Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd. 1965. Photo: planet-today.ru

Changes in composition. Sculptural composition should have looked 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 initial composition of the monument seemed too complicated to Yevgeny Vuchetich. He changed the project after approval from above. The sculptor had an important ideological argument: the soldier could not give his sword to anyone, because the war was not over yet.

Who was the prototype? Art historians agree that Evgeny Vuchetich was inspired by the bas-relief “Marseillaise” on the Parisian Arc de Triomphe and antique sculpture Nika of Samothrace. However, who exactly posed for him is not known for certain. It is most likely that the sculptor sculpted the figure of the Motherland from the Soviet discus athlete Nina Dumbadze, and the face from his wife Vera. Today, a model of the statue’s head is kept in the Vuchetich Estate Museum in Moscow.

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

Soviet track and field athlete Nina Dumbadze at competitions. 1950s Photo: russiainphoto.ru

Bas-relief “Retreat of volunteers to the front in 1792” (“Marseillaise”). Triumphal Arch. Sculptor Francois Rud. Paris, France. 1836

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

Strengthening the structure. All engineering calculations were carried out under the direction of Nikolai Nikitin, who built the Ostankino TV tower. Monument “The Motherland Calls!” during construction they were not secured 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, and specialists monitor the condition of the structure.

Monument to the era of three secretaries general. Although the architectural design competition took place 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 took almost ten years to build - it was opened in October 1967. The opening was also attended by general secretary The Central Committee of the CPSU - at that time Leonid Brezhnev.

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 “overtake” the Statue of Liberty - its height without a pedestal was 46 meters.

After 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 most tall statues peace.

Steel sword. The statue's sword was made using aviation technology. It was made of stainless steel and sheathed with titanium sheets. But this solution was not suitable for the monument - the sword swayed and creaked in the wind. In 1972, the weapon was replaced with a steel one with holes to reduce windage. Because of the “problematic” sword, the monument’s designers did not receive the Lenin Prize. The “Motherland Calls!” monument. Sculptor Evgeniy Vuchetich, architect Nikolai Nikitin. Volgograd. 1959-1967

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

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

· 11/25/2015

Statue “The Motherland Calls!” located in the center of the memorial composition “To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” in hero city Volgograd on Mamayev Kurgan.

Statue of the Motherland in Volgograd - general description and characteristics.

The statue is compositional center monument-ensemble "Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad". This is one of the tallest monuments in the whole world: height of the Motherland statue in Volgograd without a sword is 52 meters, and with the sword as much as 85! The weight of the statue without the sword is 8 thousand tons, the sword of the Motherland weighs 14 tons. Such height and power of the statue indicates strength and uniqueness.

The author of the Motherland statue in Volgograd is the sculptor Evgeniy Viktorovich Vuchetich, it was according to his design that the statue was built from May 1959 to October 1967. Statue “Motherland Calls!” on Mamayev Kurgan takes 11th place in the Guinness Book of Records as one of the tallest statue-monuments in the world. At night, the statue is illuminated with multi-colored lights. Sculpture “The Motherland Calls!” calls on people to unite and survive a difficult battle.

Who is the prototype of the sculpture of the Motherland on Mamayev Kurgan?

According to rumors, the prototype of the statue “Motherland Calls!” became three girls from Volgograd: Ekaterina Grebneva, Anastasia Peshkova and Valentina Izotova. But this fact was not confirmed by anything. Most likely it's just a rumor. There is also a legend that the “Motherland” is modeled after the Marseillaise figure, which is located on triumphal arch in Paris.

Statue “Motherland Calls!” in Volgograd - the history of construction.

Construction of the statue on Mamayev Kurgan began in 1959 and ended in 1967. The construction of the sculpture took exactly eight years, and that’s a lot. Since 1972, construction and reconstruction work has been periodically carried out on Mamayev Kurgan. In 1978, the sculpture was strengthened, stability calculations were carried out by Doctor of Technical Sciences Nikitin N.V. It was he who made the necessary calculations during the construction of the Ostankino Tower in Moscow. In 2010, work began to more effectively ensure the security of the monument.

As for the materials for constructing the statue, there were no restrictions on them. 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,500 metal structures were used for the construction and construction of the Motherland monument in Volgograd. Before construction began on Mamayev Kurgan, a foundation 15 meters deep was laid, on which a slab 2 meters high was installed. For the construction of the “Motherland”, 95 metal cables were used, it was they that held the frame of the statue in an upright position. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the statue is about 30 cm.

Sword of the Motherland.

Motherland Sword Length reaches 33 meters, the weight of the sword is 14 tons. It was originally made of steel. Over time, due to strong winds, the structure was deformed, and an unpleasant sound of metal appeared. In 1972, the sword was reconstructed: the blade was replaced with a new one, more resistant to weather conditions. This blade was made from fluorinated steel.

The statue “The Motherland Calls” in Volgograd is an integral part triptych. Its first part is located in Magnitogorsk and is called “Rear to Front!” The second part is “Motherland” in Volgograd. The third part, “Warrior Liberator,” is located in Treptower Park in Berlin.

According to the original idea, the Motherland was supposed to hold a banner in her hands instead of a sword, and a soldier was supposed to stand at her feet, kneeling.

Why was the statue installed on Mamayev Kurgan?

The place where the majestic monument was erected was not chosen by chance. 200 meters from statues of the Motherland in Volgograd there is the legendary height 102, behind which bloody battles took place for 140 days during the Second World War. Mamayev Kurgan evokes a feeling of pride and pain among visiting tourists, forcing them to remember the sacrifices made in the name of Great Victory, and all the feats performed by ordinary Soviet people, who were forced by difficult times to take up arms and stand up for defense native land. The atmosphere at the feet of the majestic statue of the Motherland invariably makes you plunge into memories, because every centimeter of this land is soaked in the blood shed by valiant soldiers, Defenders of the Fatherland. That is why the place for the monument Soviet soldiers Mamayev Kurgan was chosen. The Motherland Memorial was cast right here, only the head and sword were created separately and installed using helicopters. The work was carried out according to a model reduced tenfold, installed next to the future monument. Construction was in full swing both day and night: Soviet authorities strived to complete the construction as quickly as possible. In those days, the Motherland was the tallest statue in the world and was even listed in the Guinness Book of Records. Over the years, its height has been surpassed by other statues, and today it ranks only eleventh on the list.

Few people have been able to visit the Motherland statue in Volgograd; only occasionally excursions are held here for high-ranking officials. There are no observation platforms: only scientists tasked with monitoring the condition of the “Motherland Calls” statue manage to visit the tip of the sword, where they monitor the readings of installed sensors. To carry out this work, scientists have to climb on foot to the very top of the sculpture, because there are no elevators here.

Recently, rumors have appeared that the statue “The Motherland is Calling!” may fall, but local workers and scientists assure that the statue is not in danger of falling. To avoid this, to this day there are special niches at its foot designed for installing jacks, with the help of which the statue will be secured in time and installed in its original place. These niches were designed simultaneously with the construction of the statue of the Motherland itself, and to date they have never been used for their intended purpose. As is known, the most best materials, and from the inside the statue of the Motherland is reinforced with stretched metal cables, which still securely hold the Motherland in its original place.

The statue “The Motherland Calls” on Mamayev Kurgan remains the main attraction and pride of the city of Volgograd and all of Russia as a whole. Despite the fact that it is no longer the tallest statue in the world, for the people it has not lost its greatness. More than one generation of Russians and guests of the country will be able to come to statue of the Motherland in Volgograd, to express gratitude to the defenders of the Fatherland, in whose honor the Motherland raises its sword to the skies.

Why was this particular image used when creating the monument to the heroic defense of Stalingrad? There is an opinion that Evgeniy Vuchetich took the image of the Nike of Samothrace as the basis for the sculpture, also on creative idea could have been influenced by the bas-relief of the Marseillaise in Paris, which also depicts a woman with a sword.

Image

The very image of the “Motherland” became one of the most powerful images of Soviet propaganda after Irakli Taidze created, perhaps, the most famous propaganda poster Great Patriotic War “The Motherland Calls.”

The sculpture on Mamayev Kurgan is thus an allegorical image of the Motherland, calling its sons to fight the enemy.
Evgeniy Vuchetich did not come to this image right away. Initially, the project assumed the presence of two figures (a woman and a kneeling soldier); in her hand the Motherland was supposed to hold not a sword, but a red banner.

Prototypes

Until now, there are several versions about who Vuchetich “sculpted” his sculpture from.

On the eve of the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the Victory in Battle of Stalingrad 79-year-old resident of Barnaul Anastasia Peshkova announced that she became the prototype. In 2003, Valentina Izotova, who worked as a waitress at the Volgograd restaurant, said exactly the same thing. Another contender for the title of prototype of the “Motherland” was former artistic gymnast Ekaterina Grebneva, but she, unlike previous contenders, believes that she was not the only model, and the image of the “Motherland” is still collective.
Former deputy director of the monument-ensemble “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” Valentina Klyushina expressed a different opinion: “Evgeniy Viktorovich made the figure from Nina Dumbadze, the famous discus thrower. She posed for him in Moscow, in his workshop. But Evgeniy Viktorovich did not go far to find the face of the sculpture. He created it with his wife, Vera Nikolaevna. And sometimes he affectionately called the sculpture by his wife’s name – Verochka.”

Sword of Victory

The sword in the hands of the “Motherland” has a connection with others famous monuments. It is implied that this sword is the same sword that the worker hands over to the warrior depicted on the "Rear to Front" monument (Magnitogorsk), and which is then dropped by the "Warrior Liberator" in Berlin.

The sword, originally 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was made of stainless steel covered with titanium sheets. However, the titanium skin sheets rattled in the wind, created unnecessary windage and could lead to undesirable consequences. In 1972, the blade of the sword was replaced during restoration - with one consisting entirely of fluorinated steel.

Mamaev kurgan

More than 35 thousand people are buried on Mamayev Kurgan. Of the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, the struggle for this height lasted 135 days. Even in winter, Mamayev Kurgan remained black from bomb explosions, for one square meter there were from half a thousand to 1200 fragments and bullets. In the spring of 1943, the grass never grew here.

On the Mamayev Kurgan, at the foot of the “Motherland”, the commander of the 62nd Army, Marshal, was also buried Soviet Union Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov. Vasily Ivanovich expressed his desire to be buried here in his will.

Dimensions

Construction of the monument began in May 1959 and was completed on October 15, 1967. At the time of its creation, the sculpture was the tallest monument in the world. Its total height is 85 meters, weight is 8 thousand tons. The calculations for the monument were made by Nikolai Nikitin, who had previously taken part in the design of Moscow State University and the Ostankino Tower.

The height of the statue was determined by Nikita Khrushchev, who categorically stated that it should be higher than the Statue of Liberty in the United States. In comparison with the height of a person, the figure of the “Motherland” is increased 30 times.

Despite its enormous weight (8,000 tons), “Motherland” is a free-standing structure. Inside it consists of separate cells. The rigidity of the frame is maintained by ninety-nine metal cables, which are constantly in tension. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the sculpture is only 25-30 centimeters.

Today “Motherland” ranks 11th in the ranking of the tallest statues in the world.
Restoration work on the Main monument of the monument-ensemble was carried out twice: in 1972 and 1986.

Materials

“Motherland” was cast layer by layer using special formwork made from gypsum materials, prestressed reinforced concrete blocks consisting of 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal. And this is weight without foundation.

The monument stands on a slab 2 meters high, which is installed on a main foundation 16 meters high, almost completely hidden underground. To make the figure look even more monumental, top point Mamayev Kurgan an artificial embankment was also made, 14 meters high and weighing 150 thousand tons.

The entire time the statue was being built, there was a need for a continuous supply of concrete; even a slight delay could compromise the strength of the multi-ton structure.

Trucks transporting concrete to the construction site were marked special signs. Drivers were allowed to break the rules traffic, they could even drive through a red light without fear of being stopped by traffic police officers.

Bias

Ivan Bukreev, foreman of the former Stalingradgidrostroy, a builder with 50 years of experience, said in 2010 that “Motherland” needed to be saved, since it had already deviated from the 270 millimeters laid down in the project by 221 millimeters. The monument tilts for two reasons: the movement of the foundation and the deformation of the figure itself. The situation is also aggravated by vibrations of the sword due to wind loads.

In Volgograd, I took advantage of a unique offer from the press service of the governor of the Volgograd region and rose to the occasion famous statue"The Motherland is calling." They say that only a few people a year rise to the top. Under the cut I will show you what’s inside...

The “Motherland Calls” monument, one of the tallest statues in the world, is part of the historical and memorial complex “Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad” on Mamayev Kurgan.

There are 200 steps leading up to it—that’s how many days the Battle of Stalingrad lasted. According to the plan of the architect Evgeniy Vuchetich, the staircase was supposed to go all the way to the Volga, but, as usual, there was not enough money. Now there is talk about completing construction.

We began our climb to Mamayev Kurgan from the square “Standing to the Death”, to which an alley of pyramidal poplars leads, and behind it the “Ruin Walls” begin. In the center of the square there is a figure of a soldier-defender of Stalingrad. According to architect Evgeniy Vuchetich, “ This is an allegorical image of the Soviet warrior people, standing to the death, ready to deal an inevitable blow to the enemy. His figure rises from the heaving earth, as if turned into a rock - an indestructible bastion against fascism. The warrior merged with mother earth, as if drawing new strength from her«.

There are inscriptions scratched on the rock: “ Stand to death», « There is no land for us beyond the Volga», « No step back!», « Every home is a fortress», « Let us not disgrace the sacred memory»:

Ruin walls produce strong impression and you can look at them for hours. These are peculiar ruins of structures destroyed by long-term shelling, countless bombings, and damaged by direct hits from shells and machine gun fire. The theme of the left wall is “Not a step back!”, the right wall is “Only forward!”.

The figure of the famous sniper Vasily Zaitsev, who killed 225 German soldiers and officers during the war, at the top of the left wall seems very small, although in fact it is made in human height:

There are a lot of inscriptions on the walls, among which there is a quote from the collection of one of the Komsomol organizations in Stalingrad:

Listened: On the behavior of Komsomol members in battle.
Decided: It’s better to die in a trench, but not to leave in disgrace. And not only don’t leave yourself, but make sure that your neighbor doesn’t leave either.
Question for the speaker: Are there good reasons for leaving a firing position?
Answer: Of all the exculpatory reasons, only one will be taken into account - death."

The staircase, passing the Ruin Walls, leads to Heroes Square with the Lake of Tears pool in the middle. To the left of the pool is the Banner Wall, on which the words are carved: “The iron wind beat in their faces, and they kept moving forward, and again a feeling of superstitious fear gripped the enemy: were they people going on the attack, were they mortal?”

From here you can enter the round building - “Hall military glory»:

In the center of the hall there is a monument with an eternal flame, and on the walls there are thirty-four symbolic banners with the names of 7200 carved on them heroic defenders Stalingrad. In total, about 3 million people died in the Battle of Stalingrad:

Through the huge opening in the roof of the hall the Motherland is visible. Architect Vuchetich told Andrei Sakharov: “My bosses ask me why her mouth is open, because it’s ugly. I answer: And she screams - for the Motherland... your mother! - shut up":

Every day from 9 am to 7 pm there is a guard of honor in the Hall of Military Glory:

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There are only 2 cities in our country where there is an honor guard - Moscow and Volgograd:

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The exit from the Hall of Military Glory leads to the Square of Sorrow. Here is the figure of a grieving mother, in whose arms is a dead warrior:

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The ascent to the main monument of Mamayev Kurgan begins from Sorrow Square:

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The statue weighing 8 thousand tons is not attached to the foundation in any way. She stands calmly on it, like a chess piece on a board:

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The height of the statue of the Motherland is 52 meters. In her right hand she holds a sword whose length is 33 meters and weighs 14 tons. The monument stands on a 16-meter foundation. The total height of the sculpture is 85 meters:

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You can get inside the monument through a small door at the base. Double door. There is a staircase hidden behind the first one:

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Inside, the statue resembles the famous lithograph “Relativity” by Maurits Escher:

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We tried to estimate the number of steps leading up. The result is 187:

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Inside the statue there are tension ropes weighing 60 tons each:

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Their tension is monitored using special sensors. When the tension weakens, they are tightened:

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This room can be called the Heart of the Motherland. It is located at chest level and ropes from the left and right hand statues. The room itself is also tied with ropes so that the monument does not tear apart under the weight of hands:

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Left hand attachment (without sword):

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And this is the entrance to the right hand (with a sword):

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At the bottom left is the entrance to the cloak, and to the right behind the fittings is the entrance to the left hand:

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There are inscriptions on the walls from time to time. Apparently, some builders decided to immortalize themselves:

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The entrance to the head is as narrow as the rest of the body:

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The child had the easiest time of all, but I couldn’t squeeze through with the backpack on my shoulders - I had to take it off:

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Room in the head. There is a comfortable bench where you can sit and rest. A hatch opens in the top of the head, through which we leaned out:

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Nikita Baryshev, who organized the excursion for us, was the first to climb out.

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Below you can see the Church of All Saints:

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The statue has many “tattoos” on its arm left by climbers:

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After the construction of the statue in 67, the rivets of the first sword began to crack, and the sword itself vibrated with a terrible sound, so in 72 it was replaced with a more modern one with vibration damping systems:

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There is a hatch in the guard on each side. We got out through the same one:

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And this is the famous “Dancing Bridge”. Remember the fake video that spread all over the Internet, and even ended up on TV, where this bridge vibrated terribly.

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P.S. Video from Artemy Lebedev about his trip inside the statue and Volgograd:

: I really had a blast unique opportunity look at Mamayev Kurgan and Volgograd through the eyes of the Motherland itself.

Not every visitor to the memorial can get inside and climb to the very top. But I came to Volgograd specifically for this. It’s not so much the views that fascinate you, but the fact that you can visit such a place and climb through its entire interior. great woman. A dream that seemed impossible came true.

First, I’ll show you what our Motherland is made of, what it’s like inside, and then we’ll look out of the hatch on the top of our head together.

1. In the non-front part of the sculpture there is a small door. From it the engineer took out an extension ladder, and we small company of four people went to the most secret and desirable room of the memorial.

2. Technical data of the sculpture.

The sculpture is made of prestressed concrete - 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal structures (excluding 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 8000 tons). The statue stands on a slab only 2 meters high, which rests on the main foundation. This foundation is 16 meters high, but it is almost invisible - most of it is hidden underground.

The statue stands freely on the slab, like a chess piece on a board. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls is only 25-30 centimeters.

Inside, the entire statue consists of individual chamber cells, like rooms in a building. The rigidity of the frame is maintained by ninety-nine metal cables that are constantly under tension.

I will show you all this now!

3. This photo shows the compartment in which the fire extinguisher is located and the tension cables. I use similar cables to tighten the Ostankino tower.

4. Cables pull the arms to the body, and the body is stretched vertically.

5. Fastening of vertical cables.

6. Fastening the cables of the right hand with the sword.

7. Special sensors monitor the tension of the cables.

8. There's a lot inside different sensors. This one appears to be installed on a crack.

9. And this design monitors vibrations.

10. Laz in the right hand.

11. You can’t go anywhere without safety instructions. The images reminded me of life safety lessons at school, which we didn’t take particularly seriously, but I still know how to bandage my head (-:

12. A rare chance to stand in the throat of a monument.

13. Welcome to the head, says Elder Fura, security department engineer Viktor Grigorievich.

14. On some Russian Railways forum I was lucky enough to get excellent photographs of the period of construction of the monument.

15. The sword, 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was originally a steel frame covered with titanium sheets. The high windage of the sword caused it to sway strongly in the wind - excessive mechanical stress led to deformation of the structure, and an unpleasant grinding sound of metal sheets appeared. In 1972, the sword blade was replaced with a frameless one, made entirely of steel. Shorter, 28 meters, with holes to reduce windage and dampers to dampen vibrations from wind loads.

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

17. Viktor Grigorievich opens the hatch at the very top of his head and allows us to enjoy the view and take photographs.

18. First, let's look around. View of the Volga and the entire memorial.

19. Volgograd stretches along the river for almost a hundred kilometers. On the right there is a view of the central part of the city.

20. On the left is the Volgograd metallurgical plant "Red October".

21. Behind is a military memorial cemetery, and a little closer you can see water tanks.

Previously, they were used as systems for purifying drinking water in the city water supply system. These tanks are eyewitnesses of the most harsh days war. In 1942-1943 they were turned into giant dugouts. During the battles for Mamayev Kurgan, the Nazis served as real bunkers: mined, with concentration large quantity equipment, weapons. It was the fiercest knot of resistance.

22. The trestle part of the dancing bridge.

24. Plant pipes.

25. Village "Tir".

26. Rotor Stadium.

27. Planetarium dome.

33. The excursion was conducted by your Dasha. By the way, it wasn’t very windy at the top that day, although I was preparing for it to blow away.