"The Motherland Calls" in Volgograd (in the past the city was called Stalingrad) is the main attraction not only of one city, but of our entire country of Russia.
The heroic monument reminds all people of the difficult wartime that was destined to go through, no matter what.
Two hundred granite steps leading up - the personification of the length of the Stalingrad battle, the alley of Heroes of the USSR - all this has become an eternal memory in our history.
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Description
The monument is the central point of the monumental composition of Mamaev Kurgan - "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad".
The main architectural object of the Mamaev Kurgan complex - the statue "Motherland Calls", is located on the Square of Sorrow
Recreates the image of the Motherland, calling to battle, to defend their country. sharp lines, wide eyes and an open mouth show the courage and great heroism inherent in a woman in a difficult war time. The sword raised up in the right hand is a symbol great victory. Left hand as if calling with his movement all for him.
Creation idea
Above the idea of creation architectural object worked long and fruitfully for 10 years.
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
Many people took part in the creation, they sent drawings and sketches from different parts of the country that was huge at that time. Each participant could be the real author of the structure.
There was a painstaking and thorough selection of applicants and works. Until now, all of them are kept in the workshop of the Timiryazevsky district of our capital, at the founder of the project.
From different sources of information, three compatriots could be the prototype. However, these data have not been confirmed.
Do you know that: there is a judgment that the Marseillaise from Paris was taken as the basis for the sculpture.
Construction history
Dates of construction of the monumental structure: 1959 - 1967.
The founding sculptor was Vuchetich E.V., who worked together with the ascetics Tyurenkov, Matrosov, Novikov, Demin and Belopolsky.
Each participant in the construction was awarded the highest state award. The history of construction has made a huge contribution to the historical heritage of our country.
Subsequently, two restorations took place after construction: after 5 years, and then after 14 years.
Interesting fact: the main consultant for the construction was the army commander, a participant in the battles on the Mamaev Kurgan - Chuikov V.I.
Specifications
The building is truly gigantic. Installed on a 14-meter bulk hill - a hill. Located on a 16 meter foundation.
The total height is 85 meters. It is installed on a concrete foundation 16 meters deep. Weight - over 8 thousand tons
The monument itself reaches - 52 meters in height. The stainless steel sword has a titanium coating. The total weight is 22 tons: the statue is 8 tons, the sword is 14 tons.
The described object is made of concrete - 5500 tons, and metal structures, weighing 2500 tons. The reinforced concrete support is 25 cm thick.
The casting of the support took place gradually in layers, a special formwork and gypsum materials were used. The rigid frame is held by 99 metal cables.
It is important to know: sculptural composition with a sword is 85 meters high.
From the foot of the mound to its top, the visitor walks 200 granite steps. Steps 200, since Battle of Stalingrad lasted two hundred fiery days and nights
The most interesting things to know:
- The sculpture belongs to the triptych and is its second basis. Other sculptures: "Warrior-Liberator", located in the city's Treptow Park, and "Rear to the Front" - in the city of Magnitogorsk.
- The contour of the sculpture itself is taken as the basis for the symbols of Volgograd.
- Several tens of meters separate the monument from the place where the Church of All Saints now stands. At this place, it was originally planned to install the "Motherland".
- The stability of the supply of building concrete was carried out by trucks marked with ribbons of the same color. Employees of the automobile inspection at that time received permission to let drivers through, even despite the traffic lights.
Note: the monument is listed in the Guinness Book of Records and takes 11th place there in terms of the highest world sculpture.
Probability of destruction
The project of the monument is designed for a deviation of 272 millimeters. The figure is constantly examined for the formation of cracks, roughness, its position is analyzed
Unfortunately, the described object may be in danger of destruction, as the researchers say:
- In 1965, members of the commission of the Gosstroy of the USSR identified the first suspicions about the collapse of the monument. An order was issued to strengthen the structures of the structure. The reason for the alarm was the location of the monument. The location of the monument on the flooded stratum could in the future transfer the sculpture to the Volga River;
- In 2013, the Moscow sculptor and architect V. Tserkovnikov sent an appeal to the Minister of Culture Medinsky about the study of the foundation. The letter indicated the mistakes of the architect Nikitin, which were made when designing the sculpture.
Take note: at present, the monument has numerous cracks. Every year, strengthening works of the foundation are carried out, a screed is installed.
How to get there
The monumental sculpture is located in Volgograd at the address: central District, Mamaev Kurgan, V.I. Lenin.
Location of the Motherland monument on the map of Volgograd
You can get to the monument by any public transport or metro. Trains, high-speed trams, buses, trolleybuses, fixed-route taxis go here. You need to get off at the Mamaev Kurgan stop.
It is worth noting: visiting the monument to the Motherland is free for all citizens, as well as the entrance to the territory.
Every day, residents of not only Russia, but also the Union republics come to the foot of the monument. Gratitude, worship, reverence for the memory of fallen soldiers - components state of mind every person who is at the heroic monument. In honor of the present and future defenders of the Fatherland, the Motherland raises its sword to the sky.
Watch the video, which details the history and idea of construction, technical specifications the symbol of Russia's victory - the monument "The Motherland Calls!":
Sculpture "Motherland is calling!" is compositional center architectural ensemble "To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad", is a 52-meter figure of a woman, rapidly moving forward and calling her sons. In the right hand is a sword 33 meters long (weight 14 tons). The height of the sculpture is 85 meters. The monument stands on a 16-meter foundation. The height of the Main Monument speaks of its scale and uniqueness. Its total weight is 8 thousand tons. main monument - modern interpretation image of the ancient Nike - the goddess of victory - calls on her sons and daughters to repulse the enemy, to continue the further offensive.
Great importance was attached to the construction of the memorial. There were no restrictions on funds and building materials. The best creative forces were involved in the creation of the monument. Evgeny Viktorovich Vuchetich, who had already created a monument-ensemble to soldiers ten years earlier, was appointed the chief sculptor and project manager. Soviet army in Treptow Park in Berlin and the sculpture “Let's beat swords into plowshares”, which still adorns the square in front of the UN building in New York. Vuchetich was assisted by architects Belopolsky and Demin, sculptors Matrosov, Novikov and Tyurenkov. Upon completion of construction, they were all awarded the Lenin Prize, and Vuchetich was also awarded Golden Star Hero of Socialist Labor. The head of the engineering group working on the construction of the memorial was N.V. Nikitin is the future creator ostankino tower. Marshal V.I. became the chief military consultant of the project. Chuikov is the commander of the army that defended Mamaev Kurgan, whose reward was the right to be buried here, next to the dead soldiers: along the serpentine, in the hill, the remains of 34,505 soldiers - defenders of Stalingrad, as well as 35 granite tombstones of Heroes were reburied Soviet Union, participants in the battle of Stalingrad 
Monument construction "Motherland" was started in May 1959 and completed on October 15, 1967. The sculpture at the time of creation was the highest sculpture in the world. Restoration work on the Main Monument of the monument-ensemble was carried out twice: in 1972 and 1986. It is also believed that the statue was modeled after the Marseillaise figure on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris and that the statue's pose was inspired by the statue of Nike of Samothrace. Indeed, there are some similarities. In the first photo of the Marseillaise, and next to it is Nika of Samothrace 
And in this photo Motherland 
The sculpture is made 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 " Motherland is calling”- 85 meters. It is installed on a concrete foundation 16 meters deep. The height of the female figure is 52 meters (weight - more than 8 thousand tons). 
The statue stands on a slab only 2 meters high, which rests on the main foundation. This foundation is 16 meters high, but it is almost invisible - most of it is hidden underground. The statue stands freely on the slab, like a chess piece on a board. The thickness of the reinforced concrete walls of the sculpture is only 25-30 centimeters. Inside, the rigidity of the frame is maintained by ninety-nine metal cables, constantly in tension.
The sword is 33 meters long and weighs 14 tons. The sword was originally made of stainless steel sheathed with sheets of titanium. On strong wind the sword swayed and the sheets rattled. Therefore, in 1972, the blade was replaced with another - entirely consisting of fluorinated steel. And they got rid of problems with the wind with the help of blinds at the top of the sword. There are very few similar sculptures in the world, for example - the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, "Motherland" in Kyiv, a monument to Peter I in Moscow. For comparison, the height of the Statue of Liberty from the pedestal is 46 meters. 
The most complex calculations of the stability of this structure were made by N.V. Nikitin, Doctor of Technical Sciences, 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 top of the 85-meter monument is currently 211 millimeters, or 75% of the allowable calculations. Deviations have been going on since 1966. If from 1966 to 1970 the deviation was 102 millimeters, then from 1970 to 1986 - 60 millimeters, until 1999 - 33 millimeters, from 2000-2008 - 16 millimeters, "said the director of the State Historical and Memorial Museum-Reserve" Battle of Stalingrad" Alexander Velichkin. 
The sculpture "Motherland Calls" is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sculpture-statue in the world at that time. Its height is 52 meters, the length of the arm is 20 and the 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 sword - 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). On this moment the statue takes 11th place in the list of the tallest statues in the world. Motherland is in danger of collapse due to ground water. Experts say that if the slope of the statue is increased by another 300 mm, it could collapse due to any, even the most insignificant reason. 
Valentina Ivanovna Izotova, a 70-year-old pensioner, lives in Volgograd, with whom the Motherland Calls sculpture was sculpted 40 years ago. Valentina Ivanovna is a modest person. For more than 40 years, she was silent about the fact that, as a model, she posed for sculptors who sculpted almost the most famous sculpture in Russia - Motherland. She was silent because Soviet times to talk about the profession of a model was, to put it mildly, indecent, especially 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 her whole life 
In those distant 60s, Valentina was 26 years old. She worked as a waitress in a prestigious, by Soviet standards, Volgograd restaurant. This institution was visited by all the eminent guests of the city on the Volga, and our heroine saw with her own eyes Fidel Castro, the Emperor of Ethiopia, Swiss ministers. Naturally, only a girl with a real Soviet appearance could serve such persons during lunch. What that means, you probably already guessed. Strict face, purposeful look, athletic figure. It is no coincidence that one day a frequent guest of Volgograd, a young sculptor Lev Maistrenko, approached Valentina with a conversation. He conspiratorially told the young interlocutor about the sculpture that they, together with their comrades, should make for the sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, already eminent in those days. Maistrenko walked around for a long time, scattering compliments in front of the waitress, and then invited her to pose. The fact is that the Moscow model, who arrived in the province directly from the capital, did not like the local sculptors. She was too arrogant and pretentious. Yes, and the face of the "Mother" was not like.
I thought for a long time, - recalls Izotova, - the times were strict then, and my husband forbade it. But then the husband relented, and I gave the guys my consent. Who in his youth did not embark on various adventures?
The adventure turned into serious work that lasted two years. Vuchetich himself claimed Valentina's candidacy for the role of the Motherland. He, having listened to the arguments of his colleagues in favor of a simple Volgograd waitress, nodded his head in the affirmative, and it began. Posing turned out to be a very difficult task. Standing for several hours a day with outstretched arms and forward left foot was tiring. According to the plan of the sculptors, a sword was supposed to be in the right hand, but in order not to tire Valentina too much, they put a long stick in her palm. At the same time, she had to give her face an inspired expression calling for feats.
The guys insisted: "Valya, you must call people after you. You are the Motherland!" And I called, for which I was paid 3 rubles per hour. Imagine what it's like to stand with your mouth open for hours.
Was at work and alone juicy moment. The sculptors insisted that Valentina, as befits a model, pose naked, but Izotova resisted. Suddenly the husband comes. At first they agreed on a separate swimsuit. True, then the upper part of the swimsuit had to be removed. Breasts should come out as natural. By the way, there was no tunic on the model. It was only later that Vuchetich himself threw a fluttering robe over Rodina. Our heroine saw the finished monument a few days after its official opening. It was interesting to look at myself from the outside: the face, hands, legs - everything is native, only made of stone and 52 meters tall. More than 40 years have passed since then. Valentina Izotova is alive and well and is proud that a monument was erected to her during her lifetime. For a long life. 
The sculpture "The Motherland Calls", created by E.V. Vuchetich, has an amazing property of psychological impact on everyone who sees it. How the author managed to achieve this, one can only guess. Sharp criticisms of his creation: it is de and hypertrophied-monumental, and frankly similar to the Marseillaise that adorns the Parisian triumphal arch, - absolutely do not explain its phenomenon. We must not forget that for a sculptor who survived the most terrible war in the history of mankind, this monument, as well as the entire memorial, is first of all a tribute to the memory of the fallen, and only then a reminder to the living, who, in his opinion, and so they can never forget
Sculpture Motherland, together with Mamaev Kurgan, is a finalist in the competition "Seven Wonders of Russia"
: I had a truly unique opportunity to look at Mamaev Kurgan and Volgograd through the eyes of the Motherland itself.
Getting inside and climbing to its very top is not available to every visitor of the memorial. But I came to Volgograd specifically for this. It’s not so much the views that fascinate, but the very fact that you can visit such a place, climb through all the insides great woman. A dream that seemed unrealizable came true.
First, I will show what, what our Motherland is made of, what it is like inside, and then we will look out together from the hatch at the top.
1. There is a small door in the non-ceremonial part of the sculpture. The engineer took out a ladder from it, and we, in a small company of four people, went into the most secret and desirable room of the memorial.
2. Technical data of the sculpture.
The sculpture is 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 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 reinforced concrete walls is only 25-30 centimeters.
Inside, the entire statue is made up of individual cell cells, like rooms in a building. The rigidity of the frame is supported by ninety-nine metal cables, which are constantly in tension.
All this I will show you now!
3. This picture shows the compartment in which the fire extinguisher is located, and the tension cables. Similar cables pull together the Ostankino tower.
4. The 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 a sword.
7. Cable tension is monitored by special sensors.
8. Lots inside different sensors. This one appears to be on a crack.
9. And this design monitors vibrations.
10. Laz in right hand.
11. No safety instructions anywhere. The images reminded me of life safety lessons at school, which we didn’t take very seriously, but I still know how to bandage my head (-:
12. A rare chance to get the monument across the throat.
13. Welcome to the head, says the elder Fura, engineer of the security department Viktor Grigoryevich.
14. At some forum, Russian Railways was lucky enough to get excellent photos of the construction period of the monument.
15. The sword, 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was originally a steel frame sheathed with titanium sheets. The high "sail" of the sword caused it to swing strongly in the wind - excessive mechanical stress led to deformation of the structure, an unpleasant rattle of metal sheets appeared. In 1972, the blade of the sword 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 - Peshkova Anastasia Antonovna, a graduate of the Barnaul Pedagogical School in 1953).
17. Viktor Grigoryevich opens the hatch at the very top and allows us to enjoy the view and take photos to our heart's content.
18. First, let's look around. View of the Volga and the entire memorial.
19. Volgograd stretched for almost a hundred kilometers along the river. To the right is a view of the central part of the city.
20. Left - Volgograd metallurgical plant "Red October".
21. Behind - military memorial cemetery, and a little closer you can see the water tanks.
Previously, they were used as drinking water purification systems in the city water supply system. These tanks are eyewitnesses of the most severe days of the war. In 1942-1943 they were turned into gigantic dugouts. During the battles for Mamaev Kurgan, the Nazis served as real bunkers: mined, with concentration a large number technology, weapons. It was the fiercest knot of resistance.
22. Trestle part of the dancing bridge.
24. Factory pipes.
25. Settlement "Tir".
26. Stadium "Rotor".
27. Dome of the planetarium.
33. The tour was conducted by your Dashechka. By the way, that day it was not very windy at the top, although I was preparing in what would be blown away.
Getting inside and climbing to the very top of the Motherland is not available to every visitor of the memorial. But I came to Volgograd specifically for this. It is not so much the views that fascinate, but the very fact that you can visit such a place, crawl through the whole inside of a great woman. A dream that seemed unrealizable came true.
(Total 34 photos)
First, I will show what, what our “Motherland” is made of, what it is like inside, and then we will look out together from the hatch at the top.
Sculpture technical data:
The sculpture is 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 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 reinforced concrete walls is only 25-30 centimeters.
Inside, the entire statue is made up of individual cell cells, like rooms in a building. The rigidity of the frame is supported by 99 metal cables that are constantly in tension.
All this I will show you now!
This picture shows the compartment in which the fire extinguisher is located, and the tension cables. Similar cables pull together the Ostankino tower.
“Welcome to the head,” says the elder Fura, engineer of the security department Viktor Grigoryevich.
The sword, 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was originally a steel frame sheathed with titanium sheets. The high "sail" of the sword caused it to swing strongly in the wind - excessive mechanical stress led to deformation of the structure, an unpleasant rattle of metal sheets appeared. In 1972, the blade of the sword 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.
On the left is the Volgograd metallurgical plant Krasny Oktyabr.
Behind is a military memorial cemetery, and water tanks are visible a little closer.
Previously, they were used as drinking water purification systems in the city water supply system. These tanks are eyewitnesses of the most severe days of the war. In 1942-1943 they were turned into gigantic dugouts. During the battles for Mamaev Kurgan, the Nazis served as real bunkers: mined, with a concentration of a large amount of equipment and weapons. It was the fiercest knot of resistance.
Trestle part of the "dancing" bridge.
Tire village.
Rotor Stadium.
The tour was conducted by your Dashechka. By the way, that day it was not very windy upstairs, although I was preparing for what would be blown away.
Monument to the Victory "Motherland" is not as simple as it seems...
Further photo report from the first person ...
1
Getting inside and climbing to its very top is not available to every visitor of the memorial. But I came to Volgograd specifically for this. It’s not so much the views that fascinate, but the very fact that you can visit such a place, crawl through all the insides of a great woman.
First, I will show what our Motherland is made of, what it is like inside, and then we will look out together from the hatch at the top.
2
3
There is a small door in the front part of the sculpture. The engineer took out an attached ladder from it, and we went into the most secret and desirable room of the memorial.
4
Sculpture technical data:
The sculpture is 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 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 reinforced concrete walls is only 25-30 centimeters.
Inside, the entire statue is made up of individual cell cells, like rooms in a building. The rigidity of the frame is supported by ninety-nine metal cables, which are constantly in tension.
5
6
This picture shows the compartment in which the fire extinguisher is located, and the tension cables. Similar cables pull together the Ostankino tower.
7
The cables pull the arms to the body, and the body is stretched vertically.
8
Fastening of vertical cables.
9
Fastening cables of the right hand with a sword.
10
Cable tension is monitored by special sensors.
11
In general, there are many different sensors inside. This one appears to be on a crack.
12
And this design monitors vibrations.
13
Laz in the right hand.
14
No safety instructions anywhere. The images reminded us of life safety lessons at school, which we didn’t take particularly seriously.
15
A rare chance to get the monument across the throat.
16
Welcome to the head, says security engineer Viktor Grigoryevich.
17
I was lucky to get excellent photos of the construction period of the monument.
18
The sword, 33 meters long and weighing 14 tons, was originally a steel frame sheathed with titanium sheets. The high "sail" of the sword caused it to swing strongly in the wind - excessive mechanical stress led to deformation of the structure, an unpleasant rattle of metal sheets appeared. In 1972, the blade of the sword 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.
19
Ready! The prototype of the sculpture was Valentina Izotova (according to other sources - Peshkova Anastasia Antonovna, a graduate of the Barnaul Pedagogical School in 1953).
20
Victor Grigorievich opens the hatch at the very top and allows us to enjoy the view and take photos to our heart's content.
21
22
To begin with, let's look around. View of the Volga and the entire memorial.
Volgograd stretched for almost a hundred kilometers along the river. To the right is a view of the central part of the city.
23
24
Behind is a military memorial cemetery, and water tanks are visible a little closer.
Previously, they were used as drinking water purification systems in the city water supply system. These tanks are eyewitnesses of the most severe days of the war. In 1942-1943 they were turned into gigantic dugouts. During the battles for Mamaev Kurgan, the Nazis served as real bunkers: mined, with a concentration of a large amount of equipment and weapons. It was the fiercest knot of resistance.
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28
29
30
There are no other such monuments either in our country or in the world. And at the time of the construction of the monument, they did not even know about such construction technologies, and a lot was invented on the fly.
31
There are only two large technical rooms inside the statue - in the chest area and in the head. The most sophisticated equipment is also located there, taking into account the slightest vibrations of the reinforced concrete structure.
32
One of the most common myths about the greatest monument - after its opening, a person was lost inside - no more than beautiful legend. Of course, if you want to get lost there, you can, given the huge number of small cells and passages, but the desire to get lost must be extremely strong. But the hole in the right hand of the monument, despite small size, leads to a huge room where a car can fit ...
33
Warning signs are everywhere inside the monument, and there are fire extinguishers on each tier, and a powder fire extinguishing system, which, fortunately, was not used. And in general, thanks to reliable operation, there was no emergency in 47 years.
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