Statue in Victory Park. Poklonnaya Gora

The soaring Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill is an obelisk. It rose above Pobediteley Square in the Victory Park memorial complex in Moscow. The nearest metro stations are Park Pobedy and Minskaya.

The meaning of the monument

This is one of the most important monuments in Russia. It reminds humanity of the great Victory over fascism and the key role of the Soviet Union in the destruction of this world evil.

It is no coincidence that it is here, on Poklonnaya Hill, in Victory Park, on Pobediteley Square, that not only Russian citizens strive to get to. Numerous groups of tourists from all over the world constantly come here.

History of the monument

The history of the monument goes back to 1958. Then, by decision of the USSR authorities, a memorial granite sign was installed on Poklonnaya Hill. It indicated that it was here that a monument would be erected in honor of the Victory of our people over fascism in the Second World War.

However, the monument did not appear immediately. First, in 1958, a garden was laid out on Poklonnaya Hill and trees were planted. Later they began collecting funds for the construction of a memorial complex.

Only 37 years later, in 1995, on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the end of the Great Patriotic War, a monument was opened in Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill - the Victory Monument.

Authors of the monument

Architects L.V. Vavakin, V.M. Budaev, sculptor Z.K. Tsereteli.

Opening of the monument

The monument was inaugurated on May 9, 1995 as part of the Victory Memorial Complex.

Description of the monument

The Victory Monument is an obelisk 141.8 meters high (1 decimeter for each day of the war, which lasted exactly 1418 days. Each decimeter symbolizes those tragic and heroic days that our people not only experienced. They defended their freedom and independence, defeating the terrible and a cruel enemy.

This is the tallest monument in Russia. It has the shape of a triangular bayonet, the edges of which are covered with bronze bas-reliefs. The bas-reliefs contain images of warriors and reflect the main episodes of battles and military victories in this terrible bloody war. It claimed the lives of at least 27 million Soviet citizens. Among them are Stalingrad, Kursk, Belorussian and other operations, battles and engagements.

About the sculpture of the goddess of Victory Nike

It is noteworthy that at a height of 104 meters a 25-ton bronze sculptural group was attached to the obelisk bayonet. In its center is the goddess of Victory Nike, carrying a crown, and on the sides are two cupids trumpeting victory.

Underground, inside the hill on which the monument was erected, there is a special service room. It is designed for continuous monitoring of the condition of a multi-ton and complex structure from an engineering point of view.

A few meters from the Monument are the Eternal Flame, next to it is the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

The Victory Monument and the Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill in general are especially popular among Muscovites and numerous guests of the capital.

Photo of the Victory Monument:

Attention!

Poklonnaya Hill - according to the decision of the USSR Ministry of Culture (03/04/1986), the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War was formed. On May 9, 1995, ceremonial events and the opening of the museum took place. The top officials of 55 countries who attended the ceremony personally wrote down memorable reviews and wishes on the pages of the Book of Honored Guests.

Interesting fact. President of the United States of America Bill Clinton noted the greatness of the Russian people, their heroism, and emphasized the importance of the Museum on Poklonnaya Hill as historical evidence, as a source of Russian wisdom.

Sights of Poklonnaya Gora

The memorial historical ensemble Poklonnaya Gora (another name for Victory Park) perpetuates the memory of those who died or went missing in 1941-1945.

Interesting fact. The gentle hill between the beds of the Setun and Filka rivers was known as a place where travelers stopped to take in the panorama of the capital of the Russian state, as well as to worship the church domes of Moscow. This is where the origin of the name “Poklonnaya” comes from. Here they welcomed welcome guests: high-ranking ambassadors and princes. The enemies were driven away.

In 1812, Napoleon, standing on the mountain, did not receive the keys from the residents of Moscow.

In 1941-1945, after casting a farewell glance from Poklonnaya Hill, the defenders of the Motherland left to fight the fascists. Thus, a historically significant place became the symbolic beginning of the heroic liberation from the invaders.

Triumphal Arch on Poklonnaya Hill

The triumphal gate opens the way for visitors walking towards Victory Park. The original version of the arch, made of wood (1814), was created after the victorious end of the war with Napoleonic troops in 1812. The location of the Arch was Tverskaya Zastava Square.

In 1936, the architectural structure was dismantled.

1966-1968. A copy of the neoclassical arch was built and occupies its historical place.

Alleys of the park complex

Along the Central Alley leading to the main Monument, there are granite slabs. Each plate is dedicated to a specific year of the war period. On the left side stands a bronze colonnade of 15 steles, symbolizing 10 front lines, 3 flotillas, the partisan movement, and the feat of home front workers.

On the right is a fountain composition consisting of 5 hydrocascades. The mechanism of each fountain shoots water upward in 45 directions. Their total number of 225 reflects the weekly duration of the war period. In the evenings, the red lighting of the fountains enhances the drama, associating with the blood of fallen soldiers.

Alleys radiate from the Square. Their names (alleys of Tankers, Signalmen, Artillerymen, Sailors, Military Engineers, etc.) correspond to representatives of various branches of the military.

The park network of roads is complemented by alleys dedicated to war, labor exploits, peace, young heroes and veterans.

Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill

The central part of the historical memorial, Victory Square, is decorated with the Victory Monument (1995). This steel obelisk depicts a triangular bayonet, a symbol of battle. The surface of the Monument is covered with bronze bas-reliefs depicting military scenes. The names of the hero cities are depicted in golden letters.

Interesting fact. The creators of the memorial ensemble attached great importance to historical figures, reflecting them according to the architectural design: 141.8 meters in height of the monument, 1418 fountains in the park area correspond to the number of days during which the Great Patriotic War lasted.

The creators of the obelisk were architects L.V. Vavakin, V. M. Budaev. The sculptural parts were made by Zurab Tsereteli.

A sculptural ensemble made of bronze weighing 25 tons is attached to the stele at a height of 104 meters. The composition depicts the divine Nike with a crown in her hands. Winged cupids on the sides trumpet victorious marches.

At the pedestal of the monument, the sculpture of St. George the Victorious symbolizes the destruction of evil forces, depicted by the appearance of a snake pierced by a spear.

Museum of the Great Patriotic War Memorial Poklonnaya Gora

The memorial museum located on the square has 50 collections and 50,000 exhibits. Among the historical sites:

• samples of military weapons and technical means of the war period;
• orders, medals, other awards;
• personal belongings of famous military commanders;
• belongings of privates and officers;
• trophy specimens;
• letters from those who defended the Fatherland;
• uniform items;
• collection of monetary occupation signs.

Interesting fact. The museum is the storage place for a symbolic relic that represents the triumphant event, the banner that Soviet soldiers hoisted over the Reichstag building on April 30, 1945.

Hall of Generals

This room presents a gallery of sculptural portraits of those awarded the Order of Victory. This award of the highest military level was approved in accordance with the Decree of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR (11/8/1943). Bronze busts of prominent representatives of the command structure were made by Zurab Tsereteli. Shields with images of orders of war are located around the perimeter of the room.

Among the decoration objects of the hall there is a sword made of valuable steel by Zlatoust masters, a shield, a scabbard inlaid with semi-precious stones of the Ural Mountains.

Hall of Fame

The main hall is dedicated to the Heroes of the Soviet Union, Heroes of Russia. Surnames and names are carved on the white surface of marble supports located along the walls. At the entrance portal there are busts of military pilots A. I. Pokryshkin and I. N. Kozhedub, awarded the title of Hero three times.

The central place is occupied by the sculptural image of the “Victorious Soldier”, 10 meters high (sculptor V.I. Znoba). A sword made by Tula gunsmiths is placed on a granite pedestal.

At the top are bas-relief coats of arms of heroic cities. The ceiling is decorated with the image of the Order of Victory.

Hall of Memory and Sorrow

Memories of almost 27 million who did not return from the war are immortalized by a white marble composition called “Sorrow” (the creator of the sculpture is L. Kerbel).

Wall surfaces and floors are decorated with marble slabs in red and black colors. The inclined platforms are covered with red fabric material.

The ceiling hanging decor, which consists of brass chains decorated with crystals, symbolizes tears for the fallen heroes.

Sadness and mourning are emphasized by the lighting features and minor musical accompaniment: wall lighting fixtures shaped like candles, Mozart’s “Requiem.”

Interesting fact. Under glass are stored 385 volumes of the Book of Memory, containing information about those killed and missing during the battles. Since 1995, an electronic version of the Book of Memory has been formed, containing information at the regional and federal levels. The goals of the departments involved in maintaining the electronic Name Catalog, the All-Russian Book of Memory are to preserve the names of the dead, to assist in searching for information about unknown fates at the request of relatives and organizations.

Museum of Military Equipment on Poklonnaya Gora

The open area of ​​military equipment presents 300 pieces of technical equipment and weapons used during the Second World War. A separate section is devoted to each branch of the Armed Forces of the Soviet Army.

The “Artillery” exposition provides visitors with the opportunity to see the “Katyusha” made famous by the song, and numerous artillery systems.

The “Armored Vehicles” section amazes with the power of tanks, self-propelled artillery and anti-aircraft installations. There are samples of equipment supplied by the Allies under Lend-Lease.

The exhibition part “Railway Equipment” demonstrates unique exhibits - two armored platforms, part of the 1917 “Krasnovostochnik” armored train, an ambulance, freight cars, and the “Destroyed Railway Bridge” installation.

Interesting fact. In the second half of 1943, the Germans, instead of exploding the railway track, used a track destroyer called “Hook”. Its exact copy is contained among the museum exhibits.

The “Military Highway”, located parallel to the “Railway Equipment”, has at its disposal GAZ-AA military vehicles, a Ford GPA amphibian, and a 1939 BMW.

The territory of the “Engineering and fortification structures” sector demonstrates a network of trenches, trenches, dugouts, and dugouts.

Aviation equipment is represented by both genuine copies (Il-4, U-2, La-5, Bell P-63 “Kingcobra”, Hawker “Hurricano”), and full-scale copies (Yak-3, Il-2, I-16, I-15 bis).

The water area of ​​the artificial reservoir is used to demonstrate ship models; ship artillery towers, submarine conning towers, torpedoes, and bombs are installed along the banks. In the pond, viewers can see a model of the TK-131 “Rechnik Angara” torpedo boat.

Interesting fact. The conning tower of the Baltic Fleet submarine Shch-307, which was awarded the Order of the Red Banner for military merits, is on display, and its commander M.S. Kalinin became a Hero of the Soviet Union.

The exhibition on the first floor contains 6 dioramas telling about 6 significant military operations:

• December 1941, offensive of the Soviet Army near Moscow;
• Battle of Stalingrad. Joining fronts;
• Siege Leningrad;
• Battle of Kursk;
• Crossing of the Dnieper;
• Capture of Berlin.

The exhibition specificity is the presence of:

• originals of rare photographs,
• military maps, archival documents,
• audio, video materials that preserved the chronicle of military events.

The Eternal Flame burns between the museum building and the Monument. It was lit in April 2010 in honor of the 65th anniversary of the Great May Events.

Three park attractions are recognized as symbols of the multinationality of the defenders of the Fatherland and their different religions:

• Church of St. George the Victorious (1993), which houses the relics of the holy great martyr;
• Memorial Mosque (1997), reminiscent of the feat of warriors who professed Islam;
• Synagogue (1998), the exhibition of which testifies to the tragedy of the Jewish people;
• A chapel built in memory of Spanish volunteers who fought on the fronts of the Great Patriotic War (2003).

For nature lovers, the largest flower clock according to the Guinness Book of Records is of interest. 8 thousand colors are united by a dial circle with a 10-meter diameter. The time is shown by arrows 3.5 and 4.5 meters long.

How to get to Poklonnaya Gora

Visitors to the memorial complex can use several options to get to Poklonnaya Gora.

• The Metropolitan is the most convenient option. Take the blue line (Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya) to get to the Park Pobedy station. When exiting, follow the signs. When leaving the station, you need to go left. If you get off at Kutuzovskaya station on the Filevskaya line, you will need to walk about 5 minutes to the Arc de Triomphe.
• Take bus routes No. 157 and No. 205 to the Poklonnaya Gora stop.
• An electric train departing from Kievsky Station requires traveling to the Moscow-Sortirovochnaya point.
• Those wishing to get there by car should drive along Kutuzovsky Prospekt (along the odd side). The park will be visible between General Ermolov and Minsk streets. Free parking on Mosfilmovskaya Street near the mosque.

Those wishing to visit the Central Museum must take into account a number of features:

• on Mondays the attraction is closed to visitors;
• open areas and exhibitions are open from 11.00 to 18.30;
• The ticket office closes and admission to visitors is terminated 30 minutes before the official closing.

Museum opening hours

Purchasing entrance tickets

Important. Free admission is provided to children under 16 years of age.

The official website of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill provides the opportunity to purchase a ticket and select an excursion program online.

Sightseeing tours “Great Feat of the People”, “Dioramas”, “Weapons of Victory” last 1 hour 50 minutes.

Thematic excursion programs have been developed:

• “From Moscow to Berlin” (includes excursions “The Fire of Stalingrad”, “Moscow is behind us”, “Flags over Berlin”, “Dnieper - the River of Heroes”);
• “History for everyone” (includes topics “Childhood scorched by war”, “Get up, huge country”, “If there is war tomorrow”, “Lend-Lease: opinions, myths, historical truth”, “Crimes of Nazism”, “Russian Orthodox Church” during the war years");
• “The saved world remembers...” (“Battles that brought victory”).

The cost for groups of 1-4 people is the same as the cost of sightseeing tours. For groups of 5-35 people the cost is as follows:

• foreign tourists - 500 RUR.,
• main contingent - 300 RUR.,
• preferential contingent - 250 RUR.

A wide range of interactive holiday programs are offered to children.

Program name	Age category	Number of people	Duration (hour)	Price
Forced march	9+	15-30	2,5	900 RUR
Dugout, historical journey	8+	15-30	2	700 RUR
The Legend of Russian Heroes	6+	10-25	2	400 RUR
Combat vacation	6+	10-25	3,5	800 RUR
Scouts, quest	6+	10-30	1,5	400 RUR
Five redoubts. Birthday, holiday quest	7+	10-30	1,5	1000 RUR
The glory of the Russian bayonet will never fade	12+	10-30	1,5	400 RUR
We won	6+	10-30	1,5	400 RUR
Along partisan paths	6+	10-30	1,5	400 RUR
Our squad	12+	10-30	1,5	400 RUR

Groups of 1-25 people (category 7+) can take part in excursion programs of the Educational Project “Roads of Victory” (main building) for free.

May 9 on Poklonnaya Hill

Traditionally, the Central Museum of Poklonnaya Gora is one of the main venues for celebrating the anniversary of the victory over the fascist invaders. A number of events are being held:

• All-Russian action "St. George's Ribbon"
• Excursion program for Suvorov students, cadets, students of the Moscow University of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia,
• Screening of documentaries, performances,
• Gala concert “Songs of the Great Victory”,
• Festival of Patriotic Song “Heirs of the Winners”,
• Concert of amateur art groups.

Since 2015, on the day of St. George the Victorious (May 6), Poklonnaya Hill has become the venue for a parade of cadets. Every year the parade is dedicated to the Anniversary of the Great Victory, as well as to the development of the cadet movement:

• 2015 - diversity of forms of cadet education,
• 2016 - the unity of the cadet movement,
• 2017 - openness and accessibility of the cadet movement.

45 parade units march in a solemn march, watched by veterans, home front workers, and heroes of the Fatherland among 20 thousand participants. 2.5 thousand cadets, passing in formation, salute and lay flowers in front of the eternal flame of Glory. The final point is the launching of white doves of peace.

Not only on holidays, but every day the park complex is recognized as a favorite vacation spot for adults and children. A virtual cinema has been opened and a racing track is operating. There are special paths throughout the park for cyclists, skateboarders, and roller skaters. Sports equipment rental services are provided. Vacationers can visit a cozy cafe.

On February 23, 1958, a sign was erected on Poklonnaya Hill: “Here will be built a monument to the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.” Then Victory Park was founded. The design and construction of the memorial complex took quite a long time; the grand opening took place on May 9, 1995.

Description

The complex occupies 135 hectares, on which the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War, three churches and the Victory Monument are located. On Victory Square there is an obelisk 141.8 meters high - the number of days of the war (1418). Next to the museum there is an exhibition of military equipment. The memorial complex also includes sculptural compositions.

Belarusian
operation

Kursk
battle

Stalin-
city
battle

At the hundred-meter mark there is a 25-ton figure of the goddess of victory Nike.

To maintain the balance of the statue, special counterweights were placed at its “legs”

The “Bayonet” stela weighing 1000 tons is made of especially strong steel and lined with stone

Stele

The statue of the goddess Nike increased the instability of the monument and its windage, so when constructing the foundation it was necessary to pour about 2000 cubic meters of concrete. To service the stele, an elevator was installed (it was ordered in Sweden), which rises to 87 meters. The stele was mounted using telescopic towers. At the base of the monument there are control rooms, lighting and ventilation equipment, signaling devices, etc.

A thousand tons of special durable steel, lined with stone, a 25-ton sculptural group, an unusual triangular shape, record construction time - this is the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill - the tallest in Russia. It's hollow inside. What is hidden behind the stone cladding and bronze bas-reliefs?

The glass door right in the snow-covered hill under the Victory Monument is closed, and in order to get to it, you will have to move the barrier. Passers-by do not look here, tourists take photographs of the stele and go to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. And behind this door is a whole station where specialists from the State Budgetary Institution “Gormost” monitor the condition of the monument around the clock.

It's warm inside and there are a lot of flowers even now when it's winter outside. In spring and summer, they crowd both on the shelves and on the floor. The plants are well-groomed, and when you find out that only male engineers work here, you are a little surprised. And then, in the corridors, where there are only walls and pipes, the light is artificial, and the air is supplied by a special ventilation system, you understand: this is how they add life to this almost desolate dungeon.

Signal systems and oscillation curve

On the wall of the corridor there is a diagram of the monument and instructions, on the left is the control room. There are two engineers on each of the four duty shifts. They spend the whole day in a small room with monitoring equipment. On one screen, numbers change all the time: wind speed (average and in gusts) and its direction, temperature. On the other, the curve shows the oscillations of the stele, but while the wind is weak and it hardly moves, the curve looks more like a straight line. When the wind speed exceeds 17 meters per second, the system sounds an audible signal. This means that fluctuations can be strong.

The image from the cameras is displayed on another screen. They show the pedestal itself and its details - the barrel of a rifle at the base of the bayonet stele, a wreath in Nika’s hands, the plump hands of angels trumpeting victory. The video system monitors not only the condition of the monument, but also the roofers who strive to climb onto the monument. However, in winter, when it is cold, there are fewer of them.

There are log books on the tables, in which each shift records what happened and what to pay attention to.

“We, of course, are not just sitting behind the monitoring system here. We have planned a constant visual inspection, that is, we need to go up and inspect the condition of metal structures: elements, assemblies, connections,” says Salkarbek Shamkanov, chief specialist of the engineering and production group.

Vibration damper behind the goddess

The stele is a unique structure. And it’s not even a matter of height, but a complex shape. The architects conceived a monument in the form of a bayonet, similar in shape to the bayonet of a Russian rifle of the 1898 model. The unusual design is unstable. The model even had to be blown through in a wind tunnel to find out how the monument would react to the wind and to calculate the loads.

“You see, the structure has a triangular shape. And then there’s the sculpture group, Nika. If it were just a pipe - it’s in all reference books, what coefficients can be calculated. And here, how the structure behaves depends on the direction of the wind,” explains Shamkanov.

“Behaving” is actually a strange characteristic for a mass of steel, stone and bronze, but under a strong wind the stele really seems to come to life and move. When its speed exceeds 17-20 meters per second, the vibrations can be strong. In 2000, the stele deviated by 90 centimeters. But this is an isolated case. “This year, for example, 45 centimeters is the maximum deviation,” says the specialist. His voice is calm, matter-of-fact, but the thought still creeps in: can a huge stele really deviate so much?

To reduce vibrations, special dampers of the first and second tones of bending vibrations and a torsional vibration damper were installed on the monument. The main damper of bending vibrations of the first tone is behind the winged Nike. The 10-ton structure oscillates in antiphase of the structure and seems to prevent it from swinging too much.

“This is the most important dampener. It dampens bending vibrations of the first tone. They are characterized by maximum deviation. And there are also vibrations of the second tone, small vibrations: the amplitudes are small, but the frequencies are high,” says Salkarbek Shamkanov.

To service the dampers, there is a hatch behind Nika’s back, at an altitude of more than 100 meters. If you look out, you can see Kutuzovsky Avenue. But they are not allowed there: you have to climb vertical ladders, and you need a special permit to work at height. Instead, they offer a ride on the ski lift.

Attention! Rise... open

A corridor, several steps, a small platform and finally a strange narrow opening in the wall, like the entrance to a compartment of either a submarine or a spaceship. To get on the lift, you have to almost squeeze and bend over. It’s not for nothing that the engineer is wearing a helmet: you can get hurt, although the opening, painted in black and yellow stripes, is hard to miss.

It's cold inside the hollow stele, almost like outside. Beams and stairs go up, there are electrical wires everywhere, through which information about dampers, wind speed and direction is sent down to the control room. From the inside, the monument is illuminated by lamps, which is why it is clear that it is fastened into a single structure with large bolts. Most of the outside of the stele is covered with bas-reliefs, but here these bulges are formed into intricate patterns.

The Swedish lift with two platforms, one above the other, is designed for 250 kilograms, but they still only allow two people on it - it’s a bit narrow. Salkarbek Shamkanov asks you to hold on and not lean out of the booth: “The gap is small, like a guillotine, it can cut you off.”

The elevator leaves, and Shamkanov closes the passage with a chain with a sign “Attention! The climb is closed." It’s a good precaution: take a step down and you’ll fall into a hole.

The small lift area is fenced with handrails, but it has no walls, and it’s a little scary to ride. White paint marks flash: 8.5 meters, 11.5... 17.5... 26.5... There is a platform every 12 meters. They are all the same, only they taper upward along with the stele. The elevator doesn't go all the way to the top, because the lift simply won't fit through. Then just take the stairs, like firefighters.

“Good exercise,” laughs engineer on duty Andrey Malykhin. It is clear that he is accustomed to climbing ladders, jumping from beam to beam, and attaching the safety rope so that it is tensioned correctly. You have to come here often. Either you need to lubricate a part, then you need to tint something, or you need to replace a light bulb. And it happens that the wind is strong, the vibrations are large, and the damper in the video does not move. This means that something is jammed, and we need to climb up.

Employees have been working here since the 1990s. “Romance fades over the years,” says Andrei Malykhin. But he still likes this job much more than office work.