Mamayev Kurgan
Mamayev Kurgan rises in the center of Volgograd at an altitude of 102 meters. The name of the mound has 2 versions: the first is associated with the name of Khan Mamaia, as they say that his tribe used the locality of the mound for review. The second version of – is a translation of the word « mamai » from the language of the Volga Tatars, meaning « Kurgan ». At this hour, the « Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad » is located here, dedicated to the victory of soldiers over the Nazis during World War II.
Between September 1942 and January 1943, for 135 days, the Mamaev Kurgan had the most brutal wartime battles with shell explosions and machine-gun shots. During this time, power over the hill several times passed from hand to hand from Russians to Germans and vice versa. At the end of the battle, the victims from the whole city were buried in the vicinity with a total of 34.5 thousand people, this area became a real mound. After the war ended, Mamayev Kurgan was stabbed with fragments from bombs and shells, in this blackened form the territory was until 1959.
Soon it was decided to erect a memorial complex in honor of the memory of the fallen soldiers defending Stalingrad. The construction of this monument lasted 8 years. Under the guidance of the chief architect of Belopolsky and the main sculptor Vuchetich, in 1967 they built the monument « to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad », combining one historical event – Stalingrad battle.
This memorial is the largest in the world with a total area of 26 hectares and a length from the foot to the top of 1.5 km.
The beginning of the composition is the « Memory of Generations », which depicts people carrying wreaths to the burial place of soldiers. Here, tumba of granite with inscriptions of hero cities were erected, they are among them filled with the land of these cities.
Further up leads the central staircase with access to the alley of poplars located on both sides. It occupies a length of more than 200 meters. Behind it, the square « Who stood to death » with its central sculpture of the same name, displaying the prototype of a soldier, opens. Further behind the wide staircase cascade, wall ruins with bas-reliefs and inscriptions displaying fierce battles were erected, in addition, there is a sound design.
The ruins are the area of Heroes with a water pool located. In the end, a retaining wall was erected, which leads to the Hall of Military Glory. In its center is a sculpture of a hand clutching the Eternal Fire. Here stands the guard of honor, which changes every hour. Following the hall of military glory is the Scorby Square. Here everything reminds us of the great losses from the war, of the grief that affected almost every family. The most central figure is the figure of the mother, holding the dead son in her arms. In this place, the Hero of the Soviet Union Chuykov is buried.
The end of the entire memorial ensemble is the main sculpture « Motherland is calling! », striking in its size and shape. This sculpture is associated with the image of the Motherland, which calls on its sons to defend their native lands from the enemy.
Since 2008, the complex erected on Mamaev Kurgan has been included in the seven wonders of Russia.
