Manmade Wonders of the World: Mamayev Kurgan

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Manmade Wonders of the WorldMamayev Kurgan

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History of Mamayev Kurgan

• Mamayev Kurgan got its name during the
  period of the Mongol invasions. The top of the
  hill used to be a guard post during the reign of
  Khan Mamai. One hundred troops that were devoted
  to the khan and picked from his personal
  bodyguard would stand guard on this hill to
  protect the capital of the Sarai Berke Khanate
  from sudden attack.

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The Memorial Complex at Mamayev Kurgan

• Figures indicate
• Memorial Park
• Alley of Friendship
• High relief-introductory set to the memorial
  complex
• Poplar Alley
• Stone tableau entitled "Fight to the Death"
• The set "Ruined Walls"
• Heroes' Square
• Entrance to Hall of Valour
• Pantheon
• Square of Sorrow
• Common Graves
• Symbolic figure of the Motherland.

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Information on the Memorial Complex at Mamayev
Kurgan

• Designers and SculptorsChief Sculptor Ye.
  VuchetichChief Architect Ya. ByelopolskyArchitec
  ts V. Demin, F. LysovSculptors M.
  Alyeshchenko, V. Matrosov, L. Maistrenko,
• A. Melnik, V. Morgunov, N. Novikov, A.
  Tyurenkov
• Chief Engineer N. Nikitin
• Military Consultant V. Chuikov.
• In 1970, Vuchetich, Byelopolsky, Demin,
  Matrosov, Novikov and Tyurenkov were awarded the
  Lenin Prize for their work on the Mamayev Kurgan
  Memorial Complex.
• The whole complex took more than 8 years to
  build.
• It was opened on October 15th, 1967.

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• The idea of erecting a magnificent monument in
  the hero-city itself in memory of the Battle of
  Stalingrad was mooted immediately after the war.
  From 1945 to 1955 a competition was held across
  the whole country to find the best design for a
  monument of this kind. The winning entry was that
  submitted by the sculptor Eugenie Vuchetich,
  People's Artist of the Soviet Union.

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Facts and Figures

• More than 1 million cubic metres of earth was
  moved. Approximately 20 thousand cubic metres of
  concrete were laid and more than 25 thousand tons
  of metal used.

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Introductory Mural

• The wall is 17 m long, 8 m high and 3 m wide
  and its base is 0.75 m in height. It is made of a
  single hollow block of ferro-concrete and
  contains 11 figures.

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The Granite Steps

• They rise to a height of 10 m.
• Steps lead upwards to the Avenue of Lombardy
  Poplars, which runs straight as an arrow.

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The Avenue of Lombardy Poplars

• It is 223 m long. It rises gradually to a
  height of 20 m.

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• "Fight to the Death!" Square
• The height of the statue is 16.5 m and the
  base 12.5 m x 15 m.
• The figure is symbolic of the whole Soviet
  people, fighting to the death. The soldier is
  flesh and blood of his Motherland.

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• Ruined Walls
• The set is made from a solid block of
  ferroconcrete. The walls are 64 m long each and
  the height varies from 17.5 at the highest point
  to 5 m at the lowest. In width they range from
  4.5 m to 2 m. The steps are 40 m at the widest
  point and 18 m at the narrowest.

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Ruined Walls

• They show scenes of the fierce fighting that
  took place for every house. The inscriptions on
  the Walls are documentary. They had been selected
  from the walls of the ruined city.

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• Heroes' Square
• The overall dimensions of the pool are 25.6 m x
  86 m and its surface area is 2,200 sq. m. It is
  built from a solid waterproofed block of
  ferro-concrete and faced with slabs of forged
  grey granite 1 m wide.
• The wall is brick and set on a concrete base. It
  is 112 m long, 8 m high and 1 m wide. All the
  sculptured sets are made from solid blocks of
  ferro-concrete. The figures are 6 m and their
  bases are 1 m in height.

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Were they mortal?

• On the Heroes Square there are six sculptural
  sets, placed, as it were, in answer to this
  question. Each tells a story in stone of the
  courage displayed by the defenders of Stalingrad

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• The Hall of Valour
• It is cylindrical in shape. With a diameter
  of 40 m and a height of 13.5 m. The hall itself
  is partially sunk into the ground and the section
  below ground-level is made from a solid
  ferro-concrete block with pre-fabricated
  ferro-concrete fittings. The walls from
  ground-level to the ceiling are lined with bricks
  united with cement. The roof is made from a solid
  block of ferro-concrete with 36 ribs and an
  opening 11 m in diameter. The ground area of the
  hall is 1,250sq. m. The hand is made from white
  ornamental cement and faced with marble chips.
  The floor is polished black granite. Against the
  background golden smelt there are 34 flags
  bearing the names of the fallen. Around the hall
  there are 13 columns, each 9 m in height and
• 2 x 2 m across.

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• The Guard of Honour was inaugurated on January
  28th, 1968. Soldiers stand on guard from 9 a. m.
  until 7 or 8 p. m. (depending on the time of the
  year). Changing of the guard takes place every
  hour. Trooping the colours takes place on the
  Square of Grief once a day (5 p. m. in winter and
  6 p. m. in summer). The ceremony takes place to
  the accompaniment of a military band and in the
  presence of the whole duty guard for that day.

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The Square of Grief

• It is 11 m high.
• The overall volume of the mound is 221.5
  thousand cubic metres. The width of the path
  that winds round it is 2 m.

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The statue on the Square of Grief

• A mother bends over a fallen soldier, whose
  face is covered by the flag. Other women will
  come and see under that flag the faces of their
  loved ones husbands, fathers, brothers.

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• The Main Monument
• It is made of solid block of ferroconcrete.
  It is 52 m in height. The length of the arms is
  20 m. The weight of the hanging part of the scarf
  alone is 250 tons. The figure is 30 times larger
  than life size. It is not fixed to its base by
  anything other than its own weight. At night the
  statue is illuminated by floodlights.

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The figure of the Motherland

• She stands against the wind. She seems to be
  shouting and pointing in the directions of the
  Volga. The mother is calling upon her sons and
  daughters to defend their country in its hour of
  need.

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" Motherland is Calling "

• In the winter of 1972-73 the statue was
  covered with a special compound to protect it
  against weathering. This process has to be
  carried out every 15 to 20 years.
• The sword is made from stainless steel. It is
  29 m long and weighs 14 tons.

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Mamaev Kurgan

• The memorial complex on Mamaev Kurgan is
  dedicated to all those who defended Stalingrad,
  living and dead, officers and men. It tells in
  stone the history of the battle of Stalingrad.