Its height is 182 meters.
In India, on the island of Sadhu Bet in the state of Gujarat, the tallest statue in the world - the Statue of Unity.
Its height is 182 m and it is higher than the statue of Christ in Brazil (38 m), the Statue of Liberty in the USA (93 m) and the Motherland in Kyiv (102 m).
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The sculpture was installed in honor of one of the creators of the modern Indian state, Vallabhbhai Patel. After India gained independence in 1947, he served as the country's Deputy Prime Minister and Home Minister. Patel is also the author of the Indian Constitution and has made great efforts to keep India within its borders and prevent the country from breaking up into smaller states.
For his services to India, Vallabhai Patel was given the honorary nickname Sardar, which means chief or leader in many Indian languages.
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The Vallabhbhai Patel sculpture consists of a 40-meter pedestal and a 142-meter statue. Installed at 153 meters Observation deck, which can simultaneously accommodate up to 200 people. The cost of constructing the statue is $430 million.
Video From Rio with love. The statue of Christ the Savior was painted in Ukrainian colors
Statue of Christ the Savior - in Ukrainian colors. In Rio de Janeiro, a famous sculpture glowed yellow and blue. The Brazilians illuminated it in the colors of the Ukrainian flag especially for the Independence Day of our state. They have been doing this for 5 years in a row. Moreover, they say, the Ukrainian diaspora has a double holiday these days. After all, they also celebrate the Day of the Ukrainian Community.
The statue of the Motherland Monument, located in Volgograd, is recognized as the tallest in Europe and Russia. The element of the compositional center is the second part of the triptych, which includes such elements as: Magnitogorsk “Rear Front” and Berlin “Liberator Warrior”.
The overall picture involves a sword made in Ural mountains, raised to defend the fatherland at Stalingrad and lowered after the surrender of the fascist command in the capital of Germany.
The monument is located on Mamayev Kurgan almost in the center of Volgograd. It is located not far from the banks of the Volga and river station. Facing the northeast implies an appeal to the fatherland with a call to fight the hated enemy, who is trying to destroy everything in its path.
The hill that became the location of the monument, according to legend, is the burial place of the temnik of the Golden Horde, Mamai. This is confirmed by numerous archaeological finds made before the war.
Daily fighting here continued from September 1942 to January 1943. In total, about 34,000 soldiers died here. That is why this place was chosen for the construction of the sculpture.
The author's idea of the monument “The Motherland Calls” in Volgograd
The idea to immortalize the place that became a turning point during the Second World War appeared to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief even before its end. Already at the end of 1944, a competition was announced to determine the appearance of the monument.
Not only Soviet architects and simple people, variations came from foreign countries: Morocco and China. Options depicting Stalin and a pyramid of melted down tanks acting as the base were rejected. As a result, the version by sculptor Evgeniy Viktorovich Vuchetich, called “Motherland,” was chosen.
History of the construction of the monument “The Motherland Calls”
The Motherland statue in Volgograd, the height of which allowed it to be included in the Guinness Book of Records, was built by almost the entire Soviet Union. As an example, we can cite the memoirs of a worker at one of the Ural metallurgical plants.” “Having learned that our metal would be used to make the frame of the monument, although this would require working in 2 shifts, we unanimously agreed.”
The example presented is not unique. At the stage of pouring the figure, any downtime could cause the concrete to set and the formation of a micro-gap between the layers. To prevent this, cars delivering material were marked with special tapes, allowing them to pass through “red” traffic lights.
Construction of the monument began in the summer of 1959. It lasted 8 years and ended in the fall of 1967. For this, a large number of building material, resulting in the walls of the pedestal being 0.3 m thick. The foundation, completely dug into the ground at the base, is deepened by 15 m, for which a pit of more than 8 m was dug.
Total spent:
- Concrete – 5500 tons.
- Metal structures and fittings - 2,500 tons.
The main persons supervising the construction were the sculptor E.V. Vuchetich and the engineer N.V. Nikitin, under whose leadership many other specialists worked in various directions.
For example:
- Musical accompaniment and scoring of each sculptural composition of the ensemble on Mamayev Kurgan - announcer A. I. Levitan, sound engineer A. I. Geraskin, director V. K. Magatoev.
- Consultant on military issues, Marshal of the USSR, who took a direct part in the defense of Stalingrad - V.I. Chuikov.
Prototype of the statue
The statue of the Motherland in Volgograd, the height of which was an absolute record for that time, partially resembles the face of the sculptor’s wife.
There is an opinion that the author’s inspirations were other people and ancient figures:
- Girls who posed for him, but had no idea for what purpose: A. A. Peshkova; V. Izotova; E. Grebneva.
- Disco athlete Nina Dumbadze, with whom he sculpted the figure.
- The figure of the Marseillaise painted on the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
- Antique statue of Nike of Samothrace.
No one will know whose image Evgeniy Viktorovich actually took as a prototype. The author died at the age of 65, 7 years after the discovery of his sculpture.
Elimination of design defects
Concerns about the stability of the structure arose even at the construction stage. 2 years before completion, the inspection commission from the State Construction Committee recommended that the management strengthen the soil for fear of “sliding” to the river bank. As a result, major additional reinforcement and concreting was carried out at the very base of the statue.
A year after opening, another problem appeared. The statue's sword, made of stainless steel and covered with titanium sheets, was made with errors in calculations. The wide blade caused excessive tension, resulting in swaying. Over the winter, the metal became deformed and began to make a sharp creaking sound.
The decision was made only in 1972.
The sword was replaced with a new one, cast at the local metallurgical plant "Red October". Now it was made of steel. The windage was reduced by adding holes in the top. The next survey in 1986 revealed a number of further deviations from the specified parameters. Based on the recommendations received, work was carried out to strengthen the frame and façade.
A key mistake during construction was made through no fault of the architect or workers. “Motherland” was built at a difficult time for the country. Many cities have not yet been restored from ruins, so all funds were directed to construction, and not to the development of new innovative technologies to improve the quality of concrete.
The result was periodic weathering and minor cracking of the structure under ultraviolet radiation and strong steppe winds. Therefore, every year it undergoes minor decorative repairs.
Technical characteristics of the monument
The base for the statue is a 2-meter pedestal resting on a solid foundation. The hill on which it is located was formed artificially. Initially, the hill was located on the site where the church stands.
The soil for the embankment was transported by truck for 1 month. According to approximate data, more than 150 tons of earth were delivered. The weight of the resulting statue structure is 8,000 tons of reinforced concrete.
The internal cavity is hollow; there are 119 metal cables located here, each of which is designed to hold a load of 60 tons. The purpose of the tension is to hold and stiffen the entire structure. Pretension control is carried out using sensors located at the ends of the stretch marks. Some of them are not whole, but are joined on intermediate floors, strengthening the concrete structure.
The most complex structure is located at chest level of the monument. The mentioned steel cables distribute the loads of the structure, absorbing the tension of the weight of the monument’s arms. It should be noted that the “Motherland” does not have any adhesion to the foundation, so it is supported like a chess piece, under its own weight.
Contrary to numerous speculations about the once existing elevator and restaurant for VIPs and an observation deck located in the head and sword, there is nothing like that here. You can climb to the upper part only by stairs, 52 m high, with 203 steps. Most of the premises are small rooms with an area of 3*3 m.
However, in the area of the head and chest there are 2 large rooms in which equipment is located that takes into account the vibration of the structure. You can only get into the head via a metal ladder installed vertically. To do this, you will have to overcome a shaft with a diameter of no more than 1.5 m. The room has an exit intended for industrial climbers. There are 2 more in the hilt of the sword.
Interesting facts about the monument “The Motherland Calls”
At the time of design, Vuchetich changed the project concept after it was approved. Initially, he proposed an option of two compositions: a warrior is kneeling in front of a woman, holding out a sword to her.
Yevgeny Viktorovich’s ideological considerations were based on the fact that a soldier cannot give up his weapons, since the war is not over yet. This is not the only deviation from the planned project.
A number of other changes were gradually introduced, which few people know about:
Excursions to Mamayev Kurgan. Prices
Mamayev Kurgan is a place where one can still feel the bitterness of loss and the joy of victory in the Great Patriotic War. You can get acquainted with the main attractions and exhibitions of the memorial complex on your own or using the services of guides.
The review begins and ends in one place: at the foot of a staircase consisting of 200 steps, similar to the number of days that the Battle of Stalingrad lasted. As a rough guide, the table below provides information on the cost of excursion services at the Battle of Stalingrad Museum-Reserve (Mamaev Kurgan).
| Category, civil status of tourist | Cost of services, rub. |
| Groups of citizens of the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus numbering from 1 to 5 | 1,200 for a group |
| Groups of foreign citizens from 1 to 5 | 2,500 for a group |
| Citizen of the Russian Federation and Belarus | 250 |
| Students of the Russian Federation, Republic of Belarus, applicants to full-time higher educational institutions | 150 |
| Students of secondary educational institutions of the Russian Federation, Republic of Belarus | 100 |
| Citizens of foreign countries | 400 |
The cost of providing services is given in accordance with the order of the Battle of Stalingrad Museum-Reserve dated February 22, 2018.
Possibility of statue destruction
The “Motherland” statue in Volgograd, whose height reaches 85 m, can stand for a long time. Despite the numerous design errors mentioned earlier, there is no likelihood of destruction. With appropriate maintenance and control, one of the unique monuments recognized as a miracle of Russia will remain intact for many years.
Beginning in 1966, the statue began to deviate from its original position. However, calculated information shows that there is nothing critical in this that exceeds acceptable standards. For example, in the period from 2000 to 2008. it has shifted by 16 mm. The design features of the project assume and allow a deviation from the vertical axis of 272 mm.
One of the most unique buildings in Russia has been haunted by various legends and stories throughout its history. If some of them are real, then a number of others are simply fiction.
If we talk about facts from the present past, we can highlight the following:
Among the fairy tales, the most common are 2:
- The story is about the elevator, restaurant and observation deck that were in operation many years ago, which were mentioned earlier.
- The myth is that after the monument was opened, one of the members of the selection committee got lost inside it. Despite the huge number of small rooms, getting lost in them is problematic.
Comparison of the statue with other large monuments in the world
The statue “Motherland” in Volgograd, the height of which allows it to be included in the 10 tallest monuments depicting a full-length human figure. If we talk about Russian sculptures, only the monument to Peter I, located on the Moscow River, exceeds it.
However, if we take into account that the Volgograd exhibit is more than 50 years old, and the Moscow one is only 21 and imagine the difference in technological progress of these times, preference is given to the first. The height of a person is only 18 m, and 98 is achieved taking into account the ensemble of ship masts.
Statue of Liberty in New York
“Statue of Liberty” translated from English means “Freedom Illuminating the World.” It is located not far from New York Manhattan, on an island in the middle of the bay. The monument was erected at the end of the 19th century as a reminder of the centenary of the independence of the United States. What is noteworthy is that the construction of the statue was carried out not by the Americans, but by the French, and the element itself was presented as a gift.
The monument represents a woman dressed in a tunic covering her entire body, with the exception of her head, arms and feet. With her bare feet she stands on broken chains, representing independence. There is a 7-pointed crown on the head, a lit torch in the right raised hand, and a tablet in the left hand, reminiscent of the date of the Declaration of Independence.
Unlike the Volgograd monument, thin copper sheets were used for construction here, which were minted in wooden forms and installed on a steel base.
Acquainted with technical characteristics The Statue of Liberty can be found in the table below:
Statue of Christ in Rio de Janeiro
The Brazilian statue is classified as one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Its height is 38 m, but due to the fact that it is located on the very high point, periodically it becomes a so-called lightning rod. About 4 - 5 times a year it is struck by lightning.
The founding date of the monument is equivalent to the centenary of Brazil's independence.
Work on it began in 1922, and 9 years later the construction was completed. The uniqueness of the work performed lies in the fact that for a number of reasons it was not possible to carry it out on site. As a result, frame production took place in France. For this, reinforced concrete and soapstone were used.
You can see the general technical characteristics of the statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro in the table:
Buddha statue in Japan
In Japanese it is called Ushiku Daibutsu, which means Big Buddha, it is located in the city of Usiku. It is the third largest statue in the world and the largest made of bronze. It rises above the ground to a height of 120 m, of which the platform size is only 20 m.
to his appearance she shows that she is passing on the teachings to followers who are heading along the right path of enlightenment. The right arm is raised, the left is lowered along the body. The palms are turned towards the observers. The index and thumb of each of them are connected at the tips, the rest are straight.
The technical characteristics of the monument are given in the table:
Motherland in Ukraine
The monument was opened in 1981. It was the first steel monument of this size built on the territory of the Soviet Union. The work on the appearance of the statue was carried out by E. V. Vuchetich, who created the “Motherland” on Mamayev Kurgan. The sudden death of the sculptor did not stop the work. His work was continued by Vasily Borodai and a number of other specialists who worked under Evgeniy Viktorovich.
The statue on the banks of the Dnieper is depicted as a woman holding a sword in one hand and a shield in the other, symbolizing the defense of the Fatherland. The structure is hollow, inside it there are 2 elevators designed for the movement of maintenance and repair personnel. In the early 2000s, tourists were allowed to climb to the top of the statue, where an observation deck was equipped.
However, in 2003, there was a case of a visitor falling, as a result of which entry inside was limited. Regular inspections of the technical condition suggest that the safety margin of the Motherland monument is more than 150 years old.
You can see the technical characteristics of the statue in the table:
The statue “Motherland” emphasizes the high moral spirit of the Russian people, the creator of the great historical event that refracted the course of the Great Patriotic War. The battles for Volgograd (Stalingrad) revealed a soldier’s unrequited love for his homeland, regardless of nationality and civil status.
Article format: Lozinsky Oleg
Video about the statue Motherland
The history of the creation of the Motherland statue in Volgograd:
Sculpture “The Motherland is Calling!” is the compositional center architectural ensemble“To the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad”, represents a 52-meter figure of a woman, rapidly walking forward and calling her sons behind her. In his right hand is a sword 33 m 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. The main monument - a modern interpretation of the image of the ancient Nike - the goddess of victory - calls on her sons and daughters to repel the enemy and continue the further offensive.
Great importance was attached to the construction of the memorial. There were no restrictions on funds or building materials. The best creative forces were involved in creating the monument. The main sculptor and project manager was Evgeniy Viktorovich Vuchetich, who ten years earlier had already created a monument-ensemble to the soldiers of the Soviet Army in Treptower 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 the architects Belopolsky and Demin, and the sculptors Matrosov, Novikov and Tyurenkov. Upon completion of construction, they were all awarded the Lenin Prize, and Vuchetich was also awarded the Golden Star of the 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 of the Ostankino tower. The main military consultant of the project was Marshal V.I. Chuikov is the commander of the army that defended Mamayev 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 of the Soviet Union, participants in the battle of Stalingrad 
Construction of the monument "Motherland" was started in May 1959 and completed on October 15, 1967. The sculpture at the time of its creation was the tallest 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 pose of the statue was inspired by the statue of the Nike of Samothrace. Indeed, there are some similarities. In the first photo there is Marseillaise, and next to Nika of Samothrace 
And in this photo the Motherland 
The sculpture is made of prestressed concrete blocks - 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal structures (excluding the base on which it stands). Total height of the monument “ The 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 supported by ninety-nine metal cables that are constantly in tension 
The sword is 33 meters long and weighs 14 tons. The sword was originally made of stainless steel covered with titanium sheets. In the strong wind the sword swayed and the sheets rattled. Therefore, in 1972, the blade was replaced with another one - consisting entirely of fluorinated steel. And the wind problems were eliminated 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, the “Motherland” in Kyiv, the monument to Peter I in Moscow. For comparison, the height of the Statue of Liberty from its pedestal is 46 meters. 
The most complex calculations of the stability of this structure were carried out by Doctor of Technical Sciences N.V. Nikitin - the author of the stability calculations Ostankino TV tower. At night, the statue is illuminated by spotlights. “The horizontal displacement of the upper part of the 85-meter monument is currently 211 millimeters or 75% of what was allowed by 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 “The 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, arm length - 20 and sword length - 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). Currently, the statue ranks 11th on the list of the tallest statues in the world. The Motherland is in danger of collapse due to groundwater. Experts say that if the tilt of the statue increases by another 300 mm, it could collapse due to any, even the most insignificant reason 
70-year-old pensioner Valentina Ivanovna Izotova lives in Volgograd, with whom the sculpture “The Motherland Calls” 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 the sculptors who sculpted perhaps the most famous sculpture in Russia - the Motherland. She was silent because in Soviet times, talking about the profession of a model was, to put it mildly, indecent, especially for a 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 of her entire life. 
In those distant 60s, Valentina was 26 years old. She worked as a waitress in the prestigious, by Soviet standards, Volgograd restaurant. This establishment 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, and the Swiss ministers. Naturally, only a girl with a real Soviet appearance could serve such people during lunch. You probably already guessed what this means. Stern face, purposeful look, athletic figure. It is no coincidence that one day a frequent guest of Volgograd, the young sculptor Lev Maistrenko, approached Valentina to talk. He conspiratorially told his young interlocutor about the sculpture that he and his comrades were to make for the sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, already famous in those days. Maistrenko walked around the bush for a long time, showering the waitress with compliments, and then invited her to pose. The fact is that the Moscow model, who arrived in the provinces directly from the capital, did not attract the attention of local sculptors. She was too arrogant and cutesy. And her face didn’t resemble “Mother.”
“I thought about it for a long time,” recalls Izotova, “the times were strict then, and my husband forbade it. But then my husband relented, and I gave the guys my consent. Who didn’t go on various adventures in their youth?
The adventure turned into serious work that lasted two years. Valentina’s candidacy for the role of the Motherland was approved by Vuchetich himself. Having listened to the arguments of his colleagues in favor of a simple Volgograd waitress, he nodded his head affirmatively, and it began. Posing turned out to be a very difficult task. Standing for several hours a day with my arms outstretched and my left leg pointed forward was tiring. According to 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 exploits.
The guys insisted: “Valya, you must call people to follow you. You are the Motherland!” And I called, for which I was paid 3 rubles per hour. Imagine what it's like to stand for hours with your mouth open.
There was one piquant moment during work. The sculptors insisted that Valentina, as befits a model, pose naked, but Izotova resisted. Suddenly my husband will come in. At first we agreed on a two-piece swimsuit. True, then the top part of the swimsuit had to be removed. The breasts should look natural. By the way, the model was not wearing any tunic. It was only later that Vuchetich himself threw a flowing 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: my face, arms, legs - everything was original, only made of stone and my height was 52 meters. 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 the amazing property of a 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 both exaggeratedly monumental and openly similar to the Marseillaise that adorns the Parisian Arc de Triomphe - do not explain its phenomenon at all. We must not forget that for the sculptor, who survived the most terrible war in the history of mankind, this monument, like the entire memorial, is first of all a tribute to the memory of the fallen, and then a reminder to the living, who, in his conviction, so they can never forget anything 
The sculpture Motherland, together with Mamayev Kurgan, is a finalist in the “Seven Wonders of Russia” competition
February 3, 2013 | Categories: Places , History
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