The Motherland Calls, Colossal statue on Mamayev Kurgan, Volgograd, Russia
The Motherland Calls rises 85 meters (279 feet) above the summit of Mamayev Kurgan, showing a female figure striding forward with a raised sword in her right hand. Her silhouette dominates the skyline and can be seen from many points across Volgograd, with the blade alone measuring 33 meters (108 feet).
The memorial was built between 1959 and 1967 to the designs of sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, honoring the battle fought on this hill in 1942 and 1943. Its unveiling in 1967 marked what was then the tallest freestanding sculpture in the world.
Local people and visitors from across Russia gather here for commemorations, especially on February 2nd and Victory Day, when they lay flowers and stand in silence. Newlyweds traditionally come to place wreaths and take photographs before the figure, showing how the place remains woven into the life of the city.
Access to the site is open throughout the year, and visitors follow a path uphill that passes several smaller monuments and sculptures before reaching the figure. The platform around the base offers views over the city and the river, and sturdy footwear is recommended for the climb.
The hollow figure is built from 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal structures, with walls only 25 to 30 centimetres thick. Inside, 117 steel cables stay permanently tensioned to hold the frame, and the chambers resemble rooms in a building. The 33-metre sword weighs 14 tons.
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