Victory monument, Veliky Novgorod

The Victory Monument is a bronze equestrian sculpture on a granite platform with a towering brick structure behind it, roughly 23.5 meters (77 feet) high. The tower displays carved relief panels showing historical scenes, while the horse and rider sculpture stands about 8 meters (26 feet) tall as the complex's focal point.

The memorial was built in 1974, roughly 30 years after the city's liberation from Nazi occupation during World War II. It was created as a Soviet tribute to the defense and recovery of Novgorod following the years of wartime occupation.

The monument depicts a rearing horse trampling a swastika, embodying the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany through powerful sculptural symbolism. This imagery shapes how visitors understand the square and its meaning as a space of remembrance.

The monument sits on a public square accessible from nearby roads and bus stops throughout the city. The site is freely open and provides informational plaques with historical details about the region and the war.

The bronze horse and rider sculpture weighs around 27 tons on its own, making it one of the most remarkable metal castings of Soviet memorial art. This immense weight represents a significant technical achievement of the era's casting traditions.