WWII open air museum Kyiv
Park & memorial
Have you ever seen a sixty meter high steel lady with shield and sword raised above her head? Spooky, hah? No, it's not World of Warcraft, it's the memorial for World War Two, or, as we call it, The Great Patriotic War. The Motherland Mother is the Soviet symbol of defense against nazism. And it's the central object of the Great Patriotic War memorial on the green hills of Dnieper river.
Built in 1981, this memorial is probably the last of similar parks all over USSR. It fully satisfies the totalitarian style of buildings. It's wide and big, but still made with knowledge and wisdom. The main alley goes along the river's hills. Look to the right side and you'll see the exposition of old military vehicles and weapons. The alley leads you to the tunnel-like sculpture group. This is one of my favorite sculptures! Very emotional! The sculpture shows the struggles of people during the war. Coming out of the tunnel you go towards her huge feet. 62 meters high (102 m with the conic base) Motherland Mother stands tall, looking to the opposite side of the river. Her sword is 16 meters long and weighs 9 tons. The whole structure weighs about 450 tons and its foundation goes deep into the hill. There's a museum inside.
They say someone committed suicide from the balcony on her shield. They say they shortened the sword so that it's not higher than Lavra's belfry cross. But those are just rumors. Enjoy the view!
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