Chelyabinsk, an industrial millionaire city in the Southern Urals, from the first days of its foundation in 1736 experienced many historical events, and its streets witnessed a multiple change of eras. Now numerous monuments and monuments erected in squares and parks remind of this.
The most fabulous
As soon as they got off the train and found themselves at the railway station, guests of the city can already see some monuments of Chelyabinsk. Most likely, a majestic bearded figure immediately resembling the epic hero and the fabulous Santa Claus will immediately catch your eye. This is the monument "The Tale of the Urals", created based on the works of P. P. Bazhov and installed on the forecourt in the late 1960s. Currently, the twelve-meter monument is one of the symbols of the city. A funny resemblance to Santa Claus was noticed by Chelyabinsk social activists, as a result of which there was a tradition to dress a statue for a holiday in a giant New Year's caftan, which even got into the Russian record book.
Difficult era
There are many monuments on the map of Chelyabinsk dedicated to the 1917 revolution and the ensuing civil war. They exist here along with streets and squares named after these events. One of them is located near the Railway Station Square and perpetuates the memory of the soldiers of the Czechoslovak Corps, who fought on the side of the Entente in World War I and subsequently caught in the 1917 revolution. Another, belonging to the same historical era, is installed at the Mitrofanovsky cemetery. He marks the burial place of the remains of the Red Army. Earlier, at the beginning of the 20th century, the mass grave was located on the Revolution Square, then it was moved to its current place. Due to its remoteness, the monument is little known to the townspeople.
Captive hero
The monument to Orlyonok in Chelyabinsk, created by the efforts of the sculptor L.N. Golovnitsky and the architect E.V. Alexandrov, is famous. The monument was erected in honor of the 40th anniversary of the Komsomol organization in 1958. It is dedicated to young revolutionaries and is a figure of a teenager with his hands tied behind his back, dressed in an unreasonably large overcoat, hat and heavy boots. The adult military clothing of that time creates an expressive contrast with the semi-childish appearance of the young man, conveying the romantic image of a brave and implacable fighter.
Contrary to popular belief, the monument was not at all “Result of inspiration” of its authors by the famous song “Eaglet” written by J. Shvedov and V. Bely. Erected after the end of World War II, the monument immortalized the memory of all young heroes. The creative prize of the Chelyabinsk region was awarded in his honor, awarded in 1967-1990 for achievements in the field of art, literature, journalism, architecture, pedagogical activity, science and technology. The monument "Eaglet" is widely known in Chelyabinsk and beyond. For many years, various social events took place near him, as well as informal youth. Today it is included in the register “Cultural Heritage of the Russian Federation” and is rightfully considered to be a remarkable monumental work of the Soviet era.
There is in every city
Another echo of the relatively recent historical past is the monument to Lenin in Chelyabinsk, created in 1959 by sculptors L. Golovnitsky and V. Zaikov. Mounted on an unusual granite pedestal in the shape of stands (designed by architect E.V. Alexandrov), a bronze monument 17.5 meters high rises above the Revolution Square in the city center.
This monument is one of the most recognizable places in Chelyabinsk. Near him parades and rallies are held, personal meetings are scheduled. In autumn, on the square opposite the monument, an official holiday is held in honor of the city’s birthday, and in winter a children's ice town works here . Nearby is the Chelyabinsk Drama Theater, as well as the pedestrian street Kirovka, famous for its sculptures.
Hard and heroic years
Many monuments of Chelyabinsk are devoted to the events of 1941-1945. In addition to the traditional eternal flame on the Walk of Fame in the city center, there are a variety of monumental compositions in other areas. For example, the monument “Defenders of the Fatherland” in the Victory Garden, which includes a metal pedestal with a bas-relief depicting the head of a soldier, as well as freestanding rectangular columns that bear the names of those who died for the Chelyabinsk homeland.
In other areas of the city, separate monuments to the fallen tankers and pilots were erected. Of particular note is the touching monument "Sister" dedicated to the exploit of women in the war: nurses, signalmen, soldiers and scouts. The work of the sculptor A. L. Tishin, depicting a seated young woman in military uniform, was established in honor of the 60th anniversary of the Victory in a small square on the avenue of the same name. The special value of the monument is that it is one of the few similar in Russia.
Another piercingly emotional monument is also dedicated to women, but not at war, but waiting for soldiers from the war. The monument "Memory" ("Mourning Mothers") is located in the Forest Cemetery. It was established in honor of the 30th anniversary of the end of World War II and is two female figures holding the helmet of a dead warrior. Sculptors L. N. Golovnitsky and E. E. Golovnitskaya, architects Yu. P. Danilov and I. V. Talalay worked on the work.
Many monuments of the war years are dedicated to military equipment that participated directly in battles or in Victory parades. These structures are located in several places in the urban area, which during the war was called Tankograd and was one of the strongholds of rear production. Nowadays, monuments of Chelyabinsk dedicated to the IS-3 tank (on Komsomolskaya Square) and the legendary Katyusha artillery installation (in the park near the Palace of Culture named after Kolyuschenko) recall this difficult time.
Internationalist soldiers
Among the Chelyabinsk military-themed structures there was a place for monuments in honor of soldiers who fell in battles on a foreign land. These include the monument to the Soldiers of the Undeclared War, which was opened in 2009 in a park on the Highway of Metallurgists and dedicated to the 20th anniversary of the withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. Another monument called “The Valiant Sons of the Fatherland” is dedicated to all internationalist warriors and is located in the city center near the Eternal Flame. The composition, created by sculptor V.F. Mitroshin and architect N.N. Semeykin, is very interesting: an eagle soaring above a rocky gorge is a symbol of military valor and honor. The monument was erected in 2004.
The "father" of Soviet nuclear science
Monuments in honor of outstanding figures of art and science occupy a special place in the architecture of the city. Among them, one can distinguish the monument to Kurchatov located at the intersection of central Lenin Avenue and Lesoparkova Street. Chelyabinsk celebrated its 250th anniversary in 1986. On this occasion, the city authorities decided to erect a monument to the outstanding nuclear physicist, whose homeland was the town of Sim in the Chelyabinsk region.
The architectural and sculptural composition, sponsored by the artist V. A. Avakyan, as well as architects B. V. Petrov, V. L. Glazyrin and I. V. Talalay, is distinguished by the originality of the idea and the complexity of execution. The statue of a scientist standing on a pedestal reaches a height of 11 meters. On two sides it is surrounded by two pylons 27 meters high each, on which hemispheres symbolizing a split atom are attached. And in the evenings, beautiful modern lighting highlights an original monument to Kurchatov against a dark sky. Chelyabinsk is rightfully proud of this building, the place around which has always been a favorite meeting place for students, couples in love, as well as athletes. A few steps from the monument are sports grounds and an indoor athletics complex. Unfortunately, at present, there is almost no way to get to the monument: since 2014, long-term construction has been launched around it. Residents and guests of the city have to admire its beauty from afar.
The most famous poet
Not only outstanding scientists honor Chelyabinsk. There is a monument to Pushkin (the most classical one) in the Ural city. It is located in the city garden named after the great poet. In addition to the monument, there is also a playground with colorful wooden sculptures based on the famous fairy tales of the Russian classic. In his honor, a street, a city garden, a central library and a cinema are named in Chelyabinsk.
Conclusion
Of no less interest than statues and monuments are various architectural monuments of Chelyabinsk, the oldest of which date back to the first half of the 19th century. The most famous examples are the trading house of the merchant M.F. Valeev, the Yaushev brothers' shop, a water tower and an elevator. All historical and architectural monuments of Chelyabinsk are associated with different time periods, which makes them valuable from the local history and tourist points of view.