Immediately after the war, attempts were made to perpetuate the memory of the participants in the Battle of Kursk. In 1973, a memorial was opened in honor of the heroes of the Battle of Kursk , churches were erected in honor of those who died in terrible battles, monuments, and monuments. One of such magnificent symbols of the Great Victory is the Arc de Triomphe in Kursk. The photo, description and history of the monument are presented in our article.
Description and photo of the Arc de Triomphe in Kursk
The majestic Arc de Triomphe is one of the exhibits of the Kursk Bulge memorial complex. The complex, fully open to the 55th anniversary of the Battle of Kursk, is recognizable from afar precisely thanks to the Arc de Triomphe, whose crown is a sculpture of George the Victorious on a horse. The memorial complex also includes a monument to Georgy Zhukov, the Church of St. George the Victorious, consisting of three tiers, the Eternal Flame monument, the tombstone of the Unknown Soldier, located on a mass grave and an arched memorial stele 44 meters high - a symbol of the front line, opened after the assignment of Kursk in 2007 the title of a hero city.
The majestic Arc de Triomphe (Kursk) has a height of 24 meters. The bronze sculpture of George the Victorious on a horse, killing a dragon with a spear, at its top is also quite high - 6.4 meters. On the arch itself you can see reliefs and text boards glorifying the Russian spirit, as well as four bronze figures of Russian soldiers, warriors belonging to different eras of history. The author of the memorial project was the Russian architect Yevgeny Vuchetich, the author of the monument "Motherland" in Volgograd, on Mamaev Kurgan and in other cities.
The history of the monument
Starting from the 50s of the last century, the famous architect Evgeny Vuchetich, who was the author of monumental monuments in Volgograd and Berlin, conceived the feat of Soviet soldiers on the Kursk Bulge. For more than 15 years, the architect worked on the monument, and finally, in the mid-70s, construction began. The author’s project involved the construction of the sculpture “Motherland” 18 meters high. It was planned to place 9 busts of military leaders on this site. But even a small part of the work was not completed, since the construction of the monument was interrupted by the death of the architect.
The construction of the memorial was continued only in 1987. Concrete piles were strengthened, and began to build an arched podium of the monument. But the years of perestroika again crossed out everything. The construction of the Arc de Triomphe was again suspended until 1995. The next project was implemented by Kursk architects, in particular M.L. Teplitsky. On behalf of the governor of the region, it was decided to build an entire memorial complex for the 55th anniversary of the celebration of victory in the Great War. The Arc de Triomphe (Kursk) was built on time. And already in 1999, the majestic temple-bell tower, consisting of three tiers 47 meters high, was laid at the memorial.
Opening of the Arc de Triomphe in Kursk
The opening of the Arc de Triomphe was planned for the 55th anniversary of the celebration of the Great Victory. Just in time for this significant date, the construction of the monument was completely completed.
But the opening of the complex was carried out twice. For the first time, the Arc de Triomphe (Kursk) was opened on the eve of the main May holiday in 2000 with the direct participation of the governor of the Kursk region. For the second time, the gates of the memorial complex were opened in the same year, but by the country's president V.V. Putin.
Top 10 best arches in the world
In 2015, Aeroflot Premium magazine compiled a list of the best arches in the world. The eighth place in this top ranking went to the Arc de Triomphe, located in the city of Kursk.
The Arc de Triomphe, whose history began back in 1943, is a symbol of the victory of Soviet citizens in the fight against fascism. That is why for residents of Kursk inclusion of an object in this prestigious list is another reason to be proud of their small homeland.
Arc de Triomphe (Kursk): address and route
The Arc de Triomphe is located in the north, right at the entrance to the city of Kursk. The address of the monument and the memorial complex as a whole: 104 Karl Marx Street.
To get to the Arc de Triomphe, you need to take the city trolleybus No. 1 on Moskovskaya Square and go almost to the last stop (very long) before leaving Kursk to Moscow.
The memorial complex stretched almost half a kilometer. A new modern microdistrict is being built in front of it, and elite cottages are located behind it. Almost 500 meters is an alley of military equipment. This is a favorite place for walking with the townspeople. Newlyweds also come here to lay flowers at the Eternal Flame memorial. Today the Arc de Triomphe (Kursk) has become a business card of the city, and the micro-district under construction has become very popular among its residents. Thanks to them, the memory of the Battle of Kursk will remain for centuries.