The highest sculpture in Russia is the center of a large-scale architectural composition dedicated to the warrior heroes of the battle of Stalingrad. This is the monument “Motherland is Calling”, erected on the Mamaev Kurgan near Volgograd.
The main parameters of the sculpture
The highest sculpture in Russia is a figure of a woman who is rapidly advancing and calling for all of her sons. The height of the statue, standing on a sixteen-meter foundation, is fifty-two meters. In the right hand, the mother woman holds a sword.
Its length is thirty-three meters. The weight of the sword is fourteen tons. The total height of the sculpture is eighty-five meters.
Such parameters indicate the uniqueness and scale of the main monument of the complex. The total weight of the statue is eight thousand tons.
Team involved in the creation of the project
The figure of a woman is a modern interpretation of the image of the goddess of victory - antique Nika. She calls on her daughters and sons not only to give a decisive rebuff to the enemy, but also to go on the offensive.
The construction of the memorial complex was of great importance for the whole country. The government did not limit the best creative forces involved in the work, neither in materials nor in means. The project manager and sculptor is Evgeny Viktorovich Vuchetich. His assistants were architects Demin and Belopolsky. The project was also attended by sculptors Novikov, Sailors and Tyurenkov. Upon completion of construction, all of them were awarded the Lenin Prize. Vuchetich, in addition, became the Hero of Socialist Labor. He was awarded the Golden Star.
The engineering group that worked during the construction of the monument was led by I.V. Nikitin. Subsequently, he created the Ostankino tower. The project also had its military consultant. They became Marshal V.I. Chuykov. During the war, this commander commanded an army that defended Mamaev Kurgan. Later, he was honored to be buried at the memorial next to the dead soldiers.
Construction
The monument “The Motherland Calls” was erected on 10/15/1967. At the same time, the construction lasted from May 1959. At that time it was the highest sculpture in the world, therefore information about it is listed in the Guinness Book of Records.
The monument is made of prestressed reinforced concrete blocks. For their manufacture two thousand four hundred tons of metal structures were required. In this case, five thousand five hundred tons were used for concrete. And this is without the foundation on which the statue is mounted.
The highest sculpture in Russia stands on a plate whose height is only two meters. This foundation, in turn, rests on a foundation hidden underground.
The thickness of the walls of the sculpture, made of reinforced concrete, is relatively small. It is twenty five to thirty centimeters. The rigidity of the huge frame is provided by ninety-nine stretched metal cables. They are located inside the sculpture.
Restoration work
In the original version, the sword that holds the statue was made of stainless steel. Outside, it was sheathed with titanium sheets. However, with a strong wind, the sword swayed. Steel sheets rattled. And therefore, in 1972, the blade was replaced with one made entirely of fluorinated steel. In the same period, they got rid of problems with the winds, placing blinds on top of the sword.
The highest sculpture in Russia, which is the main monument of the monument-ensemble in Volgograd, has been restored twice in the entire history of its existence. This first happened in 1972. Then the blade of the sword was replaced. In 1986, the hydrophobic coating of the statue was restored.
The significance of the sculpture
Monument “Motherland is calling” E.V. Vucheticha has an amazing property. For each viewer, he produces a certain psychological impact. As the author achieved this, each of us can only guess. Those criticisms that sounded about the creation (in them it was compared with Marseillaise on the Parisian triumphal arch), this phenomenon does not explain. The sculptor personally survived the most brutal war in human history. His work was a tribute to all the fallen and eternal reminder of the living. It was the great skill of the sculptor that made it possible to create this magnificent monument.
The history of monumental art
The entire period of the existence of our country is rich in various events. The monumental sculptures of Russia reflect them. Many of them were conceived and delivered, destroyed and reborn again. All existing monuments are a huge cultural layer of the country.
An interesting sculpture of classicism in Russia. This style of European art dominated in the 17-19 centuries. The sculptures that were created during the indicated period are characterized by harmony and clarity of images, strict organization, as well as poise.
So, the city of Yekaterinoslav in 1846 was decorated with a monument depicting Empress Catherine II. Performed in the period from 1782 to 1788 in Germany, he was for a long time in the family possessions of the Goncharovs.
Very interesting is the history of the monuments of St. Petersburg periods of classicism. For example, the colossal portrait bust of Alexander I was modeled by I.P. Martos and carved from marble B.I. Orlovsky. In 1822, this bust became one of the first imperial monuments in the interior of the Exchange, located on Vasilyevsky Island. It is worth saying that Martos gained true fame thanks to the monument he created, installed in Moscow. This is a monumental sculpture of Minin and Pozharsky (1818). It reflected the pathos that was characteristic of the Russian people during the invasion of Napoleon.
To this day, Petersburg adorns the monument to I.A. Krylov, who appeared in 1855, found the most perfect expression of the style of classicism in another monumental work. She became a monument to Suvorov sculptor M. Kozlovsky. The author depicted the commander with a shield and a sword in his hands. At the same time, the figure of Suvorov froze in a jerky movement. The whole sculpture is designed to synthesize the idea of triumph and citizenship. The monument, installed on Suvorov Square, is one of the most popular.
The silver age sculpture in Russia was created by a young generation of craftsmen. They ceased to adhere to classicism and were looking for new forms of images of their heroes. The monumentality of the sculptures of this period became less significant. The most prominent work in this period is a monument to the poet Pushkin, who was erected in the city of Pushkin. Among the significant monumental sculptures of the Silver Age is a monument to Alexander III. The sculptor P. Trubetskoy, who created it, managed to embody the image of the king in an unusually expressive and sharp form.
Soviet period
With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks , special demands were made on sculptures. First of all, they were supposed to be popular. In this regard, the images for the creation of sculptures became the workers of the village and the city, military personnel and representatives of the Soviet intelligentsia. The monument was supposed to have an ideological meaning and show the peaceful life of the people, as well as their heroic deeds. An important factor in the sculptures was the factor of concreteness. The image was supposed to indicate a process in historical development that corresponded to a materialistic understanding of history.
The most significant monuments of the Soviet era
What is the highest sculpture of Russia after the statue "Motherland Calls"? This is a memorial erected in Murmansk. It is dedicated to the defenders of the Arctic from the Nazi invaders. The memorial was opened in 1974. Its authors are sculptor Brodsky and architect Pokrovsky. The height of the sculpture itself is 35.5 meters. The monument with a pedestal rises 45.5 m.
Third place in the list of highest statues belongs to the monument to Lenin, installed in Volgograd. Its height with a pedestal is 57 m.
Known throughout the world and the monument "Worker and Collective Farm Girl". This sculpture became a symbol of the Soviet era. The author of the twenty-five meter composition is Vera Mukhina.