The atomic bomb is one of the worst weapons in the history of mankind. It was first used in August 1945. The tragedy occurred in the early morning. Then in the center of the Japanese city of Hiroshima, an atomic bomb was dropped. Its code name was a kind of mockery - "Baby."
The consequences of the explosion killed 140 thousand people. The monument to this huge tragedy is the Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, or the Dome of Genbaku (Gembaku). The monument became a symbol of the most destructive force that has ever been created by man - nuclear bombing. They don’t come to this complex to enjoy its splendor. People come here to cry and remember all those who died and continue to die from radiation.
General description of the memorial
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial is a museum located in the eponymous park. This is the most popular attraction in the metropolis. The main architect of the project was the famous Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. The Peace Memorial in Hiroshima has two buildings - the “Main”, the area of which reaches 1615 square meters, and the “East” (10098 m2 ) . The first complex was built so that the zone, which is located between the raised floor and the surface of the earth, reminds us that mankind has the power to rise from the ashes.
The “Main Building” houses a huge exposition dedicated to the atomic bombing of the country. The materials collected for the exhibition show how terrible the consequences of fires, radiation and explosions were. The “Eastern Corps” has a cinema where documentaries are shown, as well as a library and gallery of citizens who managed to survive after the bombing.
Before the memorial was erected
The building in which the Peace Memorial is located today appeared in Hiroshima in 1915. It was erected taking into account all European traditions, which at the beginning of the last century were a novelty for Japan. The building was a three-story house, which was designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. The middle part of the brick building ended with a 25-meter dome. Using the internal staircase, one could climb here from the main entrance. The walls of the house were lined with cement plaster and stone. The building housed various organizations and the Exhibition Center.
History of the World Memorial
In 1953, it was decided to create a Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, a photo of which can be seen in the article. But the implementation of this venture was not immediately taken. Great efforts were put into resuming ordinary urban life. There was not enough money, human resources, or time to implement the entire plan for the revival of the city and the creation of the memorial.
In 1963, the ruins of a building damaged by an atomic explosion were fenced with building nets. Outsiders were forbidden to enter here. Up to this point, everything was heavily overgrown with weeds, cracks increased in the walls, and the steel frame of the dome thoroughly rusted and threatened to collapse. The first restoration work was carried out only in 1967. Today, the memorial dome has the same appearance as in the first minutes after the explosion. A stone is set near it. It always has a huge number of bottles of drinking water.
Memorial to the Fallen and Memorial Museum
The Peace Memorial in Hiroshima (Japan) is made in the form of an arch made of stone in the style of a chaniva - ancient clay figurines. The written explanation says that the goal of the construction was to brighten up the settlement again as a “City of Peace”. After all, this metropolis was the first to practically wipe the atomic bomb from the face of the Earth . In the crypt of the memorial is a list of people of different nationalities who died from the explosion in 1945. In August 2015, the list totaled 297,684 names of the victims.
Local authorities established the Memorial Museum of Peace. He must tell people about the terrifying tragedy of the bombing and the nightmarish effects of radiation. The institution was opened in 1955. The museum stores the belongings of those who died, as well as other evidence of a nuclear explosion.
Children's monument
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) also has a structure dedicated to dead children. It is also called the “Sadako Monument” and “The Grave of a Thousand Cranes”. Schoolchildren, who often come here on an excursion, always hold garlands made of paper birds in their hands. This tradition has its own sad history.
Sasaki Sadako survived the bombing when she was only two years old. And in 1955, she was diagnosed with leukemia. The baby believed that if she folds a thousand cranes out of paper, she will definitely recover. Sasaki from various wrappers erected more than 1300 birds. But in the end, after eight months of fighting the ailment, she died anyway. Classmates, who took Sasaki’s death hard, decided to create a monument. He was dedicated to all the children who died as a result of the atomic bombing. The memorial was opened in May 1958.
Other monuments of the complex
The Peace Memorial in Hiroshima also has other monuments. All together there are approximately 50 pieces. The most famous among them are the following monuments:
- The atomic tree is a firman tree. The plant was transplanted to the park in 1973. Previously, it grew at a distance of 1.3 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion. As a result of irradiation, the green space has dried up, but the next year blossomed again. And thereby inspired hope in those who managed to survive after the atomic attack.
- Monument to the poet Toge Sankichi. This is a local author who has published a huge number of works calling for peace and the rejection of atomic weapons.
The memorial complex of the world also has many other statues that relentlessly recall the days of a terrible tragedy.