The monument "Tachanka" has long been a kind of calling card of Rostov-on-Don. He meets everyone who enters this city from the south (from the side of Krasnodar). When was the tachanka invented, and what role did it play in history? Read about it in our article.
Tachanka - what is it
At the end of the XIX century, the military appeared a qualitatively new type of weapon - a machine gun. Due to its extremely high efficiency in battles against infantry and cavalry, he very quickly gained popularity among all the leading armies of the world. However, the easel machine gun also had one significant drawback: too much weight. And here the legendary wheelbarrow came in handy. It was she who allowed the use of machine guns in maneuver battles and operations.
The first attempts to install machine guns on horse-drawn carts were made by the British during their colonial wars. This method was significantly improved in Russia during the Civil War of 1917-1921. The corrals of the Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Makhno from Gulyaypol were especially cleverly at war with the carts.
What is a tachanka? This is an open spring cart, on which a machine gun is mounted. The gun is directed back. The frame of the tachanka was made of wooden bars, fastened together by metal corners, bolts and nuts. As a rule, three horses were harnessed to a cart. The crew of the car consisted of three (less often two) people - a charioteer, a machine gunner and his assistant.
This technical invention was widely used not only during the Civil War. It is known that carts were used in the Polish army of the 20-30s. In addition, their man-made cars, which today are actively used by the ISIS terrorist organization, can be considered their original counterparts (modernized reincarnations).
Tachanka as a cultural phenomenon
There are several theories regarding the origin of the term itself. One of them connects it with the Ukrainian word "netichanka" (this is a lightweight cart, the axles of the wheels of which do not touch, or "do not touch" the hull). According to the second version, the word "tachanka" comes from the word "tavrican" (by simplification). It has long been called wooden carts in the steppes of Tavria. By the way, the grandiose monument “Tachanka” is also installed in New Kakhovka.
The tachanka is widely used in culture, first of all, as one of the main symbols of the Civil War of the early twentieth century. A lot of songs and poems are composed about her. So, for example, all residents of Rostov are familiar with lines from a famous song:
"Eh, a Rostovchanka tachanka,
Our pride and beauty
Konarmeyskaya tachanka -
All four wheels! ”
She was repeatedly mentioned in the cinema (feature films Chapaev, Fiery Versts, Nine Lives of Nestor Makhno, Tachanka from the South, etc.).
Monument "Tachanka" (Rostov-on-Don): location and description
On the southern outskirts of Rostov, right at the entrance to the city, is this grandiose monument. The Tachanka monument was erected exactly at the place where fierce battles between the First Horse Army of Budyonny and the White Guards of Denikin took place almost a hundred years ago.
The total height of the sculptural composition is almost 15 meters. It includes a tachanka itself with two Budenovites in the back and four harnessed horses racing across the wide Kuban steppe.
"Tachanka-Rostovchanka" appeared on the banks of the Don River Canal in 1977. A whole team of sculptors and architects led by A.A. worked on the creation of the monument. Skarinina.
The current state and features of the Rostov monument
Today, almost every tourist or visitor to the city stops at Tachanka. Be sure to call here and the newlyweds.
In 2008, the monument in Rostov-on-Don was restored and thoroughly washed. In addition, all the holes and cracks on the surface of the sculptures were sealed.
The main feature of the sculptural composition is that inside it is hollow. All figures are made of gypsum and covered with thin sheets of copper. Therefore, it is categorically undesirable to climb onto the monument - you can easily damage the sculptures and fall inside.
Monument "Tachanka" in Kakhovka
It is curious that in the Ukrainian Kakhovka there is an almost identical monument. Only there it is called "Tachanka-tavrichanka." At first glance, the monument is no different from Rostov. But, if you look more closely, there are still differences.
So, Kakhovskaya “Tachanka” is significantly larger in size. In addition, it is made of bronze. Accordingly, the weight of the monument is much higher - about 60 tons. In the sculptural composition, the main difference is the presence of a banner in the machine gunner’s hand. And the horses are made a little differently in Kakhovka and Rostov-on-Don.