For many centuries legends, legends, folk songs and ballads about the Saur-Mogila barrow have been transmitted. This old silent monument saw many joyful and sad events in its lifetime. The courage and courage of the people, as well as the wise defenders of their native land, are described in folk ballads. To this day, it is not known where exactly such a name came from. Some researchers claim that Saur is the name of a person who defended the interests of local residents, but, which is also possible, he was also a Cossack. This area in the Donetsk region was subjected to raids by the Tatars, and it was not lucky during the Second World War. Today, Saur-Mogila is a cultural and historical monument of Ukraine.
Barrow Location
Saur-Mogila is one of the highest points of the Donetsk Ridge, it is located in the Shakhtersky district of Donetsk region. The height of the mound above sea level is about 278 m. At its peak, in the old days, a Cossack post was established, then the fortification of the Mius Front. The memorial complex was created here after the end of World War II. Mound Saur-Mogila is the remnant of the spur of the Donetsk Ridge. It mainly consists of sandstone, in some places interspersed with rock crystal.
Saur-Mogila is located on a plain, because of which it can be seen at a distance of up to 40 m. From its top you can see the heaps of mines, the endless steppe, Amvrosievsky cement plant. In sunny weather, you can view the Sea of Azov from the mound, although it is 90 km away. It is known that people lived on the territory of modern Donetsk region in the 2nd millennium BC, because it was during this period that the upper part of the Saur-Mogily was poured. The logging tribes made an embankment about 4 m high and almost 32 m in diameter.
The name of the mound
According to some reports, “saur”, or “saur”, is of Turkic origin (from the word “sauyr”), it is translated as “steppe height with a round top”. A group of researchers is inclined to believe that the mound was named after a tribe of Sarmatians or Savromats. But folklore has preserved many legends and songs about the man Saur. He was a people's avenger, a Cossack who died at the hands of the Crimean Tatars, protecting his people from slavery.
Ancient times
Archaeologists excavated the mound and discovered a burial site dating back to the 2nd millennium BC. e., the period of Srubnaya culture. Who just was not in these parts. Sarmatians, Scythians, Khazars, Huns, Bulgarians, Polovtsy, Pechenegs, Mongol-Tatars - all these peoples settled in the territory of modern Donetsk region. For a long time no one lived here. The silence of the vast steppes was occasionally broken by the cries of robbers who overtook slaves, hordes of nomads, the creak of the Chumatsky cart and herds of wild animals. All this time, Saur-Mogila stood untouched. Where the monument is today, there the Cossacks made a patrol, and they themselves mastered the surrounding expanses. It was here that the most bloody battles of Ukrainians with the Tatars took place.
Saur-Tomb during the Great Patriotic War
For two years, the territory around the mound was kept under occupation by the Germans. It was here that from 1941 to 1943 the defensive structures of the first line of the Mius Front were built. The Saur-Grave itself was of very strategic importance to the Germans. An observation post was built on its top. On the slopes of the mound, German soldiers equipped dugouts, bunkers, coasts, dug armored caps with firearms. To defend the heights, mortars, flamethrower tanks, artillery guns were used.
Soviet troops encountered difficulty - it was necessary to advance from a steep slope, while the Germans could take advantage of the gentle, and therefore, use armored vehicles with might and main. The Saur-Tomb of the Donetsk region began to storm on August 28, 1943, the red flag was hoisted to the top on the night of August 29-30, but finally the Russians took the height only on August 31. 96 guards rifle divisions, 295, 293, 291 rifle regiments, 34 guards rifle divisions, units of 127 divisions participated in the capture. The ubiquitous Katyushas and the cover from Ilov provided invaluable assistance to the military. When taking the heights, many worthy, brave soldiers and officers died, many of them were posthumously awarded orders.
First monument
After the war ended, the first memorial appeared on Saur-Mogile. It was a 6-meter limestone pyramid with a top in the form of a red star. Around the monument was equipped with a platform bordered by a chain, in the corners of which the remaining guns after the hostilities were placed. There was also an inscription listing the names of the officers and soldiers who died while taking the heights.
Second memorial
In 1960, the Union of Architects of the Donetsk Region decided to announce a competition for the design of a new monument. 37 creative groups from all over the RSFSR made their proposals, the best option was proposed by the Kiev organization. Thanks to Ukrainian architects, it acquired a new, more advanced memorial Saur-Mogila. The monument was built for the money of the miners who gave their daily earnings. The funds were raised by the Komsomol members of the nearby cities of Shakhtersk, Torez and Snezhnoy.
The grand opening of the memorial took place in the fall of 1967. More than 300 thousand people gathered to commemorate the fallen soldiers. Parts of the Soviet Army, representatives of public organizations, and veterans gathered from all over the USSR. What did Saur-Mogila look like at that time? A photo of the 60s has been preserved to this day. At the very top was a 36-meter reinforced concrete obelisk, faced with granite. Inside it, the organizers arranged a room of military glory, in which they collected cartographic maps, newspapers with relevant publications from the time of the war, portraits and photographs of participants in the taking of heights. An upper viewing platform was also created.
At the foot of the obelisk, a 9-meter sculpture of a soldier was installed, looking west and clutching a machine gun in his right raised hand. The warrior has a cloak-tent, the floors of which are fluttering in the wind. The sculpture is made of cast iron; in 1975, the Eternal Flame was lit near it . You can come to the obelisk in two ways. One alley was laid by pioneers from different parts of the USSR, and the second - representatives of hero cities. The Komsomol members planted a road to the mound with poplars and maples. Only those who climb up the wide staircase will discover the Saur-Grave in all its glory.
The history of those terrible events is preserved on four huge horizontal battle pylons. Each of them is dedicated to a certain type of troops: artillerymen, infantry, aviation, tankers. All high reliefs, compositions and inscriptions are based on real events. The pylons depict not fictional characters, but soldiers and officers of the Soviet army. At the foot of the Saur Tomb, there is a lower observation deck with a stunning view of the entire memorial complex. It contains artillery pieces preserved from the time of the war, the famous Katyusha tanks, mortars. At the very top of the mound there is a helipad.
Celebrations near Saur Graves
Absolutely all newlyweds from Torez and Snezhny, after the wedding ceremony, go to the mound to climb to the top, lay flowers at the monument, thereby honoring the memory of the fallen soldiers. In Soviet times, it was on Saur-Mogil that Komsomol tickets were issued to young people. A huge number of people gather near the monument twice a year: on the Day of the Liberation of Donbass (September 8) and on Victory Day (May 9). Unfortunately, construction work, as well as a massive visit to the mound, significantly damaged its ecosystem. If earlier the steppes were overgrown with feather grass, now they are covered with weeds.
Saur-Tomb in folklore
Several legends about the origin of the mound have survived to this day. The most popular story is about Cossack Saur, or Savka, who was a sentinel of a Cossack guard post, arranged on the top of the embankment. Warriors sacked the Tatars and did not have time to light a fire in time. The sentinels with grief cut a fire in half and retreated, but Saur could not get out of the encirclement, for which he paid with his life. After this, the mound itself began to grow, so the returning Cossacks saw their twin on the top of the mound. There they buried him, and with caps they made an even bigger peak.
Ukrainian folklore also preserves the legend of the young, bold peasant Saur. Pan abused his bride, so the young man went into the forest to become a people's avenger. First, he dealt with his abuser. Saur killed the pan and set fire to his estate, then he robbed all the rich, distributing their wealth to the poor. When he died, the hero was buried at the top of the mound.
Saur-Mogila - a historical monument of Ukraine
For many centuries, the famous barrow remained in the spotlight. Over the years, Saur-Mogila acquired new legends and events. It can be easily found on the map, the embankment is located near the village of Saurovka, near the city of Shakhtersk. Today, the memorial complex, as well as the mound itself, are protected by law. The legendary Saur-Tomb is declared a monument of antiquity and the heroic epic of the Ukrainian people.