111. Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad
The Monument to the Heroic Defenders of Leningrad is a major presence at the southern end of St. Petersburg. It is located in the center of Ploshchad Pobedy (Victory Square) and is impossible to miss if you're traveling from Pulkovo Airport to the city center. I've written about the siege of Leningrad in previous posts covering the Museum of the Defense and Siege of Leningrad, the Museum of the History of St. Petersburg, and the celebrations on Victory Day. If there is any single event in modern military history that deserves a monument, this is definitely it.
The monument was installed in the early 1970s and consists of four distinct areas:
1) The obelisk, which is visible for kilometers in either direction to the north or south along Moskovskiy Prospekt, the main route from southern St. Petersburg to the city center
2) A sunken memorial area that features a sculpture, multiple eternal flames, and quotes about the bravery of the city's residents and defenders.
3) The large sculptures in the plaza to the south of the obelisk, which document different heroic actions - some by the military, but many also related to civilian efforts to save the city from the Nazis.
4) An underground memorial hall and museum with artifacts that tell the story of the efforts to save the city and maintain life in St. Petersburg during the siege, as well as a pair of large mosaics that beautifully illustrate the heroism of the city's residents.
Just as with the other museums and memorials around St. Petersburg that relate to the Siege of Leningrad, this monument invites an attitude of somber reflection. It is a great reminder of the heroic sacrifices made by millions of Leningraders during one of the darkest periods of the 20th century.
The monument was installed in the early 1970s and consists of four distinct areas:
1) The obelisk, which is visible for kilometers in either direction to the north or south along Moskovskiy Prospekt, the main route from southern St. Petersburg to the city center
2) A sunken memorial area that features a sculpture, multiple eternal flames, and quotes about the bravery of the city's residents and defenders.
3) The large sculptures in the plaza to the south of the obelisk, which document different heroic actions - some by the military, but many also related to civilian efforts to save the city from the Nazis.
4) An underground memorial hall and museum with artifacts that tell the story of the efforts to save the city and maintain life in St. Petersburg during the siege, as well as a pair of large mosaics that beautifully illustrate the heroism of the city's residents.
Just as with the other museums and memorials around St. Petersburg that relate to the Siege of Leningrad, this monument invites an attitude of somber reflection. It is a great reminder of the heroic sacrifices made by millions of Leningraders during one of the darkest periods of the 20th century.
Comments
Post a Comment