History of Moscow Monuments

11.10.2016 18:30 Просмотров: 394 Печать | E-mail

Moscow monuments....there are quite a lot of those in our city! Well, first of all let's get clear - there are so many monuments in Moscow that listing them all would probably make me write another site. There is no way you can see all of those especially if you're on a trip.

However, the good part is that you don't need to know and visit all of them, as there are not that many that deserve your attention. Luckily, I found a free minute to compile and put out a list of Moscow monuments and statues that I believe you will find the most interesting. No need to thank me, I'm an angel, I know 

Peter the Great Statue

Anyways, even after we thoroughly prune the list of monuments in Moscow, we are still left with quite a lot of those. Therefore, bear in mind I will probably be adding more content to this page with time, so why don't you check back here and there? You know, just in case I added something cool? 

Alright, let's get started. The first monument I would like to tell you about is Peter the Great statue located on Moscow River. The reason I chose it to be the first in the list is because there are probably no other monuments in Moscow that caused so much controversy.

Peter the Great statue was created by Georgian architect Zurab Tsereteli, the favorite craftsman of former Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov. Some people adore the huge Peter, while many others are disgusted by it.

My feelings about this artwork are mixed. On the one hand I can't help but notice the ugliness in the statue, but on the other hand I still believe there is something special in it.

Maybe it's me, but somehow this monument seems to symbolize the gloomy power of Peter the Great times, so I think you should pay it a visit at least once.

Number two is the statue of Yuri Dolgoruky (literally translated as "Yuri the long-armed", reminds me of Frodo the Nine Fingered :)). He is considered to be the founder of Moscow, which may not be historically precise, but in any case he was the one who gave Moscow the push it need to gradually turn into the capital of our country.

Yuri was truly the man of historic scale - he travelled throughout Russia, founded cities, moved capitals and even got to be the Great Prince twice! His monument is very thoroughly done, and you'll be able to see even the smallest historical details like armor and weapons of Russian warriors of that time. So - have a free hour in your busy Moscow schedule?

The next item in our Moscow monuments list is the statue ofAlexander Pushkin, the genius of Russian poetry. The statue was erected at Pushkinskaya square, which is located at the crossing of Tverskoy boulevard and Tverskaya street, very close to the Moscow center.

To be honest, this is the least we could do for the poet of such scale. Alexander Pushkin is not very well known abroad, maybe only by university professors, but he was probably one of the founding fathers of Russian poetry and culture.

Even today, when people don't show that much interest in classics, you can find performances and even operas based on Pushkin's "Evgeniy Onegin" poem in probably every capital of the Western hemisphere.

I suggest that you pay a visit to bronze Pushkin, both because such poet shouldn't be overlooked and because the Pushkinskaya square is a very nice place where many poetic and other performances are held regularly.

Minin and Pozharsky monument is the next one on our list. Kuzma Minin and Dmitry Pozharsky were those who liberated Russia from the Polish invasion.

Back then, the Russian government failed the country, both because it was weak and because it was corrupt. Someone had to step in, and so the people of Nizhny Novgorod led by Minin and Pozharsky created a militia that drove off the invaders.

Today, their monument is located right near St. Basil's Cathedral on the Red Square, and I can surely say they deserve it. Those people saved Russia when others couldn't, plain and simple. What can be any more heroic than that?

The next one of Moscow monuments I would like to talk about is the statue of "Worker and Kolkhoz Woman" located at "VDNH".This statue is probably as Soviet as it can get - you won't find anything more resembling of USSR times in Moscow, maybe except Lenin's tomb!

Created in 1937, the monument is 60 meters high (including pedestal), and it's one of the finest examples of socialist realistic style. It was made completely from stainless steel, and its sculptor, Vera Mukhina, received Stalin award for her work. Both the statue and VDNH are some of the coolest Moscow sights, so I urge you to visit them once you have some time!

Yuri Gagarin

Ever considered visiting the statue of the first cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin? This is one of the less known Moscow monuments, but first of all it's no less beautiful and second - I think it's worthwhile to go there just to pay tribute to someone who literally changed the history of the humankind forever.

I don't know if there are statues of Apollo crew members in US, but if yes I would gladly pay them a visit if I was around. People like Gagarin and Armstrong deserve to be remembered for their great deeds, and although it is not their achievement alone, I still think they must be honored as a symbol of immense struggle, accomplishment and sacrifice made by our race - no matter the country.

If you're a fan of World War II history, I suggest you visit the monument ofMarshal Georgy Zhukov located right outside the entrance to the Red Square. Zhukov was one of the most brilliant Soviet military commanders. We owe him a great deal, because that man was among the few who made the victory over Nazism possible.

Zhukov is very controversial - some believe he was a hero, other consider him to be a criminal. While I do not want to go into details (you can read that separate post if you like), I would say that the entire Soviet history is a one big controversy.

Was Stalin a criminal? On the one hand he was, but on the other hand he built a powerful state out of post-revolutionary, ruined Russia. Yes, he killed many, but what would happen if he did nothing and Russia just fell apart? Terrible, terrible questions with no answers. And Zhukov, well - he's just another one of those Soviet mysteries...

Source:  Moscow Monuments