Memorable places and monuments dedicated to the Battle of Stalingrad. Monument-ensemble to the defenders of Stalingrad (1967)

And the adjacent settlements, both during urban battles, and later, when Stalingrad was restored according to a new general plan, often not paying attention to the fact that historical relics are forever lost. But at the same time, the monuments of the Battle of Stalingrad, created after the war, reflected the greatness of the country that won the world war, and the bitterness for the millions of dead and maimed Soviet citizens.

Monuments in Volgograd

The most famous of them:

• The Motherland Monument is Calling! and other monuments on Mamayev Kurgan.
• Panorama Museum of the Battle of Stalingrad.
• Mill Gerhardt

In addition to well-known monuments in Russia and the world, in Volgograd the following is dedicated to the memory of the Battle of Stalingrad:

• not restored building of the director of the plant near the banks of the Volga, a witness to the defense of the bridgehead of the 138th Guards Division (Lyudnikov Island).
• "Extinguisher" - a fireboat of the Volga military flotilla.
• "Line of Defense" - a line of 17 towers of T-34-76 tanks, symbolizing the line of defense of Stalingrad (Volgograd), is about 30 kilometers long. The idea of ​​creating a monument appeared immediately after the end of the war. The decision to build the complex was made in February 1948, the author of the project was the Moscow architect F. M. Lysov. The first pedestal was installed on September 3, 1951, the last - three years later, on October 17, 1954. Tank towers were assembled here, from equipment that died in the Battle of Stalingrad. The towers of T-34 tanks of various modifications with traces of battles and holes were chosen. The distance between the towers is several kilometers.
• Alley of Heroes - a wide street connects the embankment to them. 62nd Army near the Volga River and the Square of the Fallen Fighters. On September 8, 1985, a memorial monument dedicated to the Heroes of the Soviet Union and full holders of the Order of Glory, natives of the Volgograd region and the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad was opened here. Artistic works were made by the Volgograd branch of the RSFSR Art Fund under the direction of the chief artist of the city M. Ya. Pyshta. The team of authors included the chief architect of the project A. N. Klyuchishchev, architect A. S. Belousov, designer L. Podoprigora, artist E. V. Gerasimov. On the monument are the names (surnames and initials) of 127 Heroes of the Soviet Union, who received this title for heroism in the Battle of Stalingrad in -1943, 192 Heroes of the Soviet Union - natives of the Volgograd region, of which three are twice Heroes of the Soviet Union, and 28 holders of the Order of Glory of three degrees
• The building of the Central Department Store (view of the pre-war facade of the building on Ostrovsky Street) - in its basement the headquarters of the 6th German army and F. Paulus were captured. The museum "Memory" is open in the basement.
• Poplar on the Square of the Fallen Fighters - a historical and natural monument of Volgograd, located on the Alley of Heroes. Poplar survived the Battle of Stalingrad and has numerous evidence of military operations on its trunk.

Monuments in the Volgograd region

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Exactly 74 years ago, on February 2, 1943, one of the bloodiest battles in human history was won. The battle of Stalingrad was held under the motto from order No. 227 "Not a step back!" and was the most important turning point not only in the Great Patriotic War, but also in World War II. The main symbol of the Stalingrad victory was "height 102" - Mamaev Kurgan, which during the battle more than once passed from the Soviet troops to the Germans and back. Rambler/Travel tells about memorable places in Volgograd that are worth visiting when you are in the hero city.

Mamaev kurgan

The total losses of the Soviet and German sides in the Battle of Stalingrad exceed two million people. This is the most brutal battle in the history of mankind, and the memories that every square meter Mamaev Kurgan was soaked in blood are not an artistic exaggeration. The construction of the memorial under the guidance of the architect Vuchetich lasted eight years. All elements of the memorial - squares, sculptures, bas-reliefs, monuments - are deeply symbolic. Including the path to the main monument of the memorial - the monument "Motherland Calls!". There are exactly two hundred steps on it - like exactly two hundred of those days that the Battle of Stalingrad lasted.

Ruined Walls

Climbing Mamayev Kurgan by stairs past the ruins passes under the audio accompaniment: the sound track includes reports from the front, which were read by the main announcer of the Soviet Union Yuri Levitan, the noise of the battle and military songs. Walls-ruins with a height of 17 to 5 meters seem to be transferred to 1942. The left wall is dedicated to the oaths of the defenders of Stalingrad: “Not a step back!”, “On the offensive, comrades!”, “To Berlin!”. The right wall depicts real battle scenes, including the defense of Pavlov's House and the heroic death of Mikhail Panikah.

Square of the Deadly Standing

Location: Peschanka village, Sovetsky district of Volgograd.

On the outskirts of Peschanka, where the heaviest battles took place in 1942-1943, there is a strange building, in which it is not possible to immediately recognize the monument. Coming closer, you can see signs of a memorial - a tombstone with a cross, flowers, wreaths... But first of all, a sharp figure made of rusty steel sheets seems to be one of the many fragments of shells left here from the war and now rising from the ground and striving into the sky. Once upon a time, this unusual sign of memory was aptly called a thorn.

The monument to all the victims of the Battle of Stalingrad was erected on June 8, 1996 at the expense of Austrian citizens. Fundraising in 1992-1993 was carried out by public organizations "Austrian Black Cross" and "Committee for 50 Years of Stalingrad".

In 1992, an agreement was concluded between the governments of the Russian Federation and the Federal Republic of Germany on the care of military graves. As part of the agreement, the German side is allowed to arrange and care for German military graves in Russia. In addition, the German government, at its own expense, ensures the preservation and care of Russian military graves in Germany. The agreement concerns those who died during the First and Second World Wars.

Initially, in negotiations with Volgograd officials and veterans, the Austrian side insisted on installing a monument in the city center - on the Bridge Square (now Reconciliation Square). However, in the end, the monument was erected in Peschanka, and in 1993 the Cross of Reconciliation between the peoples of Russia, Austria and Germany appeared on the Bridge Square.

The monument to all the victims of the Battle of Stalingrad was designed by the Austrian architect Johann Boyle. It looks deliberately simple, even rude. The sharp 10-meter edge of a pyramid made of ordinary steel, prone to rust, symbolizes the tools and materials of war in all their ugliness. "Thorn" leans towards a tombstone with a Catholic cross.

On the other side of the monument lies a granite slab. The inscription in German and Russian reads: “This monument is dedicated to all the victims of the Battle of Stalingrad 1942–43. It recalls the suffering of the soldiers and civilians who fell here. For those who fell here and died in captivity from all countries, we pray for eternal peace in the Russian land.

Despite the exhaustive inscription, sometimes the Spike is called a monument dedicated to the Austrians who died during the First and Second World Wars. But this is not so, the memorial was created in memory of all the victims of the war, regardless of nationality and belonging to any of the warring parties.

In September 1942, the Germans broke through to Stalingrad from three directions. In the south, in the steppe near Peschanka, there were fierce battles. Until now, not far from the monument, you can see the remains of the fortifications of those times - trenches, artillery caponiers.

Operational summary of September 9, 1942

40th Army. On September 8, two battalions of the 206th Rifle Division fought a firefight in the area of ​​2 kilometers southwest of the village of Peschanka. In the battle for September 7, parts of the division in the area southwest of the village of Peschanka destroyed up to 500 soldiers and officers, 4 mortar batteries, 8 machine guns, 3 wagons with ammunition; 1 dugout and 1 enemy observation post destroyed.
On the morning of September 8, the 64th Army, with right-flank units, repelled enemy attacks, with a force of up to two infantry regiments with 50 tanks, advancing from the direction of the Voroponovo station in the direction of the Peschanka area - height 143.5.
By 15:00 on September 8, the 138th Rifle Division was fighting at the turn of the western outskirts of the village of Peschanka - an unnamed height south of the 143.5 mark. As a result of an enemy tank attack, the 343rd Infantry Regiment of the division was almost completely destroyed. In the battle for September 8, 18 enemy tanks were knocked out and burned.

On September 11, Peschanka was captured by Nazi troops. There were bloody battles in Stalingrad, and here, in Peschanka, the local infirmary and the cemetery were massively transported the wounded and killed German soldiers. According to various sources, from 15 to 27 thousand soldiers and officers of the German side are buried here.

In addition to the unusual look of the "Ship", which is considered to be more German, there are three mass graves of Soviet soldiers in Peschanka.

In August 1942, in the Peschanka area, it was attacked by a German fighter, a Soviet Pe-2 bomber caught fire and exploded. He returned to his airfield in the Volga region. The names of the three dead pilots could not be established. Residents of Peschanka buried them at the local cemetery, and an aircraft propeller became a monument to the pilots.

The mass grave in the center of Peschanka appeared in 1943 after the settlement was liberated from the invaders; in 1965, an obelisk by the sculptor Shelkov was erected here. The names of 117 fallen Soviet soldiers - officers and soldiers - are inscribed on the tombstones, but the true number of those buried here is unknown.

In the battle near Peschanka on January 22, 1943, the famous sniper Maxim Passar, one of the most effective snipers of the Battle of Stalingrad, who destroyed more than 200 enemy soldiers and officers, died. Soviet troops attacked the enemy positions, but two machine guns firing from cover prevented the attackers from approaching. Passar was able to get close to the machine gunners at 100 meters and destroyed both crews. The attack was successful, but Maxim Passar himself died.
On January 25, 1943, in the battle near Peschanka, liaison Maxim Fefilov, who took command of the company after the death of the commander, led the fighters on the attack. Under heavy enemy fire, Fefilov's arrows broke through the barrage and were the first to occupy Peschanka. In this battle, more than 100 German soldiers and officers were destroyed, more than 200 were taken prisoner.

The monument to all the victims of the Battle of Stalingrad and three mass graves are looked after by local residents to the best of their ability - students and teachers of school No. 114 and the local TOS. The Austrian delegation, which comes to Peschanka every year, also contributes to the maintenance of the international memorial.

"Austrian Black Cross" is an international public organization in Austria, founded in 1919 to organize soldiers' burials and care for the graves of soldiers of all nationalities. In addition, he deals with the burials of those who died during the bombing, victims of political repression and refugees. It exists through donations. The headquarters is located in Vienna.

A memorial monument with the inscription: "In memory of the Romanian prisoners of war of the Second World War who died in Russia" was opened in the Krasnoarmeisky district by a delegation from Romania, together with officials from the administration of Volgograd and the administration of the Volgograd region.

The installation of the monument is connected with the initiative of Romania to perpetuate the memory of its soldiers and officers who died in the Battle of Stalingrad, the website of the administration of the Volgograd region told.

Back in 1995, Russia and Romania signed agreements on ensuring the safety and maintenance of Russian military graves abroad and foreign military graves in the Russian Federation, the administration said. - Within the framework of these agreements, in 1996, at the request of the War Memorials association, the administration of Volgograd granted a site in the village of Sakko and Vanzetti in the Krasnoarmeisky district for unlimited use. It was handed over for the arrangement of the cemetery of foreign prisoners of war of the 1st department of the 108th Beketovsky camp. In 2005, an agreement was concluded between the governments of Russia and Romania that military personnel, including those who were taken prisoner, and people who died or died during the First and Second World Wars and in the post-war period, buried on the territory of the two countries, have the right to a worthy place of rest, the creation and care of which must be properly provided. On this basis, the Romanian side and the "War Memorials" expressed their desire to erect a commemorative sign in the period from May 10 to 15 this year.

Photo: Maria Chasovitina

Sergey Chikhirev, a representative of the association of international military memorial cooperation "War Memorials", told the website that the installation of a memorial stone in the Krasnoarmeisky district is due to the fact that the remains of 35 Romanian prisoners of war are buried in the cemetery.

The installation initiative belongs to the consulate and the authorities of Romania, as well as organizations involved in the care of military graves. It's hard to pick just one. Rather, it was a general idea. The monument was made in advance and brought to Volgograd, - Sergey Chikhirev explained. - On behalf of Romania, the opening of the monument was attended by the ambassador together with his family, the consul from Rostov-on-Don, the embassy workers. Only about 10 people. Volgograd was represented by employees of the committee on international relations of the regional administration and the deputy head of the Krasnoarmeisky district. Everyone met at the cemetery, and the Romanians thanked the Volgograd authorities for the opportunity to erect the monument and constructive cooperation. The whole event took 20-30 minutes. The ambassador mentioned in his speech that there are about 300 graves and monuments to Soviet soldiers on the territory of Romania. They guarantee they will be taken care of.

Then the Romanians went to Astrakhan to open a small monument. In the near future, they plan to open a prefabricated cemetery in the city of Apsheronsk, Krasnodar Territory. They are going to perpetuate the memory of not only soldiers and prisoners of war, but also civilians who lived in southern Russia. In Romania, there is a special program that allocates funds for the installation of such monuments.

According to the representative of the "War Memorials", the opening of the monument at the combined Hungarian-German-Romanian cemetery is explained, first of all, by pragmatic reasons.

Photo: Maria Chasovitina

Mostly Germans are buried in the cemetery in the village of Sacco and Vanzetti. There are about 120 of them and 35 Romanians. There are fewer Hungarians. The installation of the monument there is connected with the fact that it would be easier to take care of the graves and the monument. The opening of the monument will help preserve the memory of prisoners and soldiers, so that contemporaries can see who is buried in this particular place. If Romanian soldiers are lying here, then it is logical to indicate this with a commemorative sign. Nothing more. The reason is simple - 35 Romanian prisoners of war are buried here. Therefore, the inscription on the stone speaks of this. Another monument has been standing for many years at the old cemetery in the city of Uryupinsk, Volgograd Region, where during the war years there was a hospital for prisoners of war.

"War memorials" have long been engaged in the search, exhumation and establishment of the fate of foreign soldiers who fought near Stalingrad in the Volgograd region.

In recent years, the remains of more than 1,000 Romanian soldiers have been discovered and reburied,” Sergei Chikhirev said. - They are buried at the Memorial Cemetery in Rossoshki. Two monuments were erected to the Romanians in Russia and one combined cemetery was opened in Rossoshki. There are about 300 monuments and two prefabricated cemeteries on the territory of Russia to Hungarian soldiers and prisoners of war. Our government takes care of them. As part of a parity partnership, the same Germans and Romanians support the proper burial of Soviet soldiers in their countries. Our organization provides funding and finds people who care for foreign burials.

Photo: Maria Chasovitina

The opening of the monument in the village of Sacco and Vanzetti was carried out quietly, without the involvement of television cameras and journalists. According to Sergei Chikhirev, this is due to the difficult political situation and difficult relations with the Volgograd authorities.

Our main goal was to open a monument, not to make a fuss. We did not have the task of giving it wide publicity. We wanted to do it quietly and calmly, so as not to cause a negative reaction in society. Although for many years of work, people are calm and understanding, unlike those who are trying to stir up a scandal in their own mercenary interests.

Maybe it has something to do with the scandal last year. Then, the deputy ambassador of Romania invited the governor of the Volgograd region to the reburial, where he used the wording “our heroes” in an official letter. People were outraged. From the outside, this may seem like blasphemy, but the Romanians have such a naming of their soldiers in the vocabulary of normal practice. In Romania, this is how they call all the dead soldiers, no matter in what historical era they died. Romanians treat their military personnel with respect. We warned the diplomats, but they did not listen to us. The result was a scandal. The whole story was blown up, and no one wanted to figure it out. But there are agreements between countries, the legal basis for interaction.

According to the representative of the "War Memorials", misunderstanding happens on the part of local administrations.

We often encounter negativity from local authorities. Even more problems with the military registration and enlistment office. For example, I wrote a letter to one of the districts near Volgograd and asked them to agree on the exhumation and search for Romanian and German military personnel on the basis of the country's legislation. I get the answer that this is impossible, - Sergey Chikhirev is perplexed. - The law "on perpetuating the memory of those who died in defense of the Fatherland ..." states that an agreement must be concluded between the military registration and enlistment office, "War Memorials" and the district administration. I call the administration and ask if the German and Romanian soldiers are the defenders of the Fatherland or not? The phone is silent. They refer to the military registration and enlistment office and refuse.

Monument to the Glory of Generations

The Monument to the Glory of Generations is installed on the central square of Volgograd - the Square of the Fallen Fighters, with which the heroic pages of history are connected.

In the days of the great battle on the Volga, the square became the scene of fierce battles. On January 31, 1943, the Nazis threw a white flag of surrender over her, and Field Marshal Paulus, who had surrendered, came out of the basement of a dilapidated department store - his last headquarters.

The Square of the Fallen Fighters witnessed a solemn rally dedicated to the defeat of the fascist hordes near Stalingrad. There, next to the mass grave of the workers, the defenders of the city, who died in the battles of 1942-1943, were also buried.

In 1957, a single granite monument was erected on the mass graves - an obelisk and a tombstone.

On Mamaev Kurgan

Mamaev Kurgan - the height dominating the city. During the Battle of Stalingrad, it was the site of the most fierce battles, a key position in the defense of the city.

The defenders of Stalingrad well understood the significance of the mound and figuratively called it the main height of Russia. There they took an oath: “Not a step back!”, “There is no land for us beyond the Volga!”, “Stand to the death!” For almost 140 days and nights, lead showers raged over the Mamaev Kurgan, the Nazis frantically rushed to this height, but could not capture it completely. The mound turned black, as if charred, from the cruel fire, the earth on it during the fighting was densely mixed with iron fragments and blood. The top of the mound changed hands many times, and its northeastern slopes were firmly held by Soviet soldiers throughout the entire period of hostilities.

Residents of the city brought Mamaev Kurgan back to life. Mines, unexploded shells and bombs were taken out of its wounded land, squares and parks were laid out on it, grass was covered with a green carpet. A grandiose sculptural ensemble was erected on Mamaev Kurgan, which immortalized the feat of the heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad.

In front of the stairs to the mound - the introductory composition "Memory of Generations". It depicts people of different ages carrying a wreath to the grave of fallen heroes. An alley of pyramidal poplars leads to the first square of the ensemble. In the center of the square, a 12-meter-high figure of a Russian warrior-hero, surrounded by a pool, seems to grow out of a rock. At the foot of the sculpture there are inscriptions: “Not a step back!”, “Stand to the death!”

The ruined walls adjoining the square give the impression of the streets of a ruined city. Figures and faces of the defenders of the city appear on the walls, relief scenes telling about front-line life and the exploits of soldiers. The walls are painted with excerpts from military orders, protocols of party and Komsomol meetings, and oaths of soldiers.

The next terrace of the ensemble is Heroes' Square. In the center of it is a huge water parterre. Six sculptural compositions are reflected in the calm surface of the water, telling about the exploits of warriors, episodes of the battle.

The other side of the water parterre is bordered by a 112-meter wall, made in the form of an unfolded and greatly elongated banner. On the wall are the words: “The iron wind hit them in the face, and they all went forward, and again a feeling of superstitious fear seized the enemy: did people go on the attack, were they mortal ?!”

Granite steps lead from the Heroes' Square to the Hall of Military Glory. The entrance, decorated with gray concrete slabs, resembles a dugout. The round building of the hall with a light suspended ceiling is made in the style of the ancient Greek pantheon. On the high walls lined with golden smalt, 34 symbolic red banners hang down. The names of 7201 fallen in the Battle of Stalingrad are inscribed on them. Above the banners is a wide ribbon with the inscription: "Yes, we were mere mortals, and few of us survived, but we all fulfilled our patriotic duty to the sacred Motherland."

In the center of the hall is a marble hand with a flaming torch of the sacred Eternal Flame.

A spiral ramp leads from the Hall of Military Glory to the Square of Sorrow, the main sculptural composition of which is the figure of a woman-mother. In deep sorrow she bent over the fallen warrior. The boundless grief of the mother is strengthened by weeping willows growing above the pond in front of the sculpture.

A mound rises from the Square of Sorrow. During the construction of the monument, the remains of the dead soldiers were transferred there from the mass graves located on the territory of the city.

On 34 granite symbolic slabs, located along a serpentine path along the slope of the mound, the names of the most distinguished participants in the great battle, who died defending the city and died after the war, are carved.

The monument-ensemble is crowned by a 52-meter sculpture of the Motherland, who raised her punishing sword in anger. Motherland calls her sons to fight against enemies.

A talented team of sculptors, architects, and engineers worked on the ensemble under the leadership of the Hero of Socialist Labor E. Vuchetich.

The entire monument-ensemble is made of concrete. Its construction was carried out from January 1961 to May 1967. The monument was unveiled on October 15, 1967.

M. Aleshchenko, V. Matrosov, L. Maistrenko, A. Melnik, V. Morunov, A. Novikov,

A. Tyurenkov; head of the engineering group N. Nikitin; military consultant Marshal of the Soviet Union

V. Chuikov.

Panorama Museum

On the steep bank of the Volga, at the site of the fierce battles for Stalingrad, a memorial ensemble was created - the panorama museum "Battle of Stalingrad". The panoramic part of the complex "The defeat of the Nazi troops near Stalingrad" was opened on July 8, 1982. This is a monumental work of art about the Great Patriotic War.

The museum complex includes 7 exposition, 4 diorama and triumphal halls. The canvases depict the brightest pages in the history of the great battle on the Volga. The vestibule of the panorama leads to the artistic canvas, the ceiling of which is decorated with heraldry - signs of the branches of the troops participating in the battle. They are made of smalt and placed along the curly ribbon of the medal "For the Defense of Stalingrad". In the center of the hall is the Order of Victory.

The climax of the events depicted in the panorama is the breakthrough of the enemy defense by the troops of the 21st Army of General I. Chistyakov from the west and the forces of the 62nd Army of General V. Chuikov from the east in order to dismember the enemy grouping. The panorama conveys the grand scale of the Battle of Stalingrad. The canvas depicts the combat operations of the troops that took part in the encirclement and defeat of the Nazi formations. The artists managed to create a generalized image of the battle and reflect the most striking and characteristic episodes of the heroic battle. Events are shown both on the battlefield and in the immediate rear of the units: reserves are drawn up, shells are brought up, and assistance is provided to the wounded.

The canvas reproduces not only individual episodes of the battle and the heroic deeds of the soldiers, but also the strategic plan for the final blow of the Soviet troops near Stalingrad. The size of the panorama, one of the largest in the world of artistic practice, made it possible to freely place, without distorting the historical truth, the entire overall picture of the battle, spread over a large area.

The observation deck of the panorama is conditionally located on the top of the Mamaev Kurgan. The main theme of the panorama is the greatness of the feat of the Soviet people. All artistic means are subject to the embodiment of this idea.

P. Zhigimont, P. Maltsev,

G. Marchenko, M. Samsonov, F. Usypenko.

The project of the unique complex was developed by a group of architects and engineers led by architect V. Maslyaev.

"Connection of Fronts"

In the course of fierce defensive battles on the outskirts of Stalingrad, Soviet troops stopped the enemy on a front more than 800 km long. The main forces of the Nazi troops were involved in heavy bloody battles in the interfluve of the Don and Volga.

The Headquarters of the Supreme High Command developed a plan to encircle the Stalingrad enemy grouping under the code name "Uranus". The troops of the Southwestern and Stalingrad fronts were to link up in the Kalach-Soviet region and surround units and formations of the enemy's 6th field and 4th tank armies.

On November 19 and 20, 1942, the troops of the Southwestern, Don and Stalingrad fronts, after powerful artillery preparation, launched a decisive offensive. As a result of bold actions, General A. Rodin's 26th Tank Corps crossed the Don and on November 23 took Kalach with a fight.

On the same day, units of the 4th tank corps of General A. Kravchenko of the Southwestern Front and the 4th mechanized corps of General V. Volsky of the Stalingrad Front joined in the Soviet area. There were 22 enemy divisions and more than 160 separate units in the ring.

In commemoration of this event, in 1953, in the Kalachevsky district, at the gateway No. 13 of the Volga-Don shipping canal, the monument "Connection of Fronts" was erected. The multi-figure 16-meter composition reflects the meeting of the soldiers of the two fronts. On the pedestal there are two memorial plaques with the texts:

“On November 23, 1942, in the Kalach region, the Soviet troops of the Southwestern and Stalingrad fronts, in cooperation with the troops of the Don Front, completed the operational encirclement of the enemy, which led to the subsequent defeat of the 330,000-strong group of Nazi troops that broke through to the Volga.”

“Our descendants will never forget the greatness of spirit and the fabulous fortress of Russian soldiers off the banks of the Don and Volga. In the battles to encircle the Nazi troops, the 19th, 45th, 69th, 157th, 102nd tank, 14th motorized rifle and 36th mechanized brigades distinguished themselves.