''The Motherland Calls'' ( rus, Родина-мать зовёт!, Rodina-mat' zovyot!, t=Homeland-Mother Is Calling!) is the compositional centre of the monument-ensemble "Heroes of the

Battle of Stalingrad The Battle of Stalingrad (23 August 19422 February 1943) was a major battle on the Eastern Front of World War II where Nazi Germany and its allies unsuccessfully fought the Soviet Union for control of the city of Stalingrad (later r ...

" on

Mamayev Kurgan Mamayev Kurgan (russian: Мамаев Курган) is a dominant height overlooking the city of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad) in Southern Russia. The name in Russian means "tumulus of Mamai". The formation is dominated by a memorial complex ...

Volgograd Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...

. The statue is designed in the

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...

style of

socialist realism Socialist realism is a style of idealized realistic art that was developed in the Soviet Union and was the official style in that country between 1932 and 1988, as well as in other socialist countries after World War II. Socialist realism is ch ...

. It was designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and structural engineer Nikolai Nikitin, and declared the tallest statue in the world in 1967. At , it is the tallest statue in

Europe Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a Continent#Subcontinents, subcontinent of Eurasia ...

, the tallest in the eastern hemisphere outside of Asia and the tallest statue (excluding pedestals) of a

woman A woman is an adult female human. Prior to adulthood, a female human is referred to as a girl (a female child or adolescent). The plural ''women'' is sometimes used in certain phrases such as "women's rights" to denote female humans regardl ...

in the world. Together with the '' Warrior Liberator'' in

Treptower Park Treptower Park (, with a silent ''w'') is a park alongside the river Spree in Alt-Treptow, in the district of Treptow-Köpenick, south of central Berlin. History It was the location of the Great Industrial Exposition of Berlin in 1896. It is ...

Berlin Berlin ( , ) is the capital and largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's most populous city, according to population within city limits. One of Germany's sixteen constitu ...

and '' Rear-front Memorial'' in

Magnitogorsk Magnitogorsk ( rus, Магнитого́рск, p=məɡnʲɪtɐˈɡorsk, ) is an industrial city in Chelyabinsk Oblast, Russia, located on the eastern side of the extreme southern extent of the Ural Mountains by the Ural River. Its population ...

, the monument is a part of a

triptych A triptych ( ; from the Greek adjective ''τρίπτυχον'' "''triptukhon''" ("three-fold"), from ''tri'', i.e., "three" and ''ptysso'', i.e., "to fold" or ''ptyx'', i.e., "fold") is a work of art (usually a panel painting) that is divided ...

Construction

The work of sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and engineer Nikolai Nikitin is an figure of a woman stepping forward with a raised

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

. The statue is an

allegorical As a literary device or artistic form, an allegory is a narrative or visual representation in which a character, place, or event can be interpreted to represent a hidden meaning with moral or political significance. Authors have used allegory t ...

image of the Motherland, which calls on its sons and daughters to repulse the enemy and return to the attack. ''The Motherland Calls'' is highly complex from an engineering point of view, due to its characteristic posture with a sword raised high in the right hand and the left hand extended in a calling gesture. The sculpture is hollow. The technology behind the hollow statue is based on a combination of

prestressed concrete Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially "prestressed" ( compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service. Post-tensioned concreted ...

with

wire rope Steel wire rope (right hand lang lay) Wire rope is several strands of metal wire twisted into a helix forming a composite '' rope'', in a pattern known as ''laid rope''. Larger diameter wire rope consists of multiple strands of such laid rope in ...

s, a solution which can also be found in another work of Nikitin's, the

Ostankino Tower Ostankino Tower (russian: links=no, Останкинская телебашня, Ostankinskaya telebashnya) is a television and radio tower in Moscow, Russia, owned by the Moscow branch of unitary enterprise Russian TV and Radio Broadcasting Ne ...

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. Inside, the entire statue consists of separate cells or chambers, like rooms in a building. The concrete walls of the sculpture are thick. The construction of the monument was started in May 1959 and completed on 15 October 1967. It was the tallest sculpture in the world at the time of creation. Restoration work on the main monument of the monument complex was done in 1972, when the sword was replaced by another entirely consisting of stainless steel. It is most likely that Vuchetich sculpted the figure from the

discus thrower The discus throw (), also known as disc throw, is a track and field event in which an athlete throws a heavy disc—called a discus—in an attempt to mark a farther distance than their competitors. It is an ancient sport, as demonstrated by th ...

Nina Dumbadze, and the face from his wife Vera. According to various sources, Valentina Izotova or Ekaterina Grebneva posed for the sculpture. It is also believed that the statue has parallels with the figure of the "Marseillaise" on the

Arc de Triomphe The Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile (, , ; ) is one of the most famous monuments in Paris, France, standing at the western end of the Champs-Élysées at the centre of Place Charles de Gaulle, formerly named Place de l'Étoile—the ''étoile'' ...

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. Si ...

. At night, the sculpture is illuminated by

floodlight A floodlight is a broad-beamed, high-intensity artificial light. They are often used to illuminate outdoor playing fields while an outdoor sports event is being held during low-light conditions. More focused kinds are often used as a stage ...

s. It was specially illuminated as part of a light show titled "The Light of the Great Victory", marking the 72nd anniversary of the victory over Nazi Germany.

Measurements

When the memorial was dedicated in 1967 it was the tallest statue in the world, measuring from the tip of its sword to the top of the

plinth A pedestal (from French ''piédestal'', Italian ''piedistallo'' 'foot of a stall') or plinth is a support at the bottom of a statue, vase, column, or certain altars. Smaller pedestals, especially if round in shape, may be called socles. In ...

. The plinth measures another , and is installed on a concrete foundation with a depth of . The figure measures , and the sword . The monument weighs over . The statue contains of concrete and of metal structures, and the sword itself weighs . The rigidity of the frame is supported by 99 metal cables constantly in tension.

Dedication

Two hundred steps, symbolizing the 200 days of the

, lead from the bottom of the hill to the monument. The statue appears on both the current flag and coat of arms of

Volgograd Oblast Volgograd Oblast (russian: Волгогра́дская о́бласть, ''Volgogradskaya oblast'') is a federal subject (an oblast) of Russia, located in the Volga region of Southern Russia. Its administrative center is Volgograd. The populat ...

Marshal of the Soviet Union Marshal of the Soviet Union (russian: Маршал Советского Союза, Marshal sovetskogo soyuza, ) was the highest military rank of the Soviet Union. The rank of Marshal of the Soviet Union was created in 1935 and abolished in 19 ...

Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov is buried in the area of the monument, as is famous Soviet

sniper A sniper is a military/paramilitary marksman who engages targets from positions of concealment or at distances exceeding the target's detection capabilities. Snipers generally have specialized training and are equipped with high-precision r ...

Vasily Zaytsev, who killed 225 soldiers and officers of the German army and their allies in the battle of Stalingrad. The monument is the central part of the

, consisting of the monuments '' Rear-front'' in

and "Warrior-Liberator" in Berlin's

. It is understood that the sword, forged by the side of the

Urals The Ural Mountains ( ; rus, Ура́льские го́ры, r=Uralskiye gory, p=ʊˈralʲskʲɪjə ˈɡorɨ; ba, Урал тауҙары) or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western ...

, was later raised by the

Motherland A homeland is a place where a cultural, national, or racial identity has formed. The definition can also mean simply one's country of birth. When used as a proper noun, the Homeland, as well as its equivalents in other languages, often has ethni ...

Stalingrad Volgograd ( rus, Волгогра́д, a=ru-Volgograd.ogg, p=vəɫɡɐˈɡrat), formerly Tsaritsyn (russian: Цари́цын, Tsarítsyn, label=none; ) (1589–1925), and Stalingrad (russian: Сталингра́д, Stalingrád, label=none; ) ...

and dropped after the

Victory The term victory (from Latin ''victoria'') originally applied to warfare, and denotes success achieved in personal combat, after military operations in general or, by extension, in any competition. Success in a military campaign constitutes ...

in Berlin.Монумент скульптура «Родина-мать» в Волгограде
/ref> There exists a replica of the monument in

Manzhouli Manzhouli (; mn, Манжуур хот; ) is a sub-prefectural city located in Hulunbuir prefecture-level city, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. Located on the border with Russia, it is a major land port of entry. It has an area of and ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's List of countries and dependencies by population, most populous country, with a Population of China, population exceeding 1.4 billion, slig ...

Structural problems

The sword was originally made of

stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's r ...

, trimmed with

titanium Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. Found in nature only as an oxide, it can be reduced to produce a lustrous transition metal with a silver color, low density, and high strength, resistant to corrosion i ...

sheets. The huge mass and high

windage Windage is a term used in aerodynamics, firearms ballistics, and automobiles. Usage Aerodynamics Windage is a force created on an object by friction when there is relative movement between air and the object. Windage loss is the reduction in ...

of the sword, due to its colossal dimensions, caused a strong swinging under the influence of wind loads, which caused excessive mechanical stress in the place where the hand holding the sword was attached to the body of the sculpture. Deformations in the design of the sword also caused the movement of sheets of titanium plating, creating a pitched sound of thundering metal. Therefore, in 1972, the blade was replaced by another – entirely consisting of

– and in the upper part of the sword, holes were provided that made it possible to reduce its windage. In 2009, reports said the statue was leaning due to changes in

groundwater Groundwater is the water present beneath Earth's surface in rock and Pore space in soil, soil pore spaces and in the fractures of stratum, rock formations. About 30 percent of all readily available freshwater in the world is groundwater. A unit ...

level causing movement of the foundations. The statue is not fixed to its foundations and is held in place only by its weight. An anonymous official claimed that it had shifted and was not expected to move much farther without collapsing. A program of monument restoration was developed in 2008–2009, and conservation and restoration work started in 2010. In spring 2017, a comprehensive restoration program of the monument at a cost of two billion

ruble The ruble (American English) or rouble (Commonwealth English) (; rus, рубль, p=rublʲ) is the currency unit of Belarus and Russia. Historically, it was the currency of the Russian Empire and of the Soviet Union. , currencies named ''rub ...

s ($35,000,000) began. The ropes inside the statue were replaced to ensure its stability, the interior and all formed cracks were repaired and more than of

concrete Concrete is a composite material composed of fine and coarse aggregate bonded together with a fluid cement (cement paste) that hardens (cures) over time. Concrete is the second-most-used substance in the world after water, and is the most wid ...

surfaces were restored. The restoration of the statue was completed by April 2020.

Gallery

File:RR5111-0318R.jpg, Coin of the Bank of Russia 2015 File:Souvenir sheet of Russia stamp no. 791 - 60th anniversary of Battle of Stalingrad.jpg, Postcard of Russia, 2002 File:Coat of Arms of Volgograd oblast small.svg, Coat of arms of the

File:RR5217-0042R.jpg, Commemorative coin of the Bank of Russia, issued 22 May 2013 File:1973 CPA 4208.jpg, USSR stamp, 1973 File:Stamp of USSR 1973-4212.jpg, Postcard of the USSR in 1973 № 4212. Monument-ensemble to the heroes of the battle of Stalingrad. File:The Soviet Union 1971 CPA 4009 stamp (FIR Emblem, The Motherland Calls (Statue in Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Commemorating the Battle of Stalingrad)).jpg, USSR stamp, 1971

Citations

External links

Google Maps Satellite view of statue in Volgograd

''The Motherland Calls: Russia's symbol of victory''
(23 minute RT documentary)
YouTube video of Родина-мать зовёт! ("''Rodina Mat' Zovyot!''")

Close up pictures of repairs being made in 2019. {{DEFAULTSORT:Motherland Calls, The Soviet art Monuments and memorials built in the Soviet Union Soviet military memorials and cemeteries World War II memorials in Russia Outdoor sculptures in Russia Colossal statues in Russia Concrete sculptures in Russia 1967 sculptures 1967 establishments in Russia Statues in Russia Sculptures of women in Russia Sculptures in the Soviet Union Monuments and memorials in Volgograd Cultural heritage monuments of federal significance in Volgograd Oblast