''To the Struggle Against World Terrorism'' (also known as the ''Tear of Grief'' and the ''Tear Drop Memorial'') is a 10–story sculpture by

Zurab Tsereteli Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli ( ka, ზურაბ კონსტანტინეს ძე წერეთელი, russian: Зураб Константинович Церетели; born 4 January 1934) is a Georgian-Russian painter, ...

that was given to the United States as an official gift from the Russian government as a memorial to the victims of the

September 11 attacks The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

in 2001, and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. It stands at the end of the former Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey. Ceremonial groundbreaking occurred on September 16, 2005, in a ceremony attended by Russian President

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime m ...

. The monument was dedicated on September 11, 2006, in a ceremony attended by former U.S. President

Bill Clinton William Jefferson Clinton (Birth name, né Blythe III; born August 19, 1946) is an American politician who served as the 42nd president of the United States from 1993 to 2001. He previously served as governor of Arkansas from 1979 to 1981 ...

Design

The sculpture comprises a bronze-clad tower split with a jagged opening in the middle, in which hangs a -tall nickel-surfaced teardrop. The eleven sides of the monument's base bear granite name plates, on which are etched the names of those who died in the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. However, like some other 9/11 memorials, the dedication was based on an outdated compilation and contains about forty people who were removed from later victim listings. Tsereteli did not disclose the cost of the sculpture except to say that he paid for labor and materials. A lawyer for the sculptor released the cost at about $12 million. Tsereteli said metals for the sculpture were obtained "From a military factory that did airplanes. In Dzerzhinsk. A secret city."

Further information

The monument was initially given to the local government of

Jersey City Jersey City is the second-most populous city (New Jersey), city in the U.S. state of New Jersey, after Newark, New Jersey, Newark.

, but was rejected. It was then relocated to its present placement in

Bayonne Bayonne (; eu, Baiona ; oc, label= Gascon, Baiona ; es, Bayona) is a city in Southwestern France near the Spanish border. It is a commune and one of two subprefectures in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine ...

. In August 2010 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it had plans to build a container facility on the location and the monument would most likely have to be moved. However, Robert "Captain Bob" Terzi, a Bayonne taxi driver started an online petition to prevent the relocation. It was listed as one of the world's ugliest statues by ''

Foreign Policy A state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterally or through ...

'' magazine, while ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issue ...

'' said that it looked like "a giant tea biscuit" from a distance. Pro Arts Jersey City called it "an insensitive, self-aggrandizing piece of pompousness by one of the world's blatant self-promoters". In September 2011, a section of steel from the World Trade Center was placed adjacent to the sculpture. In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the city of Bayonne had

's name covered on the two plaques in the park.

References

External links

WebSite for the ''Teardrop Memorial'' — Info & Facts

PDF Brochure for the ''Teardrop Memorial'' — Info & Facts
* * {{DEFAULTSORT:To The Struggle Against World Terrorism Bayonne, New Jersey Monuments and memorials in New Jersey Outdoor sculptures in New Jersey Art in New Jersey Russia–United States relations Memorials for the September 11 attacks Tourist attractions in Hudson County, New Jersey Bronze sculptures in New Jersey Steel sculptures in New Jersey 2006 sculptures 2006 establishments in New Jersey Sculptures by Zurab Tsereteli Colossal statues in the United States Public art in Hudson County, New Jersey

Design

Further information

See also

References

External links