Victory Park Poklonnaya Mountain. A walk through Victory Park. Military equipment on Poklonnaya Hill
One of the most interesting spots in the Western District of Moscow is Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. It will give participants of the excursion organized here the opportunity to see a lot of sights. An unforgettable photo session is guaranteed. The main entrance to Poklonnaya Gora, thanks to its triumph, is visible already a kilometer away, and Poklonnaya Gora at night is a real work of engineering art. This is where everything lights up... Are you on vacation in January, not July? Not scary. And in winter, Poklonnaya Hill is also the target of mass tourist pilgrimage (as well as in spring and autumn). Why is this happening? You will learn about the attractiveness of the huge exhibition below.
History of Poklonnaya Gora
The place, which in reference books is called “Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill,” was once a large hill. In the chronicles of the ancient Russian state, this patch is mentioned as a landmark to which travelers bowed from afar (that is why the mountain was allegedly called Poklonnaya). In 1812, Napoleon waited here for the keys to the city he surrounded, and 200 years before that, Hetman Zolkiewski, the ambassador of the “Pospolitan” Prince Vladislav, stayed here... Back in the first half of the last century, it was really a mountain - according to eyewitnesses, the capital was visible from the top in full view! A piece of particularly hilly landscape was seriously modified in the late 50s of the 20th century. The fact is that during the construction of Victory Park the hill was simply razed. Since then, the history of Poklonnaya “Mountain” has continued, having a clear connection with the biography of the Victory Museum, which we will discuss in the next section.
Museum on Poklonnaya Hill
Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill did not appear immediately. The ideas for its creation were hatched back in 1942. After the liberation of the Soviet capital and the entire Moscow region, the Union of Architects of the USSR decided to announce a competition for the best project. In 1955, Marshal Zhukov recalled the creation of a kind of “memory park”. They had to listen to him, and in 1958 a park was finally laid out on the mountain. And over the next decade, Poklonnaya Gora Park was created here (it received its modern appearance only in the late 90s of the last century). Specifically, in 1986, in the very center of the memorial complex discussed in the review, the Victory Museum was located. It began to be built 3 years after the relevant Decree of the Soviet government was issued. This institution presents the entire history of Poklonnaya Gora, as well as dozens of dioramas, the most famous of which is “The Battle of Berlin”. So, let's tell you more about the establishment.
The exhibition consists of halls: “The Feat and Victory of the Great People” (the main one), Glory, Memory and Sorrow, Generals, as well as 5 dioramas. These include “Battle of Stalingrad”, “Siege of Leningrad”, “Kursk Bulge”, “Crossing of the Dnieper” and “Storm of Berlin” (the newest masterpiece here). There is also an Art Gallery in the building, exhibiting paintings of the battle genre. The museum management also administers exhibitions under open air– “Motors of War” and “Local Conflicts of the 50-80s of the 20th Century.” The latter’s “business card” refers to 38 samples of hand-held weapons from the times of the Korean, Angolan, Afghan and even Syrian campaigns of the Russian Armed Forces.
Military equipment on Poklonnaya Hill
Joseph Stalin and subsequent leaders of the Soviet government sought to make the sought-after place the main symbol of both Patriotic Wars, therefore the equipment on Poklonnaya Hill is represented most widely, starting with 19th-century cannons and ending with new tanks. It turned out that on Poklonnaya Gora, equipment from various wars (an exhibition of its decommissioned samples) already occupies the entire vast southwestern corner of the fenced area of the park. The exhibits here are varied. Judge for yourself, visitors are presented with regimental guns from the Polish War, as well as anti-tank and field artillery from the Second World War. In this row and railway installations 1937. German mortars, howitzers, mortars and anti-aircraft guns represent both the First and Second World Wars. Among the most famous tanks are the famous amphibious T37, T38 and T40, self-propelled artillery mounts of the Nazis and the Su-85 and Su-100 that fought them.
It is curious that the open exhibition includes a department of cars and railway cars, military ships and even fortification structures! There were also airplanes - 32 models, the oldest of which is already 94 years old, and the youngest is only 31. Some of the equipment is war trophies.
The technology on Poklonnaya Hill attracts thousands of boys and grown men. The reason is quite clear. After all, you can touch everything here, spin it, and even climb somewhere, imagining yourself as a tanker, artilleryman, or even a military pilot. And women will definitely take pictures of all this action. We advise you to read the explanatory signs more often.
Monuments on Poklonnaya Hill
The most noticeable objects of the named museum-memorial can be considered the monuments of Poklonnaya Gora. There are 12 of them in total. They are scattered over an area of 135 hectares. This space is dissected by alleys, flower beds and sidewalks crossing them.
Victory Monument
The monuments of Poklonnaya Gora are “headed” by the main monument – “Victory”. It points to the geographical center of the park, being, moreover, its most noticeable landmark. At first there was an ordinary granite sign here. It became the first structure of the park - a place around which the townspeople planted greenery and laid out the territory. It appeared at the end of winter 1958. The modern monument was erected only on Victory Day 1995. The “bayonet” of the memorial is made of durable steel. Its weight is 1,000 tons. The height of the steel composition is 141.8 meters. The number is not simple: “Victory” is a reminder of the terrible 1418 days of the Second World War. On the stele we will find a bas-relief made of bronze - a 25-ton bronze goddess Nike (“the living embodiment of victory” soars high - 122 m above the ground).
15 columns “Years of War”
Bronze columns are placed “at the start” of the square (between the memorial fountains and the Orthodox Church). Each one is individually dedicated to one of the combat units of the SA during the Second World War. We are talking about Home Front Workers; Underground workers and partisans; Soviet fleets (Black Sea, Baltic and Northern); Three Ukrainian fronts; Three Belarusian fronts; Baltic and Leningrad. And the peak of each “bayonet” is crowned with a scarlet star with banners. In the lower part of the rostral buildings there are bas-reliefs, which the authors dedicated to the indicated divisions. Columns were added over 8 years.
"To the soldiers of the First World War"
The composition was installed on the first day of August 2014. As you understand, this is one of important dates the beginning of the First World War. The center of the sculptural group is an ordinary person from the Russian hinterland. He repaid his debt to the Fatherland and became a gentleman of George. His figure is placed on a pedestal marked with this award. On the reverse of the column we see reminders of iconic battles: at Gumbinnen, at Warsaw, at Przemysl, at Osowiec, at Erzurum. The Breakthrough of 1916 under the command of Brusilov (the last successful operation for Russian troops) is also indicated. Behind (a little to the side) there is a composition of several figures at once, 2-sided. Main side: against the backdrop of the Russian tricolor, an officer calls his squad into battle, behind is a nurse with a bloodied soldier. The reverse side: women accompany men to war.
"Missing soldiers without graves"
The bronze sculpture shows a warrior wounded in battle. The plot is a reminder of the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War. Moreover, those people who were never discovered after its end. They were not interred. They don't even have graves. This sculptural work was made by monumentalist V. Zloba. In fact, this is a gift from the Russian Federation from the then friendly Ukraine. After all, the figure was installed in 1995. This happened during events marking the 50th anniversary of the Victory. "Missing people" stand at the entrance to Orthodox church making you remember them...
St. George the Victorious
At the very base of the main landmark of the park (“Victory”), the monument to St. George the Victorious catches the eye. Of course, he hits the dragon with a spear. For several centuries, this plot has been among the Eastern Slavs a symbol of the “strategic superiority” of good over evil, revealed in thousands of military battles that have only noble goals.
"Eternal flame"
In 2009, landscaping work took place in the Alexander Garden. It was then that the Fire from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was moved to the current Victory Park. His new “registration” was the memorial “square” at the Victory Museum. A year later (when the reconstruction in the garden was completed), Muscovites decided to light another one from the Main Eternal Flame.
"Tragedy of Nations"
This is one of the “strongest” creations of Zurab Tsereteli (born in 1997). The idea, the way it was implemented and the very meaning of the memorial composition make a powerful impression on park visitors. “Tragedy” literally suppresses them, conveying first the whole gamut of unbearable suffering, and then the whole horror of Hitler’s concentration camps. The plot is a depiction of prisoners in these same “pen”s. People look as if there is nothing left of them... The gray endless line of people, dramatically scattered objects and graves is frightening... But the “ghosts” did not lose heart! The prisoners try to remain human even in the inhumane circumstances with which the policies of the Third Reich confronted them.
"Spirit of Elbe"
This is a relatively compact granite slab, laid behind the Victory Museum in 1995. A separate brick path will lead you here... There is a bas-relief on the horizontal stele. It depicts the epic meeting of Allied forces on the Elbe (April 1945). Nearby you will read a text talking about the commonwealth of the armed forces of the USSR and the USA. However, the contribution of soldiers of the British Commonwealth, the organization “Fighting France” and the Yugoslav partisans in the battle against Hitler’s army and the satellites of the Third Reich is also indicated.
"To the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition"
The anti-Hitler coalition is considered to be a military-political league, organized from several states that fought against the so-called “axis”: the 3rd Reich, Italy and Japan. The main contribution to the victory over the fascist bloc was made by the actions of the army Soviet Union with the support of the United States of America, Great Britain and Fighting France. This coalition played a major role in achieving victory over Italian fascism, German Nazism, Japanese militarism, as well as the “pro-Hitler” authoritarian regimes of Central Europe and Spain. The monumental composition is a marble stele topped with a gilded wreath (this, by the way, is the symbol of the UN, which in our time “turns a blind eye to many war crimes”). At the base of the stele there are 4 figures (soldiers of the USSR, USA, “Fighting France” and Britain).
Memorial in honor of the Spanish volunteers
The memorial is designed in the form of a chapel. It is placed not far from the composition just described. As required in Spain, the top of the structure is decorated with a Western Christian cross. Inside, the tourist will find a sign. The inscription on it is made in 2 languages at once - Russian and Spanish. It reads “To the Spaniards who fell in WWII.”
“We were together in the fight against fascism”
The three-dimensional “picture” of the same name was installed here in 2010. The idea for its creation was the infamous event in Georgia (in the city of Kutaisi, nationalists destroyed a similar monument). The center of the plot is a composition showing the Red Army soldiers Egorov and Kantaria (they hoisted a red banner over the Reichstag). The pedestal under the figures is the walls of the Reichstag captured by Soviet troops; they are covered with the names of the cities from which the liberating soldiers came. And then we understand that they come from all the republics of the USSR. They went through this terrible war together.
Monument to Internationalists
The monument is dedicated to Afghan soldiers. Installed at the insistence of their veteran organizations in 2004. The authors showed a young soldier to passers-by. He stands on a cliff (as if “a symbol of Afghanistan”), carefully peering into the distance (“dushmans” could appear from anywhere...). The soldier has a helmet in his left hand, and a lowered AK in the other. The war, in principle, is over for him... The 4-meter bronze sculpture stands on a granite pedestal. The bas-relief is made of bronze. It depicts a fight scene. It remains to add that the construction of the monument was delayed for a long time
Monument to “Defenders of the Russian Land”
This sculptural work is located in the farthest (northwestern) corner of the memorial complex. It is noticeable at the intersection of Kutuzovsky Prospekt and Minskaya Street. It is installed on a small hill, and its pedestal is 2 meters high. The grand opening of the commemorative composition took place in 1995. The main idea is to perpetuate 3 recognizable images. It's about about the Russian hero, guardsman of 1812 and Soviet fighter during the Second World War. The authors of the project were sculptor A. Bichukov and architect Y. Grigoriev. The granite rock pedestal and the equipped warriors are memorable due to the careful elaboration of nuances. Red flowers in the form of “Rus” are planted on the mound. The figures are made of bronze.
Temples on Poklonnaya Hill
If you noticed, golden-domed is now a location that can accommodate hundreds of places of worship(related to the activities of several faiths at once). Poklonnaya Gora Park is one of the points where the Orthodox Church neighbors a mosque and a synagogue. And this is symbolic, since it shows that victory in the Second World War was achieved by different peoples of the Soviet Union - adherents of several religions, obliged to get along in peace. Therefore, when compiling a list of what to see on Poklonnaya Hill, do not forget about religious complexes. Their location and features will be discussed here.
Knowing how to get to Poklonnaya Gora, you won’t miss it Orthodox churches. Christian temple complex, dedicated to the warrior George the Victorious (the shrine contains part of the relics of this great martyr, donated by the Greek clergy), stands in the same place as the official entrance to Poklonnaya Hill (only 150 meters from the Entrance Square). It begins with a chapel at the “Kutuzovskaya Izba”, which is also part of the St. George Church. The main building is an excellent mixture of the so-called “Russian” style and high-tech. Bronze bas-reliefs tell about the most striking events in the life of Moscow.
You will find the building for Muslim worship in the southwestern corner of the memorial area (already behind the military equipment area). The mosque embodies the features of the Tatar, Uzbek and Caucasian architectural schools.
But Judaizers find the “house of their god” at the very end of the territory - almost at the exit to Minskaya Street. The synagogue is also the first “museum of Jewish history” in Russia. It is called the Temple of the Holocaust Victims and architecturally it is a successful example of neo-constructivism.
Events on Poklonnaya Hill
Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill is a popular venue for all kinds of celebrations and large-scale public events. Of course, events on Poklonnaya Hill are more associated with days of military glory, primarily May 9. Children and adults bring flowers and watch parades of veterans and military equipment. The fireworks display here is especially beautiful in the late evening! It's interesting in the morning too. On holidays (May) Poklonnaya Hill resounds with empty volleys from the machine guns of the guard of honor, and the orderly steps of cadets on the march associated with the Memory Watch at the Eternal Flame. Hurry to see all this for yourself. At the same time, it is reliably known that events on Poklonnaya Hill include New Year’s Eve, graduations, City Days, and other completely peaceful holidays.
The platform is universal. Mass processions, rallies and concerts, flavored with bright installations - all this is not uncommon here. Youth entertainment on Poklonnaya Hill is a separate phenomenon of the Moscow cultural life. Young visitors will enjoy the rides, and young people will enjoy the parties. Musical groups often gather hundreds of their fans on the famous hill. By the way, central TV channels constantly broadcast live from this “height”. This is why Poklonnaya Hill attracts thousands of citizens and visitors at night.
Fountains on Poklonnaya Hill
Answering the question “What to see on Poklonnaya Gora?”, we will have to pay attention to water pumping structures that can “sing and dance.” This is one of the next miracles that Poklonnaya Gora Park reveals to us. The fountains were installed right behind the Entrance Square - already in the space of the park itself, on the Alley of Peace, clinging to Kutuzovsky Prospekt. The groups are named after the years of the war.
What is the highlight of the project? The engineering structure consists of 15 water bowls, each with 15 jets (vertical). The total number is a symbol of the 225 weeks that the greatest war in Russian history lasted. The mayor personally turns on these jets!
The evening (darkened) sky will bring special joy to tourists. After all, against its background, the water extravaganza is painted in different colors, becoming brighter. A special player broadcasts concerts of patriotic music using speakers; the light filter on the backlight and the water pressure change in time with the emerging rhythms. That is, like in every advanced city, the fountains here are “singing” and “dancing”. On a hot evening, lovers of Moscow sights can simultaneously enjoy both the shower (sprays reach passers-by) and the night disco.
It remains to add that in front of each group (three fountains) there are memorial stones.
Poklonnaya Mountain in winter
As was said, the corner behind the Victory Park metro station awaits you not only in the warm months. Poklonnaya Hill on holidays (especially winter) turns into the most attractive public place the main city of Russia, second perhaps only to Red Square.
So, what to see on Poklonnaya Hill in the cold season? Firstly, you will find ice sculptures, and even architectural works (even fancy scaled-down copies Gothic cathedrals)! Viewers have already seen angels, Snow Maidens, Santa Clauses and costumes northern peoples, into which you could stick your face. The fact is that ice sculpting competitions are held annually in this place. Secondly, when the frost hits, the kids will not get enough of the extreme thrill of sledding, ice skates, rented “cheesecakes” and simply on the “fifth point”, because at the southern end of the Entrance Square the kids will find the Ice Slide. Poklonnaya Hill in winter is an excellent opportunity to celebrate the arrival of the New Year in an unusual way. And the most famous performance of the Santa Claus orchestras (a procession that has long taken on an international scale) takes place right here - on the Alley of Moscow Defenders. Children will be treated to vibrant theatrical performances and fireworks displays.
This is what Poklonnaya Hill is like! In winter, by the way, Poklonka guests still have the opportunity to celebrate Christmas beautifully. The clergy of the churches of St. George the Victorious will help with this. The religious procession, beautiful services at the altar - this is a pilgrimage tour.
How to get to Poklonnaya Gora
Have you already made a list of what you want to see at the object we described? But you still have no idea how to get to Poklonnaya Gora? Here we will briefly talk about several useful ways to get to this unique complex. First, we note that it is “registered” at 7 Brothers Fonchenko Street. Entrance to Victory Park is free.
Are you already in the Moscow metro coverage area? Then keep in mind - you need the Victory Park station (located on the blue line). Having risen to the surface, move forward along the avenue. You will quickly notice the entrance to Poklonnaya Hill.
Are you planning to get to the capital by taking the train? The nearest station to the memorial park is Kyiv. If you walk along the street of the same name to the crossing (next to the Dorogomilovo District Administration), and then move along Poklonnaya Street, you will soon find the most beautiful entrance to Poklonnaya Gora. First, however, you will have to enjoy the picturesqueness of the square of 1812, and then one of the residential courtyards. In addition, there is an entrance to Poklonnaya Gora from the Moscow Sortirovochnaya platform Kyiv direction, however, remember that not all electric trains have a stop there.
You can also get to Poklonnaya Gora by buses departing from the indicated station. Routes No. 205, 840, 91 and No. 474, as well as the T7 trolleybus, pass through the “Victory Park” stop. After leaving the salon, walk 180 meters forward - to the Entrance Square (where the First World War Soldier stands).
Did you come with your own car? When you cross the Moscow Ring Road, take the exit to Kutuzovsky Prospekt or Minskaya Street. The first city artery is accessible as a continuation of the Minskoye-Mozhaiskoye Highway (M-1), the second is the actual end of Lomonosovsky Prospekt (on the more southern section it is joined by Kolomenskoye Highway and then Nakhimovsky Prospekt). For those who got here from Kutuzovsky Prospekt, parking on Poklonnaya Hill is easy - turn onto the Obezdnaya Road (parking is free and there are usually enough spaces here). It is also possible to park on Poklonnaya Gora at the junction of the Bypass Road with Brothers Fonchenko Street (they drive here from Poklonnaya Street). When getting to this cramped parking spot, where it is easy to get into a long traffic jam, do not forget about the work schedule of most local institutions. They allow visitors until 18:00, and on Friday the administration and guides generally work until 16:45. As for the museum, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday it is open from 10.00 to 20.30, and on Friday and Saturday - an hour longer (remember that in museums the ticket office closes 30 minutes before the end of the working shift, and on Mondays their employees always a day off). However, even if you are late, part of the tour is feasible. Open exhibitions are open 24 hours a day. Well, at the end of the story, it remains to announce the last way to park on Poklonnaya Hill - drive up to the Entrance Square itself (next to the metro it opens the main portal of the park). Here you will have to pay. Lots of service.
Now you know what Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill is for the residents of Greater Moscow and for the rest of our compatriots. As you understand from the article, it is interesting here in summer and winter. Entertainment on Poklonnaya Hill, as well as serious memorial rituals, are available all year round. So during your vacation (or holidays), don’t be lazy to pay a visit here. It is best to do this on some kind of celebration. You will be able to appreciate all the action-packed events on Poklonnaya Hill. The footage taken here can be shown to all your loved ones; there is free Wi-Fi in the museum.
Poklonnaya Hill in the capital of Russia has always been one of the most important attractions of Moscow. The purpose of this memorial is to perpetuate the memory of those killed during the Second World War (Great Patriotic War). This memorial park is located between Minskaya Street and Kutuzovsky Prospekt. This is quite relevant and famous place for relax. This park is part of the WWII 1941-1945 Memorial.
History of Poklonnaya Gora
Between the Filka and Setun rivers, on the western side of Moscow, there is a gentle hill. Even in ancient times, travelers who followed to the city could see the capital gran right from this hill and bow in his honor. It was after such manipulations that this hill eventually began to be called Poklonnaya Gora. The first records about it can be found in historical chronicles of the 16th century. She was on the Smolensk road and she certainly entered historical milestone stories. For example, in 1812, Napoleon himself waited in this place for Moscow to be surrendered to him. And during the Second World War, soldiers went to the front along this road.
The memorial project was developed back in 1942. But it is clear that during the war and after it, it was almost impossible to carry out our plans. Since 1958, this place has been decorated with a memorial sign. At that time, Victory Park was founded. All funds for the construction of the ensemble were collected thanks to subbotniks, ordinary citizens and the support of the state together with the Moscow government. The memorial complex was inaugurated on the 50th anniversary of the USSR victory over Nazi Germany on May 9, 1995.
Various buildings and monuments
All memorial Complex occupied an area of 135 hectares. On its territory there are 3 temples, the Victory Monument itself and the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War. All these structures were made as a tribute to the memory of those killed in the Second World War. The main attraction of Victory Park is Pobediteley Square, where the obelisk is located, which has a height of 141.8 meters. At the 100-meter mark there is a bronze figure of Nike (Goddess of Victory). At the foot of the obelisk, there is a statue of St. George the Victorious, who with his spear slays a snake personifying evil. The sculptures were made by Z. Tsereteli. In Victory Park there are other monuments made by other sculptors A. Bichugov - “Defenders of the Russian Land” and V. Znoba - Monument to “All the Fallen”. On the eve of the celebration of the 65th anniversary of Victory Day on April 30, 2010, the Eternal Flame was lit on Poklonnaya Hill. The torch with the flame was delivered on an armored personnel carrier accompanying columns of motorcyclists from the Eternal Flame, which is near the Kremlin wall.
Temples
His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II founded the Church of St. George the Victorious near the 1993 memorial on December 9 and later in 1995 on May 6, consecrated it personally. The project was conceived by the architect A. Polyansky and soon implemented by A. Chashkin. If you look closely at the appearance of the temple, it will immediately become clear that the Russian style intersects with some modernist elements. Patriarch Diodorus of Jerusalem donated to the temple a piece of the relics of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, which has become his shrine since 1998. There is a Sunday school at the church. Within the walls of the temple they also actively educate the children of the psychoneurological boarding school. The Church-Chapel of the Archangel Michael also belongs to the temple. There is a certain circle of people who are sure that the location of the temple was chosen very poorly, due to the fact that it is in close proximity to the goddess Nike.
The memorial mosque was inaugurated in 1997 on September 6, the day of the 850th anniversary of the founding of Moscow. During the construction of the mosque, 4 different Muslim faiths were combined architectural schools. There is a madrasah and a community attached to the mosque.
In 1998, on September 2, the Temple of Memory - Synagogue was built and inaugurated. Israeli architect Moshe Zarhi, or rather his concept, was used in the construction of the synagogue. The President of the Russian Federation was at the opening. On the gallery of the prayer hall and on the ground floor there is a unique exhibition dedicated to the Holocaust and the entire Jewish history.
In 2003, it was decided to erect a chapel on the territory of the Memorial, which is dedicated to the Spanish volunteers who died in battle during the Second World War. In addition, it is planned to erect a Catholic temple, an Armenian chapel and a Buddhist stupa on Poklonnaya Hill.
Museum
The round Pobediteley Square stretches from Kutuzovsky Prospekt, and further along the central alley of Victory Park. The Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War is also located here. It has already been visited by several million visitors from all over the world, from the day of its opening to the present day. The museum was founded in 1986. It contains approximately 50 thousand different exhibits. The museum has 385 volumes of books that tell about those killed in that terrible war. In addition, in the museum you can find a large collection of various items, including various documents, awards and uniforms, photographs, military equipment and weapons of the Second World War. There are also works of art that are presented in the form of: posters, graphics, sculptures and paintings. The library at the museum contains more than 50 thousand publications and rare books. The museum contains the exhibition “The Path to Victory”. Visitors have the opportunity to go to art gallery, where there are 6 dioramas that represent 6 main episodes of the battle of the war. It will be very important for men to visit an exhibition of military equipment, including both domestic and foreign ones. There are also fortifications from that time. Perhaps one of the most valuable exhibits on display in the museum is the Victory Banner, which was hoisted in Berlin over the Reichstag on April 30, 1945, as a sign of victory.
Poklonnaya Hill - previously you could see the whole of Moscow and its surroundings from it. This was at a time when the city was not yet so big. They say that the name “Poklonnaya Gora” came from the fact that many, when traveling to Moscow, looked at the city from here and bowed to it. Many significant events are associated with Poklonnaya Gora. Here Napoleon waited for the keys to the city in 1812, but never did), in 1612 Hetman Zholkiewski stayed here, a delegation arrived from Moscow who wanted to place the Polish prince Vladislav on the royal throne, Russian troops left for the front in during the Great Patriotic War.
Previously, Poklonnaya Hill was truly a mountain from which Moscow was clearly visible. Now it is a small hill, from which you can only see numerous high-rise buildings scattered around, and Victory Park, which was founded near Poklonnaya Gora in 1958 along with a memorial complex built in honor of our victory in the Great Patriotic War.
Poklonnaya Gora and Victory Park are located at the metro station of the same name - Victory Park. Accordingly, getting here is very easy.
History of the creation of Victory Park
In 1958, on the occasion of the Soviet Army Day, a symbolic sign “A monument to the Victory of the people of the USSR in the Second World War of 1941-1945 will be built here” was erected on the territory of the future park. The city authorities have allocated a huge area for development: 135 hectares. Trees were planted and a park was laid out. In the 70-80s they raised money for construction. Residents chipped in a penny, and as a result they “scraped together” 194 million rubles. It was enough to begin with, but later the state helped. The grand opening of the Park, dedicated to the fiftieth anniversary of the Great Patriotic War, took place on May 9, 1995.
Victory Park includes many objects of architectural and historical value. The Victory Monument is an obelisk made of especially strong steel, which rises almost 142 meters - more precisely, 141.8 m. The symbolism of this figure is that the war lasted exactly how many days - 1418. The obelisk weighs a thousand tons and is covered with bronze bas-reliefs on top. The bronze figure of the goddess Nike, installed at the highest point, symbolizes victory.
There are a lot of fountains in the park. Their exact number is also symbolic - 1418. In the evening, when it gets dark, the fountains are illuminated. It is red. For this, people called them “bloody”.
The Museum of the Great Patriotic War is the central object of Victory Park. It consists of a military-historical exhibition, which depicts the chronicle of the war years, and an artistic exhibition. The main attraction of the museum is the dioramas (six compositions), each of which is dedicated to one of the most important battles of the Great War. Audiovisual complexes show wartime newsreels, rare archival materials and memorable photographs. The museum is equipped with an automatic search system “Book of Memory”, which helps to find information about missing people. I haven’t been to this museum yet, I’ll try to catch up.
The museum's exhibition continues in Victory Park itself. A grandiose exhibition of military equipment unfolded right in the open air. More than 300 samples of tanks, aircraft, self-propelled guns, etc., German combat vehicles and equipment of other countries that participated in the war are presented here. I was here once, on May 9th, I’ll post a photo report soon.
Church of St. George the Victorious in Victory Park
The Church of St. George the Victorious is considered a real shrine of Victory Park. It was laid in close proximity to the memorial on May 9, 1994. The construction was carried out with municipal funds, and the author was the architect Polyansky. The consecration of the Temple took place on May 6, 1995 by Alexei II, His Holiness the Moscow Patriarch.
Memorial Mosque in Victory Park
Not far from the Temple is the Memorial Mosque. The decision to build it was made in October 1992. In March 1995, the foundation stone was installed. The opening of the mosque took place on the day of the 850th anniversary of Moscow, September 6, 1997. The mosque is a tribute to the memory of Muslims who died as a result of military operations of 1941-1945.
The Holocaust Memorial Synagogue and Museum are another part of the architectural complex. The opening of this site took place in September 1998 as a memorial to the six million Jews who died as a result of repression by the Nazi invaders. This is the only museum of its kind in Russia, the exhibitions of which tell about the contribution of Jews to Russian culture.
In memory of the volunteers from Spain who died during the war, the government decided to build Catholic chapel, reminiscent of the unparalleled courage of these brave soldiers.
At the intersection of Kutuzovsky Prospekt and Minskaya Street, a monument to the “Defenders of the Russian Land” was erected. It represents three Russian warriors from different times - a hero from Ancient Rus', a guardsman from the War of 1812 and a soldier who fought during the Second World War. They are installed on a granite pedestal.
The monument “Tragedy of Nations” was erected in 1997, its author is Zurab Tsereteli. The sculpture commemorates the victims of fascist genocide. A seemingly endless line of prisoners, united by shaved heads and pained eyes, tells people about the shootings and executions committed by the Nazis.
In 2004, a monument to internationalist soldiers was unveiled on Poklonnaya Hill. Its construction was carried out at the expense of Afghan veteran organizations. This is a 4-meter bronze figure of a soldier standing on a cliff and looking into the distance.
In spring, tulips bloom in the park. All flower beds are planted with them. Very beautiful.
Not a single holiday bypasses Victory Park. Concerts, folk festivals, etc. are often held here.