Victory Park

In every Russian city there are holy places of mass worship of people for the Great Feat of their people.

In Moscow, this is, first of all, Victory Park (or Poklonnaya Hill).

The memorial complex, located in the west of Moscow, was opened on May 9, 1995 to mark the 50th anniversary of the great Victory. This is truly the Altar of the Fatherland, at which Muscovites remember the heroic events of all wars in the history of Russia, but, first of all, the Great Patriotic War. Solemn dates are celebrated here, patriotic events and concerts are held. This is a meeting place for veterans and a favorite vacation spot for Muscovites and guests of the capital. The area of ​​the complex is 135 hectares.

It was first proposed to build a monument to the people's feat back in 1942. But it was not possible to implement it in wartime conditions.

February 23, 1958 on Poklonnaya Hill A memorial granite sign was installed with the inscription: “A monument to the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945 will be built here.” At the same time, trees were planted around and a park was laid out, which was named after Victory.

Construction of the Victory Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya Hill began in 1984.

The toponym “Poklonnaya Gora” may have come from the action “bow”, which was customary to express respect. Travelers arriving or leaving the city bowed to Moscow at this place, expressing respect to it. But there is another meaning - it denotes a type of feudal tax that was collected for travel or stay in the territory of a particular volost.

The first documentary evidence of the existence of Moscow Poklonnaya Hill dates back to the 16th century. In October 1508, the ambassadors of the Crimean Khan Mengli-Girey were met here, and in 1612, Polish troops set up their camp here when approaching Moscow. It was at this place that the French Emperor Napoleon waited for the keys to Moscow in 1812.

In the 20th century, a memorial was built here Great Victory 1945.

The system-forming part of the memorial complex is the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War.

On an area of ​​over 3000 sq. m. there are the Hall of Glory, Guards Halls, the artistic and decorative composition “Shield and Sword of Victory”, the main military-historical exhibition of the museum “Feat and Victory of a Great People”. The Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War presents six dioramas dedicated to the largest military operations of the Great Patriotic War, created by famous masters of the Studio of Military Artists named after. M.B.Grekova.

The CMVO contains the largest collection of the All-Union Book of Memory - over 1600 volumes, as well as a fund of photo albums of burial places Soviet soldiers on the territory of the former Soviet Union, catalogs of military graves of the Second World War, etc.

Here you can get comprehensive advice on various aspects of searching for information about the fate of your relatives and friends at the front. The visitor is shown wartime documents posted on the OBD Memorial website, entries in the Books of Memory and other information.

The main part of the Victory Memorial on Poklonnaya Hill is a stele (bayonet) made of durable steel, the height of the bayonet is 141.8 m (10 centimeters for each day of the Great Patriotic War). On the bayonet there is a bronze bas-relief - a 25-ton bronze figure of the goddess of Victory Nike (located at an altitude of 122 m above the ground). And at the foot is a statue of St. George the Victorious (the heavenly patron of Moscow), striking a serpent with a spear (a symbol of the fascist conquerors). Architect Z. Tsereteli.

The Victory Monument is a bright and solemn dominant feature of Moscow. The monument is clearly visible from the center, from observation platforms Sparrow Hills, Krylatsky, etc.

In 2009, on Poklonnaya Hill, behind the stele appeared Eternal Flame. It was lit from the memorial to the Unknown Soldier at the Kremlin wall in memory of the soldiers who died during the Great Patriotic War.

When entering the park from the Victory Park metro station, visitors are greeted on the left by the white stone Church of St. George the Victorious on Poklonnaya Hill - Orthodox church the end of the 20th century, built in honor of the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. The Church of St. George the Victorious was founded by His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II next to the memorial on December 9, 1993.

Architect - A. Polyansky. The iconostasis was made by A. Chashkin. The authors of the bronze bas-reliefs are Z. Andzhaparidze, Z. Tsereteli, and the mosaic icons are E. Klyuchareva. The walls were painted by the “Joy” artel under the leadership of B. Alekseev.

The temple contains a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, donated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus, and transferred to the temple in 1998.

In memory of Muslim soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War in 1995–97. A Memorial Mosque was erected in the Park on the initiative of the Moscow government and the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of the European Part of Russia (DUMER).

One of the initiators of the construction of the mosque and the sponsor of the design and estimate phase was the famous Moscow philanthropist Faiz Gilmanov.

The memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, erected by the Russian Jewish Congress with the assistance of the Moscow authorities in Victory Park, plays a vital role not only for the Russian Jewish community, but also for our country as a whole. The construction of the synagogue complex and the “Museum of Jewish Heritage and the Holocaust” became a landmark event in history new Russia.

Opened in 1998, the Memorial became an organic part of the architectural complex of Poklonnaya Gora. It is one of the key links in the chain of historical memory of the Second World War.

In memory of the Spanish volunteers, a Chapel was built in the Park. Escaping from fascist regime Franco, they found refuge in the Soviet Union. During the Great Patriotic War, shoulder to shoulder, together with Soviet soldiers, they fought courageously against the Nazis.

Each strike of the Chapel bell reminds us of their glorious feat.

Fountain complex. There are 5 fountains along Kutuzovsky Prospekt. This fountain complex is called “Years of War”. As a sign of memory of the 225 painfully long weeks of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, exactly 225 jets flow from its 15 bowls, five from each. A series of these fountains leads to the Museum building.

The length of the fountain group is quite large, which reminds us of how painfully long the Great Patriotic War was. In the evening, when the lights turn on, the impression of the War Years fountains intensifies many times over. Because of the red color, the streams appear bloody.

The fountain group dedicated to the Victory is located opposite the Church of St. George the Victorious. It encloses the Museum building in a semicircle on the southeast side. This fountain ensemble consists of three large fountains, divided into six bowl segments. He got the beautiful shapes of the streams in the form of glasses from the “Geyser” from Manezhnaya Square.

At the intersection of Kutuzovsky Prospect and Minskaya Street in 1995, a monument to the “Defenders of the Russian Land” was erected (sculptor - A. Bichugov, architect - Yu.P. Grigoriev). It personifies the continuity of heroic generations in the form of a sculptural composition of three Russian defenders: the hero Ancient Rus', a guardsman from the War of 1812 and a soldier of the Great Patriotic War. The sculptures depicted the defenders of the Fatherland as stern, courageous warriors, ready at any moment to rush into battle to defend the Motherland. The Monument to the Defenders of the Russian Land is installed on a man-made hill, in front of which a flower bed is made in the form of the inscription: “Rus”, where flowers of the same color are planted, resulting in an inscription of flowers.

Monument to missing soldiers (sculptor V.I. Zloba) - opened on Poklonnaya Hill in 1995. The monument represents the image of a man, which is sculpted in layers and not completely processed. The face is not visible, the head hangs down, the legs are bent. The outline of a soldier's clothing, soldier's boots, hands folded on his chest, as if asking for help, are visible. The soldier doesn’t even walk, but wanders into the unknown. How many of these nameless heroes have sunk into oblivion! The sculpture is installed on

A granite oblong pedestal on the tankers' alley. There are always fresh flowers at the soldier’s feet as a sign of respect and memory of people.

In Victory Park there is a monument dedicated to the activities anti-Hitler coalition, which played an important role in world history and consisted of 53 states by the end of the war. The monument is a marble stele topped with a gilded wreath (symbol of the UN). At its base there are four statues depicting soldiers of the USSR, USA, France and Great Britain. An interesting fact is that the images embodied in the sculptures are taken from real photographs of the war years. The history of the coalition is described in a couple of sentences on granite cubes.

In memory of the victims of fascist genocide in World War II, the “Tragedy of Nations” monument was erected in the Park in 1996, dedicated to prisoners of fascist concentration camps. Sculptor Z. K. Tsereteli. The height of the monument is 8 meters.

A gray, seemingly endless, line of naked men, women, old and young; children who differ from adults only in height; almost indistinguishable, similar to each other with their equally shaved heads, equally emaciated naked bodies. Hanging hands, tortured faces, unseeing, inward-looking eyes: a silent, doomed queue for death.

In 2004, the Monument to Internationalist Soldiers was built on Poklonnaya Hill with funds from veteran organizations of Afghan soldiers.

According to the original plan, a memorial museum dedicated to the memory of local wars should be located in a single complex with the monument, however, its construction has been postponed to a later date.

A 4-meter statue of a young soldier made of red granite rises on a pedestal. Wearily, he lowered his machine gun and helmet - his war was over. He stands silently over the cliff and his frozen gaze is directed somewhere into the distance. Below it, on a pedestal, a battle scene is depicted in bronze bas-relief.

This monument was created by S. Shcherbakov and Y. Grigoriev, an architect and sculptor. The monument was unveiled on December 27, 2004. in honor of the 25th anniversary of commissioning Soviet soldiers to Afghanistan.

On August 1, 2014, a monument to the “Heroes of the First World War” was unveiled on Poklonnaya Gora. Currently, the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War hosts the exhibition “Heroes of Two Wars” (dedicated to the 100th anniversary of World War 1 and the 70th anniversary of Victory in World War 2).

Today Victory Park can rightfully be called the Park of Memory of all wars in the history of Russia.

Poklonnaya Gora (or Victory Park) is a majestic memorial erected in Moscow in memory of fallen soldiers for the freedom of the Fatherland. People's grief and pride in the Russian people are reflected in this architectural complex with grandiose monuments, beautiful, slender buildings and outstanding monuments.

Each of them carries pain and glory, memory and tears, valor and suffering. The history of the creation of this memorable place is not simple - it included popular enthusiasm, protests, and heated discussions. Nevertheless, now it is one of the favorite vacation spots of citizens and guests of the capital, who deservedly appreciated the solemnity of the architecture, the splendor of the fountains and alley paths, and the grandeur of the design. In addition, Poklonnaya Gora is a gigantic platform for large-scale events dedicated to significant events the history of our country, as well as the life of the city.

History of Poklonnaya Gora

Poklonnaya Gora, or rather, what remains of it, is located in the western region. Once upon a time it was a high hill, from the top of which a magnificent view of the capital opened. Even 100 years ago, the mountain was outside the city limits, and according to one version, its name comes from the established tradition of stopping at this place when approaching the capital and bowing to the city churches, their golden domes and snow-white walls.

The history of the mountain is connected with the most significant milestones in the life of the Fatherland. At the end of the 16th century he set up his camp on a hill Crimean Khan Gazhi Giray, when he tried to capture the capital of Muscovy. And a few years later, in 1610, Hetman Stanislav Zholkiewski stopped here, intending to place the Polish prince on the Russian throne. Finally, it was from here that on a cold September morning in 1812 Napoleon looked at Moscow, waiting in vain for a delegation with the keys to the city. And during the Second World War, thousands of volunteers went to the front line, bypassing this line.

The idea of ​​erecting a memorial dedicated to the heroism of the defenders was born during the war. However, the country, exhausted by hardships and millions of victims, could not yet implement a large-scale plan that would require significant costs. Only in February 1958, on Defender of the Fatherland Day, a memorial symbol was laid on the hill, proclaiming the construction of a memorial on this site. Soon, an area of ​​135 hectares was planted with greenery and a park was laid out. For many years, the territory of the mountain served Muscovites as a natural park, where they loved to spend free time winter and summer. Even then, there was a tradition of organizing mass events and folk festivals at this place.

In 1968, the Arc de Triomphe was erected near the park, recreating architectural monument early XIX century, dedicated to the crushing of Bonaparte's army.

In the 1980s, a collection of money was organized for the construction and arrangement of the memorial. About 200 million people's rubles were collected, and construction began. However, the decision to demolish part

Poklonnaya Gora caused public discontent and led to one of the first protests during perestroika. On May 6, 1987, hundreds of protesters came to Manezhnaya Square with posters calling to save Poklonnaya Hill. Construction of the memorial was suspended for several months, but by the end of the year part of the mountain was demolished. However, the money soon ran out, and the construction of Victory Park and the building of the Great Patriotic War Museum turned into long-term construction. Only a few years later, construction on Poklonnaya Hill continued, and on May 9, 1995, the official opening of Victory Park took place.

So, on May 9, 1995, on the day of the 50th anniversary of the Great Victory, the grand opening of the memorial took place on Poklonnaya Hill . The President was present at the event Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin, a parade of troops of the city garrison took place.

Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill is a majestic architectural complex consisting of dozens of grandiose and beautiful buildings, landmarks, and monuments. The space of the memorial and its architectonics are imbued with deep symbolism, reflecting the greatness of the feat of the Soviet people and the unprecedented trials that our Fatherland went through in the terrible war. Thus, the main monument of the park is the Victory Monument, a stele in the shape of a triangular bayonet has a height of 141.8 m. In addition to the fact that it is the tallest Russian monument, its height reflects the number of days of the Second World War. At an altitude of 104 m, sculptures of the goddess Nike and two angels, signifying victory, are attached to the monument. At the foot of the obelisk there is an expressive sculpture of St. George the Victorious. The number of days of the war is also reflected in the number of fountains decorating the park. There are also 1418 of them. Of these, 225, which is equal to the number of weeks the war continued, are located on the main avenue. The alley consists of 5 ledges - according to the number of years of war. The red tint of the fountains fills the cascades of water with tragic and mournful meaning.

Attractions

The architectural complex of Victory Park has been taking shape for more than two decades. Every year new monuments and buildings are added to its space.

The main attractions of the park, in addition to those listed:

1. 15 steles reflecting the contribution of fronts and flotillas to the victory.
2. Open air exhibition military equipment. It shows tanks, torpedo boats, airplanes, howitzers, partisan dugouts, pillboxes, torpedoes, shells and other types of military equipment. This is a favorite place for all the boys and their dads who visit the park.
3. Church of St. George the Victorious. The temple contains the relics of the saint in whose honor the temple is named, transferred from Jerusalem. The architecture of the building combines motifs of ancient Russian architecture and Russian Art Nouveau style.
4. Mosque. Opened in memory of the Muslims who died on the fronts of the Second World War. The architecture of the building intertwines motifs of Tatar, Uzbek, and Azerbaijani architecture.
5. Synagogue. The building houses an exhibition dedicated to the Holocaust.
6. Eternal flame.
7. Monument "Tragedy of Nations". Dedicated to the victims of genocide.
8. Monument to internationalist soldiers. Built with funds from Afghan veterans.
9. Monument to "Missing Soldiers without Graves." Made in the form of a mortally wounded soldier.
10. Memorial plaque "Spirit of Elbe". Dedicated to the memorable meeting of the Allied forces on the Elbe;
11. The monument to the “Defenders of the Russian Land” is a sculptural group consisting of three warriors - an ancient Russian hero, a grenadier of 1812 and a soldier of the Second World War;
12. Monument to a front-line dog. Perhaps one of the most touching monuments in the park;
13. Monument to the heroes of the First World War. Opened on August 1, 2014, the centenary of Russia’s entry into the First World War;
14. Monument “We were together in the fight against Nazism.” Symbolizes one will different nations, united in the fight against Nazism;
15. Monument to Spanish volunteers who fell in the battles of the Second World War. Designed as a Catholic chapel;
16. Monument to the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition. It is a marble monument with a gilded wreath on top;
17. The world's largest clock made of flowers - the diameter reaches 10 m, the length of the minute hand is 4.5 m, the hour hand is 3 m.

Central Victory Museum

The Victory Museum houses more than 60 thousand relics. Personal belongings of major military leaders and ordinary soldiers, letters from the front, awards, weapons, uniforms, banknotes and other rarities convey the breath of wartime and allow you to touch the evidence of the past.

The museum on Poklonnaya Hill is a unique monument to soldier’s courage and heroic feat of the entire people.

In the Hall of Glory there is a sculpture of the victorious Soldier, and the names of all the Heroes of the Soviet Union are placed on the boards.

In another hall - the Hall of Memory - there is automatic system, in which you can find the names of all those who gave their lives for their homeland.

6 video walls show chronicles of war days and rare photographs. Large-scale dioramas will introduce you to the largest battles, and interactive excursions will allow museum visitors to try on military uniforms and hold weapons in their hands.

Events

For 20 years now, Poklonnaya Hill has been hosting fateful events that are significant in the lives of thousands of citizens. Weddings take place here, entrance into student life is celebrated, mass celebrations and meetings of veterans take place.

Rental points are open for children and adults, which provide velomobiles, rollerblades, bicycles and other equipment. Collective yoga classes, CrossFit, martial arts, and running training are held on the paths of the park.

There are 15 attractions for children, and a train excursion will introduce you to the main attractions of the park. There are free drawing and painting clubs.

Every weekend, and even on weekdays, large-scale events are held in the park - song contests, festivals, sports holidays, concerts, performances, all kinds of promotions and rallies.

Poklonnaya Mountain, ice sculptures of 2016 pleased with the New Year and the Ice Moscow festival. The fantastic show of transforming blocks of ice and snow into works of art will remain in the memory of tens of thousands of spectators for a long time.

Poklonnaya Hill and the Victory Park located on it are a grandiose memorial to the resilience of the Soviet and other peoples who exterminated the fascist threat. The huge territory of the park allows you to combine majestic monuments and buildings with recreational opportunities for children and adults. There is no doubt that the enormous potential of Poklonnaya Gora as a memorial complex and recreation park will continue to develop and take on new forms and incarnations.

Poklonnaya Hill is a memorable place in Moscow and all of Russia as a whole. Poklonnaya Gora was first mentioned in documents of the 16th century, although at that time it was called somewhat differently - Poklonnaya Gora on the Smolensk (Mozhaisk) road. It is believed that Poklonnaya Hill got its name thanks to an ancient tradition: every person arriving in Moscow and leaving the city bowed to him at this place. It was here that important people—princes, high dignitaries, and ambassadors of foreign states—were greeted with a bow. Napoleon did not receive such an honor. “Napoleon, intoxicated with his last happiness, waited in vain for Moscow, kneeling with the keys of the old Kremlin: No, my Moscow did not go to him with a guilty head...” These unforgettable lines of the greatest Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin are associated with the Russian-French war of 1812, when The French emperor, who reached the walls of the capital with his troops, tried in vain to wait for the keys to Moscow from the city authorities.

Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill

From time immemorial, Poklonnaya Hill has been one of the holy places of both Moscow and the entire Russian land. From here the Orthodox worshiped her shrines. Years and decades passed, and Poklonnaya Hill became a real symbol, personifying the Russian soul, the Russian character with such qualities as cordiality and hospitality on the one hand, freedom and independence on the other. And first of all, of course, this is connected with the construction of a memorial complex here in honor of the Victory of our people in the Great Patriotic War. This memorial complex and Poklonnaya Hill itself are now strongly associated among Russians with an immortal feat Soviet people committed in the name of saving the Fatherland.

The decision to build the Victory Monument was made on May 31, 1957. On February 23, 1958, a granite foundation stone was installed on Poklonnaya Hill with the inscription: “A monument to the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945 will be built here.” In 1961, Victory Park was laid out on Poklonnaya Hill. But the active construction of other components of the memorial complex (the Victory Monument and the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941 - 1945) began only in 1985.

On May 9, 1995, on the day of the 50th anniversary of the Victory, the memorial was inaugurated. Leaders from 56 countries of the world attended its opening. Today it consists of several exhibition complexes - an art gallery, a military equipment area, military-historical expositions, dioramas, cinema and concert halls, providing everything necessary conditions for scientific, educational, patriotic and educational work. Exhibition space covers 44 thousand square meters, which display more than 170 thousand exhibits.

The museum is rich not only in its unique exhibits. Here, in a solemn atmosphere, ceremonies of taking the Military Oath of young soldiers and meetings with famous veterans of the Great Patriotic War are held.

Temples of memory on Poklonnaya Hill

The heritage of the Memorial complex is represented not only by the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Every monument, every building reminds of the feat of such different but united people of the Soviet Union.

On the territory of the memorial complex there are three temples that belong to different religions. This once again characterizes the multinationality of the liberators of our Motherland.

The first to be built was the Church of St. George the Victorious. In 1995, its solemn consecration took place. The shrine of the temple is a particle of the relics of the Great Martyr George the Victorious, donated by the Patriarch of Jerusalem Diodorus.

Two years later, in September 1997, a memorial mosque was opened. This event occurred on the day of the celebration of the 850th anniversary of Moscow.

The Temple of Memory - Synagogue was inaugurated on September 2, 1998. The synagogue building was built based on the concept of Israeli architect Moshe Zarhi. The President of Russia was present at the opening. An exhibition dedicated to Jewish history and the Holocaust was set up in the ground floor and gallery of the prayer hall.

In 2003, the Memorial complex was supplemented by a chapel erected in memory of the Spanish volunteers who died during the Great Patriotic War. In addition, it is planned to build a Buddhist stupa, an Armenian chapel and a Catholic temple on Poklonnaya Hill in Moscow.

Monumental monuments on Poklonnaya Hill

In Victory Park, which is part of the Memorial complex, there is an obelisk 141.8 meters high. This height characterizes 1418 days and nights of the Great Patriotic War. At the hundred-meter mark there is a bronze figure of the Goddess of Victory - Nike.

At the foot of the obelisk, there is a sculpture of St. George the Victorious, who kills a snake with a spear - a symbol of evil. Both sculptures were made by Zurab Tsereteli.

In 2005, a monument to soldiers of the countries participating in the anti-Hitler coalition was unveiled on the Alley of Partisans. UN Secretary General Kofi Annan attended the opening. The author of the monument is Mikhail Pereyaslavets.

In Victory Park there is another beautiful attraction - the flower clock - the largest in the world, the dial diameter of which is 10 m, the length of the minute hand is 4.5 m, and the hour hand is 3.5 m. The total number of flowers planted on the clock is 7910 pcs. The clock mechanism is based on the principles of electromechanics and is controlled by an electronic quartz unit.

The closest metro station to Poklonnaya Gora is Park Pobedy. Immediately upon exiting the station, you will see the Moscow Triumphal Gate, or simply the Arc de Triomphe.

It was built in 1829-1834 according to the design of the architect O. I. Bove, in honor of the victory of the Russian people in the Patriotic War of 1812. Initially, the arch was installed on Tverskaya Zastava Square, on the site of a wooden arch built in 1814 for the ceremonial meeting of Russian troops returning from Paris after the victory over French troops. Currently, the Triumphal Arch is located on Victory Square, which is crossed by Kutuzovsky Prospekt, very close to Poklonnaya Gora. It was moved to this place in 1966-1968. The Moscow Triumphal Gate in its architecture is reminiscent of the Narva Triumphal Gate in St. Petersburg.

Poklonnaya Hill has become a traditional gathering place for veterans of the Great Patriotic War. As inexorable time takes us further and further from those heroic events, it is important to use every opportunity to address those memorable days, tell and show young people how their great-grandfathers fought, defending the freedom and independence of our Motherland. The exhibitions of the memorial on Poklonnaya Hill make it possible to do this.

Photo Memorial complex on Poklonnaya Hill

A thousand tons of special durable steel, lined with stone, a 25-ton sculptural group, an unusual triangular shape, record construction time - this is the Victory Monument on Poklonnaya Hill - the tallest in Russia. It's hollow inside. What is hidden behind the stone cladding and bronze bas-reliefs?

The glass door right in the snow-covered hill under the Victory Monument is closed, and in order to get to it, you will have to move the barrier. Passers-by do not look here, tourists take photographs of the stele and go to the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. And behind this door is a whole station where specialists from the State Budgetary Institution “Gormost” monitor the condition of the monument around the clock.

It's warm inside and there are a lot of flowers even now when it's winter outside. In spring and summer, they crowd both on the shelves and on the floor. The plants are well-groomed, and when you find out that only male engineers work here, you are a little surprised. And then, in the corridors, where there are only walls and pipes, the light is artificial, and the air is supplied by a special ventilation system, you understand: this is how they add life to this almost desolate dungeon.

Signal systems and oscillation curve

On the wall of the corridor there is a diagram of the monument and instructions, on the left is the control room. There are two engineers on each of the four duty shifts. They spend the whole day in a small room with monitoring equipment. On one screen, numbers change all the time: wind speed (average and in gusts) and its direction, temperature. On the other, the curve shows the oscillations of the stele, but while the wind is weak and it hardly moves, the curve looks more like a straight line. When the wind speed exceeds 17 meters per second, the system sounds an audible signal. This means that fluctuations can be strong.

The image from the cameras is displayed on another screen. They show the pedestal itself and its details - the barrel of a rifle at the base of the bayonet stele, a wreath in Nika’s hands, the plump hands of angels trumpeting victory. The video system monitors not only the condition of the monument, but also the roofers who strive to climb onto the monument. However, in winter, when it is cold, there are fewer of them.

There are log books on the tables, in which each shift records what happened and what to pay attention to.

“We, of course, are not just sitting behind the monitoring system here. We have planned a constant visual inspection, that is, we need to go up and inspect the condition of metal structures: elements, assemblies, connections,” says Salkarbek Shamkanov, chief specialist of the engineering and production group.

Vibration damper behind the goddess

The stele is a unique structure. And it’s not even a matter of height, but a complex shape. The architects conceived a monument in the form of a bayonet, similar in shape to the bayonet of a Russian rifle of the 1898 model. The unusual design is unstable. The layout even had to be blown through wind tunnel to find out how the monument will react to the wind and calculate the loads.

“You see, the structure has a triangular shape. And then there’s the sculpture group, Nika. If it were just a pipe - it’s in all reference books, what coefficients can be calculated. And here, how the structure behaves depends on the direction of the wind,” explains Shamkanov.

“Behaving” is actually a strange characteristic for a mass of steel, stone and bronze, but under a strong wind the stele really seems to come to life and move. When its speed exceeds 17-20 meters per second, the vibrations can be strong. In 2000, the stele deviated by 90 centimeters. But this is an isolated case. “This year, for example, 45 centimeters is the maximum deviation,” says the specialist. His voice is calm, matter-of-fact, but the thought still creeps in: can a huge stele really deviate so much?

To reduce vibrations, special dampers of the first and second tones of bending vibrations and a torsional vibration damper were installed on the monument. The main damper of bending vibrations of the first tone is behind the winged Nike. The 10-ton structure oscillates in antiphase of the structure and seems to prevent it from swinging too much.

“This is the most important dampener. It dampens bending vibrations of the first tone. They are characterized by maximum deviation. And there are also vibrations of the second tone, small vibrations: the amplitudes are small, but the frequencies are high,” says Salkarbek Shamkanov.

To service the dampers, there is a hatch behind Nika’s back, at an altitude of more than 100 meters. If you look out, you can see Kutuzovsky Avenue. But they are not allowed there: you have to climb vertical ladders, and you need a special permit to work at height. Instead, they offer a ride on the ski lift.

Attention! Rise... open

A corridor, several steps, a small platform and finally a strange narrow opening in the wall, like the entrance to a compartment of either a submarine or spaceship. To get on the lift, you have to almost squeeze and bend over. It’s not for nothing that the engineer is wearing a helmet: you can get hurt, although the opening, painted in black and yellow stripes, is hard to miss.

It's cold inside the hollow stele, almost like outside. Beams and stairs go up, there are electrical wires everywhere, through which information about dampers, wind speed and direction is sent down to the control room. From the inside, the monument is illuminated by lamps, which is why it is clear that it is fastened into a single structure with large bolts. Most of the outside of the stele is covered with bas-reliefs, but here these bulges are formed into intricate patterns.

The Swedish lift with two platforms, one above the other, is designed for 250 kilograms, but they still only allow two people on it - it’s a bit narrow. Salkarbek Shamkanov asks you to hold on and not lean out of the booth: “The gap is small, like a guillotine, it can cut you off.”

The elevator leaves, and Shamkanov closes the passage with a chain with a sign “Attention! The climb is closed." It’s a good precaution: take a step down and you’ll fall into a hole.

The small lift area is fenced with handrails, but it has no walls, and it’s a little scary to ride. White paint marks flash: 8.5 meters, 11.5... 17.5... 26.5... There is a platform every 12 meters. They are all the same, only they taper upward along with the stele. The elevator doesn't go all the way to the top, because the lift simply won't fit through. Then just take the stairs, like firefighters.

“Good exercise,” laughs engineer on duty Andrey Malykhin. It is clear that he is accustomed to climbing ladders, jumping from beam to beam, and attaching the safety rope so that it is tensioned correctly. You have to come here often. Either you need to lubricate a part, then you need to tint something, or you need to replace a light bulb. And it happens that the wind is strong, the vibrations are large, and the damper in the video does not move. This means that something is jammed, and we need to climb up.

Employees have been working here since the 1990s. “Romance fades over the years,” says Andrei Malykhin. But he still likes this job much more than office work.