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09/05/2007  |    email Aschermann Email   |  Return to Russia Pages


Memorials for the Great Patriotic War

1941-1945

It is known only to God what the total number of Soviet deaths were during the Great Patriotic War of the 1940's.  The military deaths are listed as 19,180,000 and civilian deaths as 7.4 million.  [Remember that until 1989 "Soviet" was almost a synonym for Russia.  Russia was one of the 15 Soviet republics. The Ukraine was a region that lost a large number of people but these are contained within the numbers above.]

The total number of U.S. battle deaths is listed as 292,000 people.... and that includes the deaths in both Europe and Asia.  No way does the US count come close to those of the Soviet Union/Russia. 

The Soviet Union/Russia built 70,000 war memorials in the country.  As the United States, the Soviet Union/Russia did not have a major war memorial in Moscow until 9 May 1995.  Until the summer of 2004 the United States did not have any type of World War II memorial that compared to that in Russia.[ It is interesting to note that the major national war memorial construction in both countries was delayed by "politics" and differences of opinion between the "art people" and the politicians. 

No where do we find massive US graves of hundreds of people who were put in the same grave.  This was a very common thing in the Soviet Union. 

In 1958 on Poklonnaya Mountain  a  memorable granite sign was established with the inscription: "A monument to commemorate the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War will be erected here". In the 60s the Park of Victory was laid out. In 1985 a new project of the memorial was approved and the construction of it, that would last for almost 10 years, was started.

The solemn opening of the Victory Memorial on the Poklonnaya Mountain was timed to the Victory 50th anniversary and was held on May 9, 1995.

Thousands of Soviet/Russians were buried on Poklonnaya Mountian.

The center of the whole complex is a white stone Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945. Its exposition tells about all the important events of Second World War. The exhibition includes a set of dioramas on the major battles of the war - from the defense of Moscow in winter 1941 to the fall of Berlin in spring 1945.


The obelisk designed by famous Moscow sculptor Tzereteli soars above Victory Square, where the museum is located. At the foot of the monument stands the statue of Saint George the Victorious striking the dragon with the spear. The obelisk is crowned with the bronze statues of Nika, goddess of Victory, and angels trumpeting the victory of Russian people.To the left from the central alley there is the Cathedral of Saint George, who is the patron saint of Moscow. St George Cathedral, designed by architect Polyansky, combines the traditional features of Old Russian architecture and modern elements (giant bronze bas-reliefs, window walls, etc.).

 


http://www.nationmaster.com/graph-T/hea_lif_exp_at_bir_tot_pop

Piskarov Memorial Cemetery

St. Petersburg

In the cemetery lay more than a half million people who died during the siege of Leningrad that lasted for 900 days.  Thousands died at the town called Leningrad.  Now it is called St. Petersburg.

At one end of the cemetery is an eternal flame, and at the other, a large yet simple wall inscribed with the words, "No one is forgotten, nothing is forgotten". The dead were buried in mass graves

 

    

  

Memorial to all of the people who fought in the Great Patriotic War

   

1942 is the only marker for a mass grave of several hundred people from Leningrad.

     

      

All of these men and women were husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers who gave their life on the battle field.

25 million Soviet citizens died in the Great Patriotic War of the 1940's

As long as a person is remembered by the living,

 the person is not forgotten.


Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Located on the west wall of the Kremlin

  

 

Memorial to soldiers from each of the major cities in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

      

Marshal Zhukov. Russian General of WW II

Zhukov was the Soviet general who finally was able to get the troops and tanks moving West to Berlin.  He was a "survivor" -- during the 1930's Stalin eliminated most of the upper level army staff.

 


 

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Novodevichiye Cemetery

http://www.popmatters.com/columns/thompson/020206.html

 

 


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