POKLONNAYA HILL
(Victory
park)
Guided transfer
for 1-2 pax auto "Volga"
for 3-20 pax - minibus
more then 20 pax - bus
Poklonnaya Gora, or the Hill of
Respectful Salutation occupies a
special place in the history of
Moscow. The 19th century Moscow
historian Ivan Zabelin described
Poklonnaya Hill as “the most
memorable place in the Russian
history”, a truly sacred area. If
translated literally, the
word “Poklonnaya” derives from
“poklon” or “bow”, a Russian
gesture to pay respect to a person
or object of high reverence.
Poklonnaya Hill served a good
stopover place for travelers and
played host to foreign guests.
Nikolai Yakuba, the Head of the
Exposition Department of the
Central Museum of the Great
Patriotic War of 1941-1945, said:
“Nearly every big Russian city has
a Poklonnaya Hill somewhere on its
outskirts. Moscow has several such
places, but the most famous of
them is one that was once the
western suburb. This was from
where travelers entered the city,
and, as they approached it, they
went up a hill from where they
admired a magnificent view of the
entire city, stretching far beyond
their scope of vision and studded
with sparkling gold domes of
churches. The travelers went down
on their knees to pray to the city
before stepping into it. Since
then the hill was referred to as
Poklonnaya Hill.”
“From time immemorial Russians
bowed to Mother Moscow from this
hill,” wrote historian Ivan
Zabelin. “Foreigners who happened
to arrive in Moscow from the
western outskirt were stunned by
the view, which, they said, was
one of the most breathtaking they
had ever seen.”
Many glorious and tragic chapters
of Russian history are connected
with Poklonnaya Hill.
“This part of Moscow has the
closest relation to the country’s
military history,” Nikolai Yakuba,
the Head of the Exposition
Department of the Central Museum
of the Great Patriotic War of
1941-1945 goes on to say. “Many
decisions crucial for our country
in the years of the Great
Patriotic War were passed at
Joseph Stalin’s dacha nearby.
Troops leaving for the fronts went
via Poklonnaya Hill. It was not
for nothing then that the renowned
military commander in the Great
Patriotic War, Marshal Georgy
Zhukov, proposed that a Victory
Memorial be built here, on
Poklonnaya Hill.”
The necessity to commemorate the
deed of Soviet people in the Great
Patriotic War became clear well
before the end of the war, after
the Red Army won its first major
victory near Moscow.
“In the year 1942 the German
forces were dislodged from the
Russian capital,” says Nikolai
Yakuba, “and in February 1942 it
was suggested that a monument be
erected to pay tribute to the
Soviet soldiers, who routed the
Nazis. Even though three long
years laid ahead until the end of
the war, the first designs of the
monument were readily available.”
A monument to commemorate the
Victory was deemed as a necessity
in the course of preparations for
Moscow’s 800th birthday in 1947.
Several years later the
authorities took a decision to
build such a monument on
Poklonnaya Hill. On February 23rd
1958 they installed a granite
plaque with the inscription “A
monument to commemorate the
Victory of the Soviet people in
the Great Patriotic War will be
erected here” and laid out a park,
which they called Victory Park.
Next they called a tender for the
best project of the monument.
Here’s an excerpt from a letter by
a group of war and labor veterans
published in a Moscow newspaper:
“That the Nazis suffered their
first major defeat near Moscow is
highly symbolic. The myth about
the invincibility of Nazi Germany
was allayed for good. Moscow is
the heart of our Motherland. And
it’s here that a majestic memorial
in memory of the Great Victory
should stand!”
"The entire nation participated in
the construction of the monument.
The project took on a nationwide
dimension. There wasn’t a single
family unaffected by the war –
each had at least one member
killed or wounded. Reminiscences
of the war are still fresh in the
hearts of people. People worked
Saturdays for free as a form of
contribution to the construction
of the monument. A sum, which
equaled about 320 million dollars
was raised. A fairly huge sum,”
says Nikolai Yakuba.
The Moscow daily newspaper
“Moskovskaya Pravda” wrote: “The
monument is being built by the
people. Donations are coming in
from all corners of the country,
from thousands of people,
enterprises, schools and
institutes of higher education.
The funds are raised through
voluntary unpaid work on
Saturdays, arrive from personal
savings of former and present-day
soldiers, war veterans and young
people. For each citizen it’s a
matter of moral obligation to join
the campaign.”
The memorial complex on Poklonnaya
Hill was completed in the
mid-1990s. The inauguration
ceremony took place on the 50th
anniversary of
Victory-in-Europe-Day, on May 9th
1995.
In the years of its existence the
Victory Monument has earned
widespread recognition of both
Russians and foreign visitors.
Here are some of the comments from
the Visitors’ Book.
“I was very impressed by this
visit to the Moscow Second World
War Memorial. The entire complex
is a tangible testament of the
Russian patriotism and the Russian
people’s valor. It is also a
visible proof of the inhuman
suffering throughout the war and a
well-deserved monument to the
glory of Mother Russia. It’s a
memento for future generations to
help them in building lasting
peace and prosperity. Admiral
Guido Venturoni, Chairman of the
NATO Military Committee.”
And the following opinion comes
from a delegation of the Control
Ministry of China.
“In the years of worldwide
struggle against the Nazis the
Soviet people suffered tremendous
losses and exerted a colossal
effort to approach the victory. We
pay respect to the heroism of the
Soviet people. The memory of those
who fell in the war will live in
the hearts of people forever.”
And now here’re a few lines from a
letter sent by Lieutenant Grigory
Tarasenko, who fought in the
Battle of Stalingrad, to his son.
They became prophetic…
“Years, decades will pass, the
enemy graves will come out in
weeds and thistle, and our free
Motherland will build a huge
monument to us, its defenders.
Remember me as you look at it… I
fought to the last of my breath to
secure you the right to live a
happy life.”
The War Memorial on Poklonnaya
Hill has become a symbol of our
victory in the fiercest of wars, a
monument to the heroism of the
Soviet people, which made this
victory possible.
The Great Patriotic War of Soviet
people against the Nazi aggressor
began on June 22nd 1941 and ended
on May 9th 1945. Since then May
9th has been celebrated here as
Victory Day, or Great Victory Day,
as people in Russia call it.
War veterans arrive on Poklonnaya
Hill early in the morning to meet
their former comrades-in-arms and
pay their respects to the memory
of those who perished in the war.
On Victory Day the territory of
the complex is filled with
thousands of Moscow residents and
visitors to the capital of all
ages and walks of life.
“The impression is that the whole
of Moscow rushes here at the
slightest opportunity,” says
Nikolai Yakuba. “On a normal
workday the Complex is visited by
some 2 or 3 thousand people and on
days off up to 15 thousand may
come. This year, on May 9th, some
700 thousand showed up to
celebrate Victory Day.
Traditionally, Poklonnaya Hill is
a place to go for a good walk and
learn more about the heroism of
our forefathers.”
And now here’s an opinion from a
17-year-old Moscow student,
Georgy: “I think this is the most
remarkable place in Moscow. Here
the taste of Victory and the core
of our people are felt better
than, say, on Red Square. And the
Victory is something everyone
should be aware of.”
The heroism of Soviet people in
the war against Nazi Germany is
reflected in the exposition of the
Central Museum of the Great
Patriotic War on Poklonnaya Hill.
The Museum, which opened in 1995,
is the central part of the Victory
Complex. It, in fact, comprises
several expositions, including the
War History Exposition dedicated
both to pre-war years and the war
itself. It also 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 memorial section of the Museum
is the Hall of Glory where there
are marble slabs engraved with the
names of participants of the war
awarded the honorary title “Hero
of the Soviet Union”. Originally
there were more than 11 thousand
of them, and the list is
replenished all the time as
archival work progresses.
“The most significant hall in our
museum,” says Nikolai Yakuba, “is
the Hall of Memory and Sorrow with
Lev Kerbel’s “Dolorous Mother”, a
remarkable work of sculptural art
that will leave a deep impression
on the visitor. Hanging from the
ceiling are crystal-tipped bronze
chains that symbolize tears for
those who perished in the war. At
first we wanted each chain to
symbolize a human fate but that
would require such a huge number
of them that the Hall, though
large enough, could not provide
enough room. This country lost
nearly 27 million people in the
war, and it was impossible to
portray them all in this Hall. The
names of those who were killed or
reported missing are in the Book
of Memory. Many people come for
information on relatives they
never met but heard about. There
is the “Electronic Book of Memory”
too, which stores data on 19.5
million people killed in the war.
Whenever you come, there’s always
a queue here, because people at
last are waking up to a greater
self-consciousness with regard to
their forefathers.”
“It’s wonderful that there is such
a memorial, to pay tribute to the
memories of heroes, both dead and
living,” a woman from the Siberian
city of Barnaul wrote in the
Visitors’ Book. “I’ll remember my
visit here to the last of my days,
and I will share my admiration of
it with my children and
grandchildren. I’m from Siberia,
and my father was killed defending
Leningrad.”
The eighth grade students of one
of Moscow schools wrote the
following: “The Museum leaves an
indelible impression in the heart
of every person. We are proud for
our country, our much beloved
Motherland, where they honor the
memories of war veterans and those
who perished in the Great
Patriotic War. The Museum on
Poklonnaya Hill provides us with a
detailed picture of the hardships
of war years.”
Half a century had passed since
the victorious 1945 before the
exposition on Poklonnaya Hill was
opened in May 1995. The museum
workers put a colossal effort into
collecting documentary evidence,
memoirs, clothes and weapons of
those days. “The collection of the
museum came into existence at the
beginning of the 80’s of the 20th
century,” a museum guide,
Alexandra Yakhontova recalls. “In
spite of its relatively short
existence, it includes a variety
of material and documentary items.
There’re about 100.000 of them.
Among them are letters from the
frontline, newspapers and posters
of the war period, photos,
examples of military uniform,
weapons, personal belongings of
high commanders and privates. The
participants of the women’s
squadrons donated their personal
things to the museum.”
The exposition enriches in new
items practically daily and
produces a lasting impression on
both our fellow countrymen and
foreign visitors. A US Army
General wrote in the Visitors’
Book: “My visit to your great
museum has been very memorable.
The sacrifice and suffering of the
Russian people and the bravery of
the Russian military are well
preserved in this magnificent
facility. I hope the spirit of the
Elbe River will continue to unite
our two countries.”
Part of the War Memorial on
Poklonnaya Hill is an open-air
Weaponry and Fortification
Exposition. It begins with
specimens of German armaments
advancing on the Soviet line of
defense. The defense line was
built by military engineers on
authentic drawings, and serving a
model was a strip of land where
the Battle of Kursk, one of the
fiercest battles of the Second
World War, took place in
July-August 1943.
On display in the Victory Park are
an Exposition of the Navy and the
Railway Forces, specimens of
artillery guns and aircraft. Apart
from that, the Park boasts a
complete collection of armored
vehicles – from light tanks of the
early war years to heavy models,
which fought in Berlin in 1945.
A Voice of Russia employee,
Gilbert Vanigasooriya, visited the
Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya
Hill with a delegation of tourists
from Sri Lanka. “The huge museum
exposition and, especially, the
War Weaponry and Fortification
Exposition – I’ve never seen
anything like that before,” he
says. “All that reminds one of the
role the Soviet Union played in
defeating Nazism, of the millions
lives lost in your Great Patriotic
War. It’s wonderful that their
memory lives on.”
A few more words about the Victory
Park.
Alexandra Yakhontova, the museum
guide, says: “The Victory Park was
laid out on Poklonnaya Hill in
1961. The complex begins with the
main alley, which is called “The
Years of the War”. It is reflected
architecturally in the image of a
long war road, which consists of
five terraces, the symbols of the
five years of the war – 1941-1945.
Along the alley on each terrace
there is a fountain, which jets
strong sprays of water in the
summer. At night the sprays are
colored with red. The Alley is
decorated with flowers and rare
species of trees.”
The War Years Alley leads to the
center of the complex – Square of
Victors. And radiating from the
square are ten alleys of the
Victory Park, each of them has a
name of its own, among them the
Alley of Defenders of Moscow, the
Alley of Memory, the alleys of
soldiers, partisans, and sailors.
Veterans of the Great Patriotic
War traditionally meet on the
Alley of Veterans.
The nearest metro station, Park
Pobedy, or Victory Park, was
launched into operation in May
2003 to become the 165th metro
station in Moscow and the deepest
one in both Moscow and Russia. The
interior of the station, dedicated
to the glory of Russian weaponry,
abounds in panoramic panels with
scenes of the 1812 Patriotic War
against Napoleon and the Great
Patriotic War of 1941-1945.
The Memorial Complex on Poklonnaya
Hill reflects the Great Patriotic
War as the tragedy of many
peoples, which is particularly
relevant for Russia with its
numerous nationalities and
confessions. That’s why part of
the Victory Park are the Orthodox
Church of Great Martyr and Victory
Bearer St.George, the patron of
Moscow, the memorial Mosque and
the Memorial Synagogue to memorize
people of different religious
beliefs who perished in the war
against the Nazis.
A tradition that sprang up in the
post-war years is that the
newlyweds should lay flowers to
the monuments to fallen heroes,
including on Poklonnaya Hill. The
question many of our listeners
repeatedly ask is why there is
such a tradition in this country.
This explanation was provided by
one of the visitors to the Victory
Memorial: “People come to pay
tribute to the memories of those
who lost their lives on the
battlefield. They know they owe it
to the fallen heroes that they
live, get married and come here,”
said a 17-year-old Moscow student.
Poklonnaya Hill is one of the most
favorite destinations for a good
walk and a good rest and is
equally admired by both Moscow
residents and guests of the
Russian capital. Here’re some of
the opinions of Poklonnaya Hill
visitors:
However, despite its present
flowery image, Poklonnaya Hill is,
first of all, a reminder of the
fiercest and bloodiest of wars in
the history of mankind, a war of
annihilation, which cost the
Soviet people astounding losses.
“Young people who visit the Museum
of the Great Patriotic War have
inherited from their ancestors the
resentment of war, the distaste
for the inhuman suffering our
country endured 60 years ago,” the
Central Museum employee Nikolai
Yakuba says. “The interest in this
war will never dwindle in the
hearts of our people. We will
remember, as we remember now, the
events of the Patriotic War of
1812, when Russia defeated
Napoleon, and the Great Patriotic
War. And we will continue to
remember, centuries after, of the
battles our forefathers fought and
will recount them over and over.”
The
Museum-Panorama "Borodino Battle"
The Museum-Panorama "Borodino
Battle" is devoted to the
brightest episode of the Patriotic
War of 1812 - the battle between
Russian and French armies near the
Borodino village, which Napoleon
called "the battle of giants".
The main exhibit in the
Museum is the huge panorama by
Frantz Rubo, depicting the scenes
of Borodino Battle. It is a 15
meter (50 feet) high and 115 meter
(383 feet) wide canvas located in
a round hall with a viewing
platform which is "the centre of
the battle". On the canvas you
will find the portraits of some
famous historical personalities
and the two outstanding commanders
Michael Kutuzov and Napoleon
Bonaparte.
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