The Motherland Calls
by Yevgeny Vuchetich, 1967
Details
- Year
- 1967
- Medium
- Reinforced concrete over metal frame
- Size
- 85 m (279 ft) tall, 8,000 tonnes
Yevgeny Vuchetich designed The Motherland Calls to commemorate the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The statue stands on Mamayev Kurgan, a hill in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia, where some of the fiercest fighting took place in 1942-43.
At 85 meters (279 feet) from base to sword tip, it was the tallest statue in the world when completed in 1967. The figure is a woman striding forward with a raised sword, mouth open in a battle cry. The sword alone is 33 meters long. She's made of reinforced concrete over a metal frame and weighs about 8,000 tonnes. An estimated 35,000 identified soldiers are buried in the hill beneath her.
About The Motherland Calls
The total height is 85 meters (279 feet): the figure is 52 meters (170 ft) and the sword is 33 meters (108 ft). It weighs over 8,000 tonnes. Khrushchev ordered it to be taller than the Statue of Liberty. Holes were drilled into the sword to reduce wind resistance.
The body was reportedly modeled on a 26-year-old waitress named Valentina Izotova, while the face is believed to be based on sculptor Vuchetich's wife. Construction ran from 1962 to 1967, with structural engineer Nikolai Nikitin ensuring it wouldn't collapse under its own weight.
The Battle of Stalingrad (1942-1943), one of the bloodiest battles in human history. The 200 steps from the base to the statue represent the 200 days of the battle. Approximately 35,000 Soviet war dead are buried on the grounds of Mamayev Kurgan.
Atop Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia. It's the centerpiece of a massive war memorial complex. A 2019 restoration revealed the foundation was sliding because it was built on a riverbed.
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