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Founded in 1589, Volgograd, located on the bank of the lower Volga, is one of the largest cities in Russia, with a population of over 1 million people. Stretching in excess of 80 Kilometers, the city is interwoven with approximately 50 different rivers, most of them found in the basin of the Don.
Volgograd, formally known as Stalingrad, is rich in history and culture. It was founded in the 16th century and served as a fortress guarding the trade route along the Volga river. The Volga has always been of tremendous importance for Russia as an international, as well as domestic, trade route. The city grew rapidly under Soviet control. Numerous factories were destroyed during the Civil War and were later restored, which significantly increased their production. Volgograd was one of the leading industrial centres in the Soviet Union prior to the start of the Great Patriotic War. This beautiful and productive city was virtually destroyed during the war. One of the greatest battles of the Second World War, the Battle of Stalingrad, was fought in the Don and Volga Steppes. It lasted over six months between 17 July 1942 and 2 February 1943, and involved more than two million men, over 2000 tanks, and 26,000 guns and mortars, as well as over 2000 planes. The Germans had already occupied many Soviet Territories, thus the city of Stalingrad was pivotal as to the outcome of the war. "Fight to the Death, Not one step back!" were the main orders.
Today Volgograd is a very modern city, boasting many monuments honouring the history of this great city.

		In the photo on the left, the pale blue round structure to the right of centre is the State Panorama Museum. Next to it on the skyline the red brick building is a ruined fire damaged mill, preserved as part of the memorial area to the Stalingrad Battle.
Approaching Volgograd	Volgograd from the River Volga		Gun boat ashore
Volgograd landing stage	Volgograd from the river		Central Embankment, Volgograd
New Experimental Theatre Building	Gardens and Monument near Square of Fallen Heroes Volgograd	Memorial Plaque	Volgograd Railway Station
Chimneys	Old steam mill	Battle damaged building and the Panorama	Pavlov House
The memorial, dedicated to the Stalingrad Battle, includes the building of the old mill, one of very few that left from that time, a military exhibition from the WW II, museum of the WW II and the museum of the Afghanistan war. Besides that, there's also a panorama of the Stalingrad Battle, where on a huge painting (120x16 meters) all the major moment of the battle are shown. Panorama was created by the military (but not militarist) painters from the studio (named after M.B. Grekov) N.Ya. But, V.K. Dmitrievsky, P.I. Zhigimont, P.T. Malcev, G.I. Marchenko, M.I. Samsonov, F.P. Usypenko. First thought were illustrated in winter 1958 and the actual work on the painting itself started only in 1980.			The Pavlov House was originally an apartment building, named after the Junior Commander and his men. Pavlov and his squad were the first to fortify the building and later, more men defended with them and mines were placed around the building. Nazi German Maps marked this location as a fort. This building stands as a memorial.
Monument by State Panorama Museum	Lenin Square		Lenin memorial
Various boats on the Volga		Jumpers and swimmers
State Panorama Museum
Ilyushin II-2 Stormovik (Flying Tank)	Russian Military Motorcycle combination	Military DKW Motorcycle	Tank clock and lamp
	For the heroism shown during the battle, Stalingrad was awarded the title Hero City, and King George VI of the United Kingdom awarded the citizens of Stalingrad a jewelled sword in appreciation of the bravery that they had shown. It was presented to Field Marshall Stalin by PM Winston Churchill at the Teheran Conference in 1943. The sword was made by the Wilkinson Sword of Sheffield, Yorkshire, see http://www.gotavapen.se/gota/artiklar/fs/new/stalingrd/stalingrad_eng.htm
The Stalingrad Sword made in Sheffield			Ceiling in Panorama Building
Mamaev Hill
	Mamaev Hill is considered to be the greatest and most famous monument to the Stalingrad Battle and the Great Patriotic War (WW II). This was the height that took most vigorous attacks. The building was guided by sculptor E.V. Vuchetich and architecture Ya.B. Belopolsky in 1963-1967 yrs. The construction started with the reconstruction of the hill. The hill itself was standing there for several centuries already, but during the monument construction its height was considerably increased. The whole Ensemble consists of many smaller monuments.
Steps at base of Mamaev Hill			"The Motherland Calls!" sculpture
		Standing till dead; is a sculpture of a soldier, which is a kind of diffused with the rock. The statue is standing in the water
Standing till dead sculpture	Standing till dead sculpture		Standing till dead reflections
	One of two ruined walls frame these five-marched stairs. The authors of this project had an idea of building two huge walls forming a corner and joining in perspective – so imagined ruins of the constructions demolished under the long firing and numerous bombing, damaged by the mines and automatic shooting – these walls witnessed the vigorous battles of the winter of 1942-1943. The spirit of the Stalingrad Battle and emotional mood of its participants are expressed in the images of the ruins and sculptural compositions. The length of the walls is 46m, and the height goes up to 18m. Ruined walls are equipped with the sound system, which plays songs of the period of war, news from the front line.		The Square of the Heroes is finished by the supportive wall, which has a memorial gravestone with an inscription: “ Here on the 9th of May, 1970, on the day of the Victory of the soviet people over the fascist Germany the capsule, containing a message from the veterans and citizens of the city-hero to the future generations, was buried. It should be opened on the 9th of May, 2045 on the day of 100th jubilee of the victory over the fascist Germany.”
Wall of death		"The Motherland Calls!" and square of fallen heroes
Changing the guard of honour at The hall of the Warrior Glory		Head of "The Motherland Calls!" through roof of The hall of the Warrior Glory	The hall of the Warrior Glory and Eternal Flame
Hall of Soldier's Glory. This is the quietest place in the whole complex. In the centre of the building the Eternal Fire is located, made as an arm stretching to the sky with a torch in it. On the walls, on more than 20 panels, up to several hundreds on each of them are the names of the heroes, fallen in the Stalingrad Battle.
	In the right corner of the Square there is a composition of a mourning mother with a dead soldier in her arms. His face is covered with a banner - a symbol of the military honours. The height of the composition is 11m, at the feet of it one can find a small water pool, in the calm waters of which the composition is reflected.
The Square of Sorrow		Looking over The hall of the Warrior Glory to Volgograd	Looking down through the squares
		The main sculpture of the whole ensemble is named "Motherland is calling". It is twice as high as the famous Statue of Liberty in New York City and it's calling for the defenders to stand and fight for their land. "Motherland is calling"; as the crown; of the ensemble monument "To the Heroes of the Stalingrad Battle" is one the most impressive states of art ever made by the human. The 82-meter-tall (to the tip of the sword) "The Motherland Calls!"— the tallest statue in the world when erected in 1967.
Volgograd and a church at top of Mamaev Hill. Looking out from the base of "The Motherland Calls!"; sculpture on Mamaev Hill	"The Motherland Calls!"		"The Motherland Calls!" sculpture from behind

 This page was last modified on Friday February 06, 2009