Motherland Calls

The statue measures approximately 85 meters from the base to the tip of the raised sword, making it one of the tallest statues in the world when it was unveiled in 1967. The figure alone, excluding the sword, is roughly 52 meters tall.

The statue was designed by the Soviet sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich, who also created other iconic Soviet war monuments, with structural engineering by Nikolai Nikitin. It was unveiled in 1967 as the centerpiece of the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex in Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad.

Concerns about the statue's stability have persisted for years because the figure leans forward dramatically and the extended sword arm is subject to strong winds. Russian authorities have undertaken reinforcement projects, including work on the sword and internal cables, to address the risk of collapse.

It stands atop Mamayev Kurgan, a strategically important hill in Volgograd, Russia, that saw some of the fiercest fighting during the Battle of Stalingrad from 1942 to 1943. The hill itself is now a vast memorial complex with multiple monuments commemorating the battle.