Monument Mother Motherland in Kiev is visible from almost any area of the Ukrainian capital. This majestic monument fascinates and attracts to itself not only the tourists who are considering it for the first time, but also the inhabitants of the city. What is the history of the sculpture, and in what form can you see this attraction today?
How did the Motherland of Kiev appear?
The original project of the statue belonged to the sculptor Evgeny Vuchetich, the sculptor in Stalingrad. It was planned that the figure of the woman would be gilded, and from her legs in the Dnieper would be broken 30-meter waterfall. However, the author was not able to complete the work until his death, and therefore further worked on this statue Vasily Boroday. Ukrainian architect slightly changed the original project in co-authorship with other sculptors. There are legends that the Metropolitan of Kiev was holding talks with the Central Committee of the Communist Party in order that the Motherland in Kiev does not exceed the bell tower of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra in height. To date, it is not known for certain, it is true or fiction. However, the difference between the buildings is indeed 12 meters, and the statue is below the bell tower.
Sculpture is a figure of a woman with her hands up, in one of them a sword, and in the second - a shield. The height of the statue itself is 62 meters, together with the pedestal - 102 meters. At the base of the statue is a museum. According to the original idea, the sculpture should have been covered with gold leaf. But instead they trimmed the statue with stainless steel. One sheet of sheathing weighs at least 25 tons. In order to collect the statue, a hundred-meter crane, specially made for this project, was needed. According to the calculations of engineers, this structure will last at least one and a half centuries, and it is capable of withstanding an earthquake up to 6 points. Inside the figure are two passenger elevators, two observation platforms are equipped - one in each hand. In 2003, one of the tourists fell from the site, which is located on the arm with a shield. Because of this incident, for some time the excursions were stopped, but after the reconstruction the fences were renewed. For today, it's impossible to fall from the platform physically. At the same time, small holes are left in the fences for photo and video shooting of the city's panoramas.
How to get inside and what can you see on this tour?
If you are interested in the monument of Motherland (Kiev), its address is well known. There is a building on the territory of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. Exact address: st. Ivan Mazepa, house 33. Inspection of the monument from the outside is free, in order to climb to the viewing platforms, you must pay the entrance ticket. The cost of it depends on the height of the lift. At a height of 36 meters - 50 hryvnia, on the observation deck hands with a shield (92 meters) - 200 hryvnia. Mother-Rodina in Kiev is popular with all tourists visiting the city. Therefore, those wishing to go upstairs will most likely have to wait a while in the queue. Please note that not all visitors are allowed into the viewing platforms. Pregnant women, people with disabilities and children under 12 years will have to be content with sightseeing outside. Mother-Motherland in Kiev is a unique structure with an interesting history. During the ascent to the observation deck, the guide will tell a lot of entertaining facts about this unusual sculpture.