After WW2, the Soviet Nation and other communist states set up a number of monuments to honour the victory against the Nazi regime and commemorate their nationalism.
Some of the most popular monuments came in the form of patriotic sculptures named “The Motherland”, distributed across the Soviet Republics and satellite states.
Most of the monuments exhibit a characteristic heroic style mix called “socialist modernism” when applied to buildings and “socialist realism” when it refers to paintings, sculptures, and other artistic forms.
Socialist modernism is closely related to Brutalism and Constructivism.
Ukraine
The Motherland Monument (Kiev, Ukraine)
With 102m, the Motherland Monument in Kiev is one of the largest and most impacting statues in Ukraine.
Designed by Yevgeny Vuchetich and Vasyl Borodai, it was inaugurated in 1981.
It’s located in the National History Museum of the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945, and it’s visible from a large part of town.
Russia
Mamayev Kurgan (Volgograd, Russia)
Translated to English as “The Motherland Calls”, this is one of the most impressive monuments in the world.
Roughly as large as the Statue Of Liberty in New York, this statue of the Motherland is very impressive. Look at the size of visitors for scale.
Located at the site of a gruesome battle during WW2, this war memorial complex culminates with a massive sculpture of the motherland.
There is a copy of the Mamayev Kurgan in the Chinese city of Manzhouli
Matveev Kurgan (Starorotovka, Russia)
Matveev Kurgan is a 8m tall sculpture of the Motherland located in Southern Russian was opened in 1980.
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The Motherland Monument (Naberezhnye Chelny, Russia)
Located in the Republic of Tatarstan, this sculpture of the Motherland installed in 1975 presents a futuristic version of the concept of Motherland.
Piskaryovskoye Memorial Cemetery (St Petersburg, Russia)
The Piskaryovskoye Memorial complex is located near the 186 mass graves where aproximately 420,000 civilians and 50,000 soldiers were buried following the bombings of the city during WW2 by the German Nazi Forces.
The central monument is a bronze sculpture of the Motherland designed by V.V. Isaeva and R.К. Taurit.
Bulgaria
Monument of Mother Bulgaria (Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria)
This monument is located in the Center of Veliko Tarnovo, for many the most beautiful city in Bulgaria.
Mother Bulgaria (Pleven, Bulgaria)
Impressive monument near the city center, the “Майка България” monument is one of the most impressive of its kind in the Balkans.
Armenia
Mother Armenia Monument (Yerevan, Armenia)
Built in 1967, this mythical female personification of Armenia is located in Yerevan, the capital.
The monument of Mother Armenia reaches a total of 51 meters, and replaced a previous statue of Stalin.
