My trip to Volgograd. Motherland is calling here.
Briefly about the location
Volgograd is a large Russian city on the banks of the great Russian Volga River. This place is rightfully called the Hero City. One of the bloodiest battles of the Great Patriotic War — the Battle of Stalingrad (1942–1943 of the 20th century) took place here.
Until 1925 the city was called Tsaritsyn, after it was renamed Stalingrad, and since 1961 the name of this city is Volgograd.
The main attraction of the city is Mamayev Kurgan. This is the place where fierce battles took place between fascists and Soviet people. Countless soldiers of the Soviet Union died on the Mamaev Kurgan. After the war, mass and individual graves were erected in this place. The ashes of several tens of thousands of fallen heroes rest in them.
In 1959, a team of builders led by the talented sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich began work on the construction of the ensemble monument to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad. After 8 years, the monument-ensemble was opened. Its main object is one of the tallest statues in the world “The Motherland Calls!”. The sculpture is 85 meters high.
My trip
The first time I went to Volgograd in 2019, then I was on vacation. The vacation took place in early April, so the trip was short and I traveled alone. In total, I spent 1.5 days in Volgograd.
When you come to Volgograd, attention is drawn to its powerful atmosphere. After the war, almost the entire architectural landscape of the city was rebuilt. Many buildings correspond to the era of Joseph Stalin’s rule.
I settled in a new cozy hostel near the station. The hostel is located in the Central area. The cost of habitation was 500 rubles per day (about $ 7).
In Volgograd, the transport system is unusual. Trams, not trains, run in the city’s subway. This is the only speed trams in Russia. To get to Mamaev Kurgan, I used this type of transport.
To get to the sculpture “Motherland Calls!” you have to walk 200 granite steps. This number is symbolic, because the Battle of Stalingrad lasted 200 days. It is very interesting to climb, because the buildings of the monument-ensemble surround from all sides. In addition, war songs and audio stories about the Battle of Stalingrad are heard on the Mamaev Kurgan.
When I visited Volgograd, “Motherland calls!” began to be restored for the 75th anniversary of the victory over fascism. I’m sure the sculpture now looks much better and impresses people even more.
At the end of the way I came across an Orthodox cathedral, a church and a separate cemetery. A birch grove is planted nearby. Grieving mothers of soldiers who died in the battles of the Great Patriotic War planted birches in memory of their sons as symbols of eternal flowering and life.
On the second day of my stay in Volgograd, I went to the “Battle of Stalingrad” panorama museum. This museum is dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War. It contains things that were part of the terrible and ruthless period of the 20th century.
After visiting the museum, I had several hours before leaving home. I decided to go to the Komsomolsky Garden park near the railway station. There I relaxed and looked at the locals.
I decided that people in Volgograd are in no hurry. Their steps are calm, and their movements are coordinated. For a day and a half in the city, I did not hear people screaming and did not meet a single noisy company.
The inhabitants of this city understand that the city stands on the bones of their ancestors, who died defending their homeland and their families. Volgograd’s residents feel the value of time, trying not to rush to live, enjoying the peaceful sky overhead.
What to bring from Volgograd
The best that you can bring from this city is a good understanding of the value of life and world peace.
Necessarily to take photos. Pictures will be much better on your gadgets than on my old phone :)
You can buy a miniature copy of the sculpture “The Motherland Calls!” on the Mamaev Kurgan. Tip: compare the cost of souvenirs. At different levels of the site, you will find stores in which the assortment is similar, but the prices are different.
