Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - an architectural memorial complex in Moscow, near the Kremlin, in the Alexander Garden.In the center of 34 years eternal flame burns.People come to the monument to pay homage to the soldier who gave his life for his motherland.
Description
Tombstone is decorated with a composition of bronze: a laurel branch and a soldier's helmet, reclined on the banner of fighting glory.In the center of the architectural composition is a niche of labradorite, which are carved the words: "Your name is unknown, your deed is immortal."In the middle is a niche bronze five-pointed star, which burns the eternal flame of military glory.
left of burial is a wall made of quartzite with words written on it: "1941 have fallen for homeland in 1945".Right from the grave is an alley of granite blocks of dark red porphyry.Each of them displayed a medal "Gold Star" and inscribed the name of the city-hero Kiev, Leningrad, Odessa, Stalingrad, Minsk, Sevastopol, Smolensk, Murmansk, Tula, Brest, Novorossiisk, Kerch.The blocks are stored capsule with the earth taken from these objects.
the right side of the alley is a monument of granite red color, which perpetuated the name of forty cities of military glory.
idea of creating
In 1966, Muscovites were preparing with great solemnity note twenty-fifth defense of his city.First secretary of the Moscow City Party Committee at that time held Egorychev Nicholas G..This man was one of the Communist reformers who played a role in the politics of the state.
anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War with extreme pomp began to celebrate in 1965, after the city of Moscow has become a hero and made May 9 holiday, a day off.It was then that the idea to erect a monument to the ordinary soldiers who lost their lives in the defense of the capital.Egorychev decided to make this popular monument.In 1966, Nikolai Grigorievich called Kosygin Alexei and said that in Poland there is a tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and offered to put a monument in Moscow.Egorychev replied that just considering this project.Soon memorial sketches were shown first to the country's leaders - Mikhail Andreyevich Suslov and Leonid Brezhnev.
Selecting the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - a monument close to the heart of every man.The choice of the site on which it is located, was given utmost importance.Egorychev immediately offered to establish a memorial in Alexandrovsky Garden near the Kremlin wall.There just found the right place.However, this idea did not like Brezhnev.The biggest obstacle was the fact that in this area there is an obelisk, created in honor of the tercentenary of the Romanov dynasty in 1913.After the Revolution of 1917, the names of royal persons were erased from the pedestal, and in their place, clearing the names of the revolutionary leaders.List Titans revolution is the person of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin.And in the Soviet Union, all that was associated with that person, not allowed to touch.However Egorychev took a risk and decided to move a little bit towards the obelisk without high approval.Nicholas G. was sure that the permission would not receive and discuss this issue drag on for years.At the head of the central board of the architectural capital, Gennady Fomin, they moved the obelisk, but so cleverly that it no one noticed.However, to start building a global operation, it had the approval of the Politburo, which Egorychev received with great difficulty.
search remains
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow meant the soldier, who died for their country.Then, in the city of Zelenograd was carried out large-scale construction, in which was found a mass grave containing the remains of soldiers.However, the Politburo had many sensitive issues.Whose ashes buried?Or maybe it will be the remains of a German deserter or shot?Now each of us understands that every person is worthy of prayer and memory, but in 1965, thought otherwise.Therefore, all the circumstances of the death of soldiers subjected to scrutiny.We opted for the remains of soldiers, which survived a military uniform (it had no commander insignia).As subsequently explained Egorychev, wounded and taken prisoner who died could not be, because the Germans did not reach Zelenograd, a deserter and not an unknown - before shooting them with a belt shot.It was clear that the body belonged to the Soviet people, who died heroically in the battle for the defense of Moscow.When it did not find any documents, his ashes really was nameless.
Burial
Military was developed ritual ceremonial burial of the Unknown Soldier.The body of the soldier was taken to Moscow, Zelenograd on the gun carriage.In 1966, December 6, in the morning on Gorky Street stretched thousands of people.They cried as the procession marched by.Funeral procession reached the Manezh Square in mournful silence.The last few meters of the coffin carrying the leading members of the party, such as Marshal Rokossovsky.Evgeny Zhukov was not allowed to carry the remains as it was in disgrace.Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, a photo which you can see in this article, has become an iconic place to visit is sought each.
Eternal Flame
May 7, 1967 in Leningrad, the torch was lit from the Eternal Flame at the Field of Mars.As the fire was taken to relay the capital.They say that all the way from Leningrad to Moscow was covered with people.On the morning of May 8 the procession reached the capital.First at the Manezh Square Torch he took the legendary pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union, Alexei Maresiev.It preserves the unique newsreels, embodying this point.People froze in anticipation of the important event - the lighting of the eternal flame.
opening of the memorial was commissioned Egorychev.And light the eternal flame happened to Leonid Brezhnev.
memorial inscription
Everyone who comes to the memorial, see the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier words: "Your name is unknown, your deed is immortal."In this line there are authors.When the Central Committee approved the draft of the monument, Egorychev gathered the leading writers of the country - Simon, Narovchatov, Smirnov and Mikhalkov - and invited them to write an epitaph.We stopped at the sentence: "His name is unknown, his feat is immortal."When everyone had gone, Nicholas G. thought about, what words will fit each person to the grave.And I decided that the label must contain a direct appeal to the victim.Egorychev phoned Mikhalkov, and they came to the conclusion that on the granite slab should see that line that we can observe today.
Today
In 1997, on December 12 signed a decree of the President of Russia, according to which, an honor guard transferred from the Lenin Mausoleum to the place where the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.Every hour there is a change of guard.In 2009, November 17, in accordance with the Presidential Decree number 1297 burial became a national memorial of military glory.Since December 16, 2009 to February 19, 2010, the monument was subject to reconstruction, in connection with which the guard of honor was not present, and the laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier flowers has been temporarily discontinued.February 23, 2010 The eternal flame has been returned to the Alexander Gardens, it lit Dmitry Medvedev, while the President of the Russian Federation.
Conclusion
Monument Tomb of the Unknown Soldier became a symbol of mourning for all the soldiers who sacrificed their lives for the sake of the motherland.Anyone who has been involved in the creation of this memorial, I felt that this case - the main thing in his life.Fade we will leave our descendants, and the eternal flame will burn.
