Monument to Richard Sorge

Baku, Azerbaijan

Freely accessible

Public space — no opening hours to check.

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This monument in Baku honors Richard Sorge, a Soviet intelligence officer and Hero of the Soviet Union who operated behind enemy lines during the Second World War. Designed by architects Rasim Aliyev and Leonid Pavlov with sculptor Vladimir Tsigal and unveiled in May 1981 near Sabunchu, Sorge's birthplace, the work combines bronze and granite in a distinctive form—an oblong, curved plaque resembling a radar installation. At its center, a relief image of Sorge's face features cut-through stone eyes that convey an intense, penetrating gaze meant to symbolize the vigilance of a Soviet intelligence operative. The monument stands in what is now Richard Sorge Park, framed by pines, plane trees, and mulberry trees, with a cherry tree planted from soil brought from Japan, the country where much of Sorge's espionage work took place.