The Motherland Calls

Tsentralny District, Russia

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The Motherland Calls is a colossal neoclassicist and socialist realist war memorial sculpture standing on Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia. Designed primarily by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich with assistance from architect Yakov Belopolsky, the concrete statue commemorates the casualties of the Battle of Stalingrad and forms the centerpiece of a larger monument complex that includes multiple plazas and sculptural works. At 85 metres (279 feet) tall from pedestal to peak, it was the world's tallest statue upon its completion in 1967 and remains Europe's tallest if including the pedestal. The sculpture depicts a female personification of Russia, depicted with a windswept shawl resembling wings and wielding an aloft sword in her right hand, while her left hand extends outward in a rallying gesture. Construction began in 1963 under structural engineer Nikolai Nikitin and encountered significant challenges including foundation issues and the complex assembly of the statue's framework. The monument was dedicated on 15 October 1967 and has been a tentative UNESCO World Heritage Site candidate since 2014.