# The Motherland Calls (DD-590) > The Motherland Calls is a reinforced-concrete war memorial on Mamayev Kurgan, a hill in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia. It is the centerpiece of a memorial complex to the Battle of Stalingrad, fought between the Soviet Union and Nazi Germany from July 1942 to February 1943 and won by the Soviets at enormous cost. Sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich designed it with architect Yakov Belopolsky, and structural engineer Nikolai Nikitin led construction, which began in 1963. The statue shows a female personification of the homeland striding forward with a sword raised in her right hand and her left arm outstretched, a design inspired by the ancient Greek Winged Victory of Samothrace. The figure itself is 52 meters tall; with its pedestal and sword it reaches 85 meters (279 feet). Wikipedia, citing historian Scott Palmer, reports that Nikita Khrushchev wanted it taller than the Statue of Liberty. The sword caused trouble: the original stainless-steel blade swayed in the wind and was replaced in 1972 with a slotted steel version. The complex was dedicated on October 15, 1967, timed for the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. It was the world's tallest statue until 1989, and Wikipedia describes it as still the tallest statue in Europe when the pedestal is counted. A major restoration was finished in 2020, and the complex has been on UNESCO's tentative list since 2014. The footage shows the statue on its hilltop above the city and the Volga. - Department: Locations (also History) - First published: 2025-06-06 - Last updated: 2025-06-06 - Permalink: https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-motherland-calls/ - Author: Marcus Easterling (DetailEnjoyer), The Detail Department ## On the timeline - **1943**: The Battle of Stalingrad ends in February with a Soviet victory - **1963**: Construction of the statue begins - **Oct. 15, 1967**: The memorial complex is dedicated - **1972**: The original sword is replaced with a slotted steel blade - **1989**: It loses the title of the world's tallest statue - **2014**: The complex is added to UNESCO's tentative list - **2020**: A major restoration is completed Full timeline: https://detailenjoyer.com/timeline/?case=the-motherland-calls ## Quick facts - **DD-590-F01**: The Motherland Calls reaches 85 meters (279 feet) from the pedestal base to the sword tip. _(Write-up · Exhibit C (85 meters))_ - **DD-590-F02**: The memorial was dedicated on October 15, 1967. _(Write-up · Exhibit D (Dedicated in 1967))_ ## Write-up Built to stand taller than Lady Liberty. At 85 meters to the sword tip, it was the world's tallest statue when it was dedicated in 1967. 1. **On Mamayev Kurgan**: The statue tops Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, a hill fought over during the Battle of Stalingrad. 2. **Vuchetich and Nikitin**: Yevgeny Vuchetich designed it, and engineer Nikolai Nikitin led construction from 1963. 3. **85 meters**: The figure is 52 meters tall, or 85 meters (279 feet) including pedestal and sword. 4. **Dedicated in 1967**: The memorial complex was dedicated on October 15, 1967. 5. **A troublesome sword**: The first sword swayed in the wind and was replaced in 1972 with a slotted steel blade. ## Related case files - [Buzludzha (DD-573)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/buzludzha/): I paired it with another monumental Eastern Bloc memorial - [Kailasa Temple (DD-605)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/kailasa-temple/): I linked another monument built on a colossal scale - [Colossus of Rhodes (DD-102)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/colossus-of-rhodes/): I paired it with another colossal statue - [Christ the Redeemer (DD-116)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/christ-the-redeemer/): I paired it with another colossal statue - [Russia & The Ukraine (DD-205)](https://detailenjoyer.com/case/russia-the-ukraine/): I linked more on the region's history ## Reel vs. record - **Note**: 'Designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and engineer Nikolai Nikitin': right, and I'd add architect Yakov Belopolsky. Vuchetich led the design, and Nikitin led the structural engineering and construction. - **Note**: 'Completed in 1967': yes. It was dedicated on October 15, 1967. - **Note**: 'Tallest statue in the world at the time': it held that title from 1967 until 1989. The 'tallest in Europe' claim depends on counting the pedestal, as Wikipedia notes. - **Missing**: the figure itself is 52 meters tall. The 85 meters includes the pedestal and the sword. ## Video: The Motherland Calls: Built to Stand Taller Than Lady Liberty - Duration: 33.7 s · Published: 2025-06-06 - File: https://detailenjoyer.com/assets/videos/DKj7rTCxOw6.mp4 ### Transcript DID YOU KNOW? The colossal statue known as the Motherland Calls, stands prominently atop Mamayev Kurgan in Volgograd, Russia. Completed in 1967, this monument commemorates the Soviet victory in the battle of Stalingrad during WWII. Designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and engineer Nikolai Nikitin, the statue portrays a woman stepping forward with a raised sword, symbolizing the motherland calling her children to defend the nation. Standing at a total height of 85 m, or 279 ft, from the base to the tip of the sword, it was the tallest statue in the world at the time of its unveiling, and remains the tallest in Europe. NOW YOU KNOW! ## Questions & answers **Q: On which hill does The Motherland Calls stand?** A: In Volgograd, formerly Stalingrad. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit A (On Mamayev Kurgan) · Wikipedia: The Motherland Calls)_ **Q: Which sculptor designed The Motherland Calls?** A: Nikolai Nikitin led the engineering. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit B (Vuchetich and Nikitin) · Wikipedia: The Motherland Calls; Palmer, How Memory Was Made: The Construction of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, The Russian Review (2009))_ **Q: How tall is the statue including pedestal and sword?** A: That's 279 feet. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit C (85 meters) · Wikipedia: The Motherland Calls; Palmer, How Memory Was Made: The Construction of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, The Russian Review (2009))_ **Q: When was the memorial dedicated?** A: For the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit D (Dedicated in 1967) · Wikipedia: The Motherland Calls; Palmer, How Memory Was Made: The Construction of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, The Russian Review (2009))_ **Q: Why was the sword replaced in 1972?** A: The new blade has slots to cut wind resistance. _(Source: Write-up · Exhibit E (A troublesome sword) · Wikipedia: The Motherland Calls)_ ## Sources - [Wikipedia: The Motherland Calls](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Motherland_Calls) - [Palmer, How Memory Was Made: The Construction of the Memorial to the Heroes of the Battle of Stalingrad, The Russian Review (2009)](https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-9434.2009.00530.x) ## Cite this case file Easterling, Marcus. "The Motherland Calls." The Detail Department (DetailEnjoyer), case file DD-590, last updated Jun 6, 2025. https://detailenjoyer.com/case/the-motherland-calls/