The Great Patriotic War is forever embedded in the tablets of people's memory. The names of its heroes, the course of the main events are immortalized in the names of streets and squares, numerous monuments and memorials. One of them is the Memorial of Glory in Bratsk, created for the 30th anniversary of the Victory Day.
Military page and its reflection in the monument
The beginning of the Great Patriotic War was characterized in Bratsk by a high level of civil activity. Volunteers applied to the front, the entire civilian population handed over bonds, workdays and natural products in favor of the defense fund. As a result of mobilization, more than six thousand brothers went to the front.
The approaches to Moscow were defended by the 29th division, in which 52 brothers served. And in the battle near Golitsyno in November 1941, 40 natives of Bratsk died.
Residents of Bratsk joined in fundraising for the creation of the tank "Irkutsk collective farmer", were engaged in harvesting, including furs, knitted mittens, opened a fish factory,provided transportation of fuel in difficult military conditions.
The inhabitants of Bratsk will not forget their hero - Stepan Borisovich Pogodaev, who covered the embrasure of the enemy pillbox during the battle for Sevastopol with his chest.
Description of the Memorial of Glory in Bratsk
A monument to all the defenders of the Motherland was erected in Bratsk. It was erected in just two months during city Sundays by the inhabitants of the city. Initially, more than 1200 names of compatriot heroes were carved on its plates, but gradually their number increased to more than 2.5 thousand. The list of names for the Memorial of Glory in Bryansk was completed thanks to the research and search activities of I. S. Smirnov, a resident of Bratsk, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War. This list, placed on memorial plates, is clearly visible in the photo of the Glory memorial in Bratsk. For each of the heroes, a funeral is kept in his file, as documentary evidence of historical authenticity.
The artistic image created by the authors G. Ganiev, V. Zimin, Y. Rusinov is unusual. It is made of reinforced concrete in the form of two silver blades, 26 m high. The blades symbolize the flames of war or eternal flame.
Around the vertically standing blades on pillars, there is an open ring consisting of two sickle-shaped planes. Marble slabs with the names of the fallen soldiers-brothers are fixed on the planes. Bas-reliefs are placed between the plates, and on the outside there is a text glorifying the fallen and their feat through the ages.
The Memorial of Glory in Bratsk consists of a huge number of blocks of various sizes and shapes. Therefore, for each separately it was required to make an individual form. It was one of the most difficult tasks in creating the monument.
A must visit
The memorial was erected on the territory through which the stream used to flow. They brought earth and soil here, drained and raised the soil.
Of the many projects submitted to the competition announced in Bratsk, G. Ganeev's project, which, unfortunately, did not have accompanying drawing documentation, won. In this regard, the architect V. Zimin was involved in the work on the creation of the monument. The Monument of Glory immediately became the central and most visited place in the city. Rallies and demonstrations are held next to it, important events for the residents of the city. Since 1980, work has been underway to decorate the square around the monument. Opposite are the famous T-34 wartime tank and the no less legendary MIG-17 military fighter. Nearby are pylons. They store the land from the places and battles in which brother warriors took part.
For the inhabitants of Bratsk, this is not just a memorial, but a mass grave of compatriots who gave their lives for a peaceful sky over the heads of all the inhabitants of our country and all living brothers. Everyone who finds himself in Bratsk should definitely visit this memorable place. The Memorial of Glory is located next to the boulevard of the 30th anniversary of the Victory.
