The atomic bomb is one of the most feared weapons in human history. It was first used in August 1945. The tragedy happened early in the morning. Then an atomic bomb was dropped in the center of the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Her code name was a bit of a mockery - "Kid".
140 thousand people died from the consequences of the explosion. A monument to this great tragedy is the Hiroshima Peace Memorial, or Genbaku Dome (Genbaku). The monument has become a symbol of the most destructive force that has ever been created by man - nuclear bombardment. This complex is not visited to enjoy its splendor. People come here to cry and remember all those who died and continue to die from radiation.
General description of the memorial
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial is a museum located in the park of the same name. This is the most popular attraction in the metropolis. The main architect of the project was the famous Japanese architect Kenzo Tange. Peace Memorial in Hiroshimahas two buildings - "Main", the area of which reaches 1615 square meters, and "East" (10098 m2). The first complex was built so that the zone, which is located between the raised floor and the surface of the earth, reminded that humanity has the power to rise from the ashes.
In the "Main building" there is a huge exposition dedicated to the atomic bombing of the country. The materials collected for the exhibition show how terrible the consequences of fires, radiation and explosions were. The East Building has a cinema that shows documentaries, as well as a library and a gallery of citizens who managed to survive the bombing.
Before the memorial was erected
The building that houses the Peace Memorial today was built in Hiroshima in 1915. It was built taking into account all European traditions, which at the beginning of the last century were new to Japan. The building was a three-story house designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. The middle part of the brick building ended with a 25-meter dome. Using the internal staircase, it was possible to climb here from the main entrance. The walls of the house were lined with cement plaster and stone. The building housed various organizations and the Exhibition Center.
History of the Peace Memorial
In 1953, it was decided to create a Peace Memorial in Hiroshima, a photo of which can be seen in the article. But the implementation of this venture was not taken immediately. Great efforts have been put intoto resume ordinary city life. There was not enough money, human resources, or time to implement the entire plan to revive the city and create a memorial.
In 1963, the ruins of a building damaged by an atomic explosion were fenced off with construction nets. Outsiders were forbidden to enter here. Until that moment, everything was heavily overgrown with weeds, cracks in the walls increased, and the steel frame of the dome was thoroughly rusted and threatened to collapse. The first restoration work was carried out only in 1967. Today, the memorial dome has the same appearance as in the first minutes after the explosion. Not far from it is a stone. It always has a huge number of bottles of drinking water.
Memorial to the dead and memorial museum
The Peace Memorial in Hiroshima (Japan) is made in the form of an arch made of stone in the style of haniwa - ancient clay figurines. The written explanation says that the purpose of the erection of the structure was a bright desire to rebuild the settlement as a "City of Peace". After all, this metropolis was the first to be practically wiped off the face of the Earth by an atomic bomb. In the crypt of the memorial is a list of people of different nationalities who died in an explosion in 1945. In August 2015, the list included 297,684 names of the dead.
The Peace Memorial Museum was also established by the local authorities. He must tell people about the horrific tragedy of the bombing and the nightmarish consequences of the influence of radiation. The establishment was opened in 1955. The museum contains the belongings of those who died, as well as other evidence of a nuclear explosion.
Children's Monument
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial (Genbaku Dome) also has a structure dedicated to dead children. It is also called the Sadako Monument and the Grave of a Thousand Cranes. Schoolchildren who often come here on excursions always hold garlands made of paper birds in their hands. This tradition has a sad history.
Sasaki Sadako survived the bombing when she was only two years old. And in 1955, she was diagnosed with leukemia. The little girl believed that if she folded a thousand paper cranes, she would definitely get better. Sasaki made over 1,300 birds from various wrappers. But in the end, after eight months of fighting the disease, she still died. Classmates, who took Sasaki's death hard, decided to create a monument. It was dedicated to all the children who died as a result of the atomic bombing. The memorial was opened in May 1958.
Other monuments of the complex
The Hiroshima Peace Memorial has other monuments. All together there are approximately 50 pieces. The most famous among them are the following monuments:
- Atomic tree - firmian tree. The plant was transplanted into the park in 1973. Previously, it grew at a distance of 1.3 kilometers from the epicenter of the explosion. As a result of irradiation, the green space dried up, but the next year it bloomed again. And thus gave hope to those who managed to survive afteratomic attack.
- Monument to the poet Toge Sankichi. This is a local author who has published a huge number of works calling for peace and the rejection of atomic weapons.
The Peace Memorial Complex also has many other statues that tirelessly remind of the days of the terrible tragedy.
