Monument to soldiers-internationalists - an object of cultural heritage and a place of memory of those killed in local wars

The longest war of the Soviet armed forces abroad is connected with the military presence in Afghanistan (December 1979 - February 1989). In total, Soviet and Russian soldiers participated in 21 armed conflicts, which are called hot spots in everyday life. The wars took away 30 thousand lives of the full forces and desires of people, many of whom died a heroic death. Only Afghanistan gave the country 92 Hero of the Soviet Union.

From suppression and restriction of information about military operations, the state passed to the heroization and legitimization of the participation of Soviet and Russian military in the conflicts of other countries. Today there is no settlement wherever a monument to soldiers-internationalists has been erected, where on days of memorable dates close and simply not indifferent people can come to honor the memory of the dead.

Monument on Poklonnaya Hill

One of the most grandiose memorials was conceived in Victory Park ( Moscow), on Poklonnaya Hill. The opening of the monument to the soldiers-internationalists took place in 2004, on the anniversary date (the introduction of troops into Afghanistan). The bronze figure of a warrior in camouflage, peering out into the distance at the foot of the mountain, symbolizes a soldier performing his military duty. His four-meter figure is visible from afar: in his right hand he holds a submachine gun, and in his left - a helmet. On the pedestal of red granite on a bronze bas-relief depicts a battle scene.

It is interesting that the monument was created with funds of veterans' organizations of former Afghans and their personal contributions. Participated and the Government of Moscow, but the large-scale project in its entirety is not realized until the end. The sculptors SA and SS Shcherbakov, architects Yu. And S. Grigoriev have plans to create a memorial complex of three zones: the soldier represents the first of them - the zone of the Battle. But the territory of the Tribulation and the Clear Memory with the bronze figure of the angel are supposed to be additionally. On 55 stelae, similar to the ridges of the mountains, there will be plaques with the names of all those who died in local wars.

Other Russian monuments to soldiers-internationalists: photo, brief description

• Ekaterinburg, "Black Tulip". The idea of a stylized airplane space, carrying out a flight with a "cargo of 200" and which went down in history under the name "Black Tulip" (the name of a funeral home on the territory of Uzbekistan) belongs to the architect-sculptor AN Serov. In the center is a sitting soldier with a submachine gun. Behind it are pylons with 242 surnames of fellow countrymen who have not returned from Afghanistan. If the soldier's height is 4.7 meters, then the pylons are directed upward by 10 meters. The metal monument to the internationalist soldiers was inaugurated in 1995, but at the beginning of the two thousandths it was supplemented with a memorial of the dead soldiers in the North Caucasus by decision of veteran organizations.

• Memorial in St. Petersburg. In the northern capital, a whole park of Internationalists was created, where in 1998 a sculptor N. Gordievsky and architect N. Tarasova built a memorial from stone and metal in memory of the deceased Afghans. He opens the figure of the Sorrowful Mother just above the human height (280 cm with the pedestal) of pink granite. Behind her - the figures of two fighters among two granite steles in the form of rocks. Left and right - five similar stone slabs with the names of St. Petersburg victims. A step-by-step approach to the main monument, as it were, raises the heroic deed of soldiers, mourned by the mother.

The "winged infantry" is dedicated to

There are monuments built not with the funds of veteran organizations, but under the Presidential Decree. Such a document was signed by V. Putin in 2002 to perpetuate the feat of the 6th company of Russian paratroopers almost completely killed in battle near Ulus-Kert in March 2002. The height of 776 is a pain in the heart of every indifferent person. On it, 90 recruit children held back a two-thousand-strong gang of separatists trying to get out of the encirclement through the Argun gorge for 19 hours . Survived by lucky chance, only six. 22 Guards are represented to the star of the Hero, 69 are awarded the Order of Courage. The monument in their honor is called "Dome" and is located in Cherekh (near Pskov), where the 104th Airborne Assault Regiment is quartered.

Created by the architect Anatoly Tsarik (Pskov), the "Dome" symbolizes a parachute, the lines of which rest on the pedestal. It is made in the form of a mountain peak and consists of four faces. Their trapezoidal plates recreate the shape of the St. George Cross. 84 names of the paratroopers are immortalized here. On the snowy inner part of the dome autographs of children are fixed, and the star of the Hero of Russia crowns from the outer dome. The central axis is made in the form of 84 funeral candles, which light up orange in the dark. This is a touching and beautiful sight, for the monument to the dead soldiers-internationalists stands at the federal highway.

Instead of an afterword

On the pages of the Internet, a site for the memory of Afghan soldiers called "Black Tulip" was created. On it, the materials about all who died and died from wounds in peacetime are gathered by the grains. Developers keep records and memorial places: each monument to soldiers-internationalists has an address, description and photo. Today it is known about 373 monuments not only in Russia, but also in the CIS countries.

Annually on February 15, veteran organizations organize festive processions, rallies and laying flowers, arranging a Memorial Day for all those affected in the performance of military duty. A monument to internationalist soldiers is a gathering place for those who know nothing about the fate of their children, brothers, husbands and whose graves are not on this earth. Only Afghanistan gave the country 417 missing, therefore, the creation of memorial places is a duty of the state, sending its soldiers to protect the interests of the country on foreign territory.