‘The Motherland Calls’

The world’s tallest statue of a woman wields the world’s tallest sword and is at risk of toppling over.

THE MOTHERLAND CALLS” IS A towering statue that dominates the summit of Mamayev Kurgan, a hill that overlooks the city of Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad). The enormous artwork is the centerpiece of a wider memorial complex that commemorates the Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest battles in the history of warfare.

Construction began on the massive monument in May 1959, and it was finally completed in October 1967. At the time, it was the tallest statue in the world. It has since lost that record, but remains the tallest statue in Europe and the tallest statue of a woman in the world. And this isn’t a woman you want to mess with, as she wields the world’s largest sword.

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