Final Transit » Memorial

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

Priyank — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:04:34 +0000

This post is part of a series of travelogues narrating my trip to Russia. Here are the other posts!
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Memorial to the soldiers killed in World War 2

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Могила Неизвестного Солдата / मोगीला नेईझ्वेस्तनोगो सोल्दाता) is a war memorial, dedicated to the Soviet soldiers who died during World war 2 (called ‘The Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945′). It is located at the Kremlin Wall, just outside Red Square, in the Alexander Garden.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier against the red Kremlin wall.

The centerpiece of the memorial is a platform, which consists of big plates made of polished red granite. In front of the tombstone, there is a five-pointed star in a square pit, which emanates the Eternal Flame of Glory from its center.

Tomb of the Unknown Soldier with the eternal flame

To the right of the tomb, there is a granite alley made of plates with encapsulated soils from the 10 hero cities which were recognised for outstanding heroism during the World War II. These cities are: Leningrad (St. Petersburg), Kiev, Stalingrad (Volgograd), Odessa, Sevastopol, Minsk, Kerch, Novorossiysk, Tula and Brest.


A Soldier on guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier

3 soldiers continuously stand guard at the memorial all day, regardless of the rain and the wind. They stand like statues, keeping a watch on everyone, and will blow a whistle if someone is trying to cross the boundary line. It was nice to see the changing of guards too. 3 guards come marching from the Kremlin and replace the ones standing here, nothing great, but a cute little exchange.

Me at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
I went to the Red Square and the memorial on my last night in Russia too. There were no guards there at that time!

This post is part of a series of travelogues narrating my trip to Russia. Here are the other posts!
« Previous post: Charming Onion Domes | Next post: Inside the Kremlin: Administrative buildings

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Toronto Tuesday 01.15

Priyank — Tue, 12 May 2009 20:35:57 +0000

Volume 1, Edition 15

‘Toronto Tuesday‘ is a weekly photo feature about random stuff (landmarks, people, culture, seasons, etc.) in the city.

Memorial to Hungarian Revolution of 1956

The 1956 Hungarian Revolution was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the Stalinist government of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956. As the protests gained momentum all across the country, the communist government fell. USSR sent troops to crush the protesters and took over the government in a military action that resulted in 3,200 deaths and 200,000 refugees.

Hungarian Freedom Fight Memorial

Anti-communist Western governments were quick to glorify the struggle and term it as the beginning of end of Soviet era. The Soviets on the other hand cultivated the perception that communism was both irreversible and monolithic.

Information board

I live close to the east European neighborhood and this memorial is located on the waterfront trail south of Queensway-Queen St. W junction.

Memorial. I don’t know what that ugly gray box is doing there.

The memorial was erected in 1966 and reads “Freedom for Hungary, Freedom for all.” I like the abstractness of the sculpture. Click the images for a bigger view.

I think the monument was simply a political statement about Canada’s stance during the cold war. I also think that the message appeals to people’s emotions (manipulation?) rather than a factual description – e.g. use of phrases like ‘men, women, children’, ‘worldwide’ etc.

Toronto Tuesday: 01.08

Priyank — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:00:36 +0000

Volume 1, Edition 8

‘Toronto Tuesday‘ is a weekly photo feature about random stuff (landmarks, people, culture, seasons, etc.) in my city.

Remembering our past… building a safe future

Spring

Winter

This guy sits here 24/7 all year long, in his proper safety equipment, dutifully chiseling the message on this granite wall. A monument on Front Street, downtown Toronto, dedicated to the labour movement, reminds us of the commitment to the prevention of workplace injury and illness.