Mamayev Kurgan — The Last Soldier's Diary

Your journey begins in Volgograd, at the foot of 'The Motherland Calls' statue, a colossal work by architect Yevgeny Vuchetich erected in 1967. Standing 85 meters tall, with the figure alone measuring 33 meters, it symbolizes the resistance of the USSR hero-city during the Battle of Stalingrad. As a scout, you perceive this sword tip, visible from afar, as a call to Soviet soldiers. The Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex, a tentative UNESCO World Heritage site, opens before you. This strategic hill, known as Hill 102, changed hands eight times between August 1942 and February 1943, testifying to the fierce fighting for control of Volgograd.

As you head towards the summit of Mamayev Kurgan, you walk along the Alley of Heroes, a processional path lined with monuments commemorating the 62nd Army. Your first encounter with the memory of the combatants is the Warrior Statue, a stone sculpture at the complex entrance, depicting a soldier armed with a submachine gun and a grenade. This monument marks the beginning of the ascent towards The Motherland Calls. It is here, on this path to the Hall of Glory, that you grasp the immense sacrifice, a prelude to the 34,500 Soviet soldiers collectively buried in the sacred grass of the site, forbidden to visitors.

Your route then leads you to the Square of Heroes, a central element of the Mamayev Kurgan memorial complex. Six six-meter-tall statues represent the struggles of the Battle of Stalingrad. One depicts a soldier with a bag of grenades, ready for assault. The last statue, particularly striking, symbolizes two soldiers slaying a serpent, an allegory of fascism, which they cast into the Volga River. These visual representations in Volgograd immerse you in the intensity of the fighting and the determination of the defenders, as you continue your ascent towards the Hall of Glory.

At the summit, the Hall of Glory awaits you. This circular building, constructed after 1943, houses an eternal flame and plays Schumann's 'Träumerei,' creating a solemn atmosphere. The interior mosaics list the names of 6,000 to 7,200 identified Soviet soldiers who fell at Stalingrad. This central altar, with its bronze tablets, is a place of contemplation open 24/7, with no entry fee. As a scout, you seek information here, but primarily find the weight of history and the memory of lives given for the defense of Volgograd. The panoramic view of the city from the summit of Mamayev Kurgan is a reward after this memorial journey.

Your scout mission concludes, but the memory of Stalingrad, the USSR hero-city, endures. The Mamayev Kurgan complex, with its monuments and graves, embodies resilience in the face of adversity. From the Warrior Statue to the imposing Motherland Calls, passing through the Square of Heroes and the Hall of Glory, every step in Volgograd has connected you to a living history. You carry with you not only the facts of the battle but also the human depth of this tentative UNESCO World Heritage site, a testament to the courage of Volgograd's defenders and the Soviet victory.