First, let us have a quick look at the tallest statues in the world.
India’s ‘Statue of Unity’ depicting Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, located in the Narmada district of Gujarat, is the tallest in the world since 2018. It is 183 m tall, sits on a 50 m pedestal, and measures 240 m in total height.
The 2nd tallest statue is the ‘Spring Temple Buddha’ in Henan province, China. It measures 128 m (420 ft) and stands on a 19.3m lotus throne and other pedestals, thus giving a total height of 208m.
After the 'Statue of Unity,' interestingly, starting from the 'Spring Temple Buddha,' we find that the 2nd to 8th tallest statues in the world are those of either Lord Buddha or Bodhisattva, all of them based in Asia. Now, we get to the 9th tallest statue in the world.
It depicts a woman, but whom exactly? Where is she?
‘The Motherland calls’ – A statue reminiscent of history
‘The Motherland Calls,’ located in Russia, is the tallest statue of a woman globally and carries historical value for the nation.
It depicts a woman representing the Motherland at 52 m tall, while her upward-pointed sword measures another 33 m.
So she measures 85 m (279 ft) altogether from her feet to the tip of the blade.
The statue weighs roughly 7,900 tons, 5,500 of it being concrete, and 2,400 metal. The sword alone weighs 14 tons.
The pedestal beneath the statue is 2 m tall and supported by a concrete foundation with a depth of 16m (52ft).
Why and when was the statue built?
The statue, work of sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and engineer Nikolai Nikitin, was built over eight years (1959-1967) as a part of a memorial complex dedicated to the ‘Heroes of the Stalingrad battle.’
That battle during the Second World War (1942 – 1943) had witnessed the Russian resistance defeat the invading Nazi forces, earning the title ‘Hero City’ to Stalingrad from the Soviet Union, and even the ‘Sword of Stalingrad’ from the King of England George VI.
The history behind the statue is also visible in its form.
The statue is seen holding a sword up in the air with her right hand, and asking the citizens with the left hand to come forward to serve the nation.
The statue’s posture, that too at such heights, required complex engineering, and even the metal in the sword had to be replaced from titanium sheets to steel later on, and with holes at the top to better withstand the wind speed.
The frame is also supported by around a hundred steel cables from within. These were replaced during a recent refurbishment.
There are 200 steps leading up to the statue, representing the 200 days of the Stalingrad battle.
It is still the tallest in Europe
‘The Motherland Calls’ was the tallest statue in the world for a long time since its installation in 1967.
It is still the tallest statue in Europe.
The Statue of Liberty
The world-famous ‘Statue of Liberty (Liberty Enlightening the world) is 46m (151 ft) tall, and the pedestal on which it is placed measures 47m.
If measured along with pedestal, the Statue of Liberty would be taller, at 93 m.