Information
Landmark: Motherland MonumentCity: Kyiv
Country: Ukraine
Continent: Europe
Motherland Monument, Kyiv, Ukraine, Europe
Overview
The Motherland Monument (Ukrainian: Батьківщина-Мати, Batkivshchyna-Maty) rises high above Kyiv, its gleaming steel catching the sun, and stands as one of the city’s most famous landmarks.It stands for Ukraine’s strength and resilience, a hard‑won victory marked by the echo of boots on cobblestone streets after World War II.Built in the Soviet era, the monument stands as part of the National Museum of the History of Ukraine in the Second World War complex, its grey stone catching the chill of a winter morning.They finished it in 1981, pulling the cover away to reveal it to the public.The statue was built to mark the Soviet victory over Nazi Germany and to honor the sacrifices of the war-lives lost, families torn apart, and cities left in ruins.The statue rises 62 meters (203 feet) on its own, and with its massive base, the whole monument soars to about 102 meters (335 feet)-taller than most city buildings and among the highest statues anywhere.The material is stainless steel, its bright metallic surface catching the light so sharply you can spot it from across much of Kyiv.The statue shows a woman embodying the “Motherland,” her right hand gripping a sword while her left braces a heavy shield.The sword stretches roughly 16 meters-about 52 feet-gleaming as a powerful emblem of defense and strength.The shield carries the Soviet emblem-a hammer crossed with a sickle-marking the statue’s origin in the Soviet era.The monument sits on Kyiv’s right bank of the Dnipro, in the Pechersk district, where sweeping views of the city stretch out beneath a wide blue sky.The Motherland Monument stands as a striking emblem of national pride, its steel figure honoring the memory of those who fought in World War II.Though it was built in the Soviet era, the monument now stands as a valued piece of Ukraine’s history and culture, its bronze surface catching the afternoon sun.It’s part of a sprawling museum complex honoring the Great Patriotic War, with vast exhibits, hulking tanks, and solemn memorials.Inside the statue’s base, visitors can step onto an observation deck and take in sweeping views of Kyiv and the broad, silver ribbon of the Dnipro River.The museum complex nearby offers vivid exhibits on Ukraine’s World War II history, from faded soldier letters to rusted helmets.The site stays open all year, drawing both tourists and locals-on summer afternoons, you might spot families picnicking under the oak trees.Finished in 1981, the Motherland Monument rises 102 meters from its base, its stainless steel glinting in the Pechersk district’s sunlight, honoring Ukraine’s World War II victory and sacrifice, and still standing as one of Kyiv’s most striking landmarks.
