Using the symbolism of the eternal flame. Anna Yudkina "monument without memory": the first eternal flame in the USSR. Eternal Flame in Russia
Monday marks exactly half a century since the country's main war memorial, the Tomb, was opened Unknown Soldier in the Alexander Garden. About the history of this monument, as well as how it is being monitored now, in the TASS material.
History of origin
In the fall of 1966, the CPSU Central Committee proposed creating a memorial near the walls of the Kremlin - the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - in memory of the heroes who died in the battles of the Great Patriotic War. The reason for this idea was the 25th anniversary of the defeat of German troops near Moscow.
The remains of an unknown fighter were exhumed from the mass grave near the former Kryukovo railway station. It was here that at the end of 1941 it was possible to stop the advance of Wehrmacht infantry and tank formations.
December 3, 1966 ashes in a coffin covered St. George's ribbon, delivered to the capital. The procession, consisting of an honor guard and a group of war veterans, made its way from Leningradskoe Highway to Manezhnaya Square.
Then a funeral meeting took place. The marshal gave a speech Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovsky, who commanded the 16th Army in the battles for Kryukovo. After the meeting, the coffin was moved to the Alexander Garden, where it was lowered into the grave amid an artillery salute.
Almost six months later, on May 8, 1967, the memorial itself, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, was officially opened at the burial site. The monument was designed by architects Dmitry Burdin, Vladimir Klimov, Yuri Rabaev and sculptor Nikolai Tomsky.
The inscription on the memorial was invented by the writer Sergei Smirnov, as well as the poets Konstantin Simonov, Sergei Mikhalkov and Sergei Narovchatov. According to the memoirs of Sergei Smirnov, in the end they chose the option proposed by Sergei Mikhalkov: " Your name unknown, your feat is immortal."
In front of the tombstone, in a square recess, there is a bronze five-pointed star. The eternal flame in it was solemnly lit by the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev. This fire was delivered to Moscow from Leningrad - from the Champ de Mars, where the memorial to the victims of the February and October revolutions is located.
And in December 1997, a permanent guard of honor post appeared at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Military personnel of the Presidential Regiment, who had previously served at the Lenin Mausoleum, began to be on duty at the memorial.
Reconstruction
In December 2009, the memorial was closed for reconstruction. During maintenance work, the Eternal Flame was moved with military honors to Victory Park. Especially for this purpose, a copy of the memorial star was installed on Poklonnaya Hill.
The copy's burner was strengthened and modified to take into account the strong winds due to the open space. Just two months later, the Eternal Flame returned to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
The return ceremony took place on February 23, 2010. Two armored personnel carriers with temporary burners brought the fire to the Alexander Garden. The flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was lit by Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
The memorial of military glory itself opened later - on May 8, 2010. Its new element was a stele about 1 meter high and about 10 meters long with the names of cities of military glory (currently 40 cities).
Prevention
From the very first day, Mosgaz specialists have been servicing the Eternal Flame. They check the burner system at Alexander Garden every month. All work is carried out after 22:00, when the territory is closed to citizens and tourists.
Prevention at the memorial is also a solemn process, since in order to turn off the Eternal Flame, it is necessary to light a particle of it on a temporary burner. In its design, it is arranged in the same way as a permanent one. However, gas comes here from portable cylinders. Thanks to them, the system can be offline for up to 10 hours.
After preparation, the Eternal Flame is turned off and a team of mechanics begins work. They dismantle the igniters, inspect and clean them of carbon deposits. The whole job takes 40 minutes.
Then the star and fire are returned to their place. After the device is assembled, the flame is lit and extinguished several times to ensure that the system is working properly. And only after that the temporary burner is turned off.
On May 8, 1967, the Eternal Flame was lit at the Kremlin wall at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in memory of the people who fell in the bloody struggle against fascism.
51 years ago, in May, a symbol of memory and tribute to those people who gave their lives in the fight against the German invaders lit up near the Kremlin wall.
Since then, the fire has burned continuously and constantly - reminding us of the price at which our ancestors gave us freedom. And even though dozens of veterans remain with us now, the memory of their feat will live forever.
However, few people know that the tradition of maintaining fire in special burners at various memorials, monuments and cemeteries originated in Ancient Rome. The symbol of fire was described in ancient myths, where both people and gods appeared. It is interesting that the initial possession of fire is attributed to women, and men received it later. This prescription is reflected in modern times - now a woman is considered the keeper of the family hearth (fire).
From the point of view of sacraments and symbolism, the “fire sign” also carries a lot within itself. Thus, earlier in mythological systems fire was classified as an object of purely religious relation, which was worshiped by people. Since ancient times, light has always carried the symbol of the “divine” and illuminated the human path. Moreover, the first people on earth considered the flame to be a manifestation of God himself, who was accessible to perception. At its core, fire has always been considered a symbol of purification, transformation and renewal of life, as well as the family (which gathers around its light and warmth) and patriotism.
For the first time, the eternal flame was lit in Paris at the Arc de Triomphe at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in which the remains of a Frenchman who died in the battles of the First World War were buried. The flame of memory has been burning in Paris since January 28, 1921. After this, the tradition of lighting a fire was borrowed by many states and countries. Thus, in the 1930s and 1940s, flames were lit in Belgium, Romania, Portugal and the Czech Republic in memory of the soldiers who died in the First World War.
The first “Eternal Flame” in the USSR was lit in the Tula region in the village of Pervomaisky on May 9, 1957 in memory of those who fell in the Great Patriotic War. Patriotic War. However, the first Eternal Flame in the USSR at the state level appeared on November 6, 1957 on the Field of Mars in St. Petersburg.
There are currently three Eternal Flames burning in Moscow. The first was lit at the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery on February 9, 1961 from the flames on the Field of Mars. The second is located near the Kremlin wall at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Heroes of the Soviet Union took part in the ceremony of lighting the fire at the Kremlin wall: A.P. Maresyev and G.F. Muslanov. Then Maresyev passed the torch with fire into the hands of the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee L.I. Brezhnev, who lit the fire at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ashes of the unknown soldier were transferred from the mass grave at the 40th kilometer of the Leningrad Highway in Zelenograd to the Alexander Garden on December 3, 1966. The third fire appeared on April 30, 2010 on Poklonnaya Hill.
IN this moment The eternal flame was lit in many cities of Russia. And while the symbol of victory, heroism and perseverance will burn, we will remember the great feat of our grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and those who won this Victory over Nazism.
For 50 years now, the flame of the Eternal Flame near the walls of the Kremlin has not been able to blow out the wind, cover the snow and pour in the rain. It is inextinguishable. However, this is not a miracle, but a complex technical device. On February 22, late in the evening, I was able to observe a unique moment - the ceremonial maintenance of the burner of the Sacred Flame, dedicated to the 50th anniversary of the Eternal Flame in the Alexander Garden.
A little educational history. The first “Eternal Flame” in the USSR was lit in the village of Pervomaisky, Shchekinsky district, Tula region on May 6, 1955 in memory of those who fell in the Great Patriotic War. However, the Eternal in every sense These words cannot be used to describe it, since its combustion regularly stopped. The first truly Eternal (never stopped burning) fire in the USSR was the fire lit on November 6, 1957 on the Field of Mars in Leningrad. Three Eternal Flames are currently burning in Moscow.
The eternal flame at the walls of the Kremlin was solemnly lit on May 8, 1967 by the General Secretary of the CPSU Central Committee Leonid Brezhnev, who accepted the torch from the Hero of the Soviet Union military pilot Alexei Maresyev. Historical photo:
The MOSGAZ museum still preserves the portable gas torch with which Brezhnev lit the Eternal Flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The torch consists of a metal body, inside of which there is a liquefied gas cartridge and a burner. The torch is still operational.
In order to maintain the constant burning of the flame of the Eternal Flame, it is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance of the unique gas burner device. By the way, from the very first day of the lighting of the Eternal Flame at the walls of the Kremlin, for half a century now, the MOSGAZ company has been servicing it.
To prevent the flame from extinguishing during maintenance work, it was transferred to another burner using a special torch. The torch was carried by the developer of the Eternal Flame burner, Honored Inventor of the Russian Federation, Kirill Reader.
The temporary gas burner device is a smaller copy of the main burner. And it also has its own unique history, because it was thanks to him that in 2010 the sacred flame returned to the Alexander Garden after the reconstruction of the memorial from its temporary stay on Poklonnaya Hill.
Just in case of a fire, a candle is also lit nearby.
The star is lifted and taken to the side.
The star, by the way, is also not simple, but was created using space technologies at the country’s leading rocket enterprise - now RSC Energia named after Korolev.
Locksmiths of the highest level are allowed to perform the work. They check the igniters, which are under high voltage.
In total, the burner design provides three igniters, which provide triple redundancy so that the Eternal Flame burns in any weather.
The burner of the Eternal Flame is supplied with ordinary natural gas, which is present in the homes of Muscovites. But it burns not with blue, but with bright yellow flames near the Kremlin wall, precisely because of the design of the burner.
I found an infographic on the Internet that clearly shows the burner design. Thanks AiF
After the procedure was completed, the entire structure was reassembled.
At the end, the flame of the Eternal Flame was lit by the head of MOSGAZ, Hasan Gasangadzhiev, and a veteran of the Great Patriotic War and the gas industry, Viktor Volkov.
The current inspection of all systems is special - timed to coincide with Defender of the Fatherland Day and the half-century anniversary of the monument itself, so all Russian federal television channels decided to capture this moment.
On February 23, as always according to the old tradition, at the Eternal Flame, Vladimir Putin honored the memory of the fallen soldiers by laying a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier...
51 years ago, in May, a symbol of memory of those people who gave their lives in the fight against the German invaders was lit at the Kremlin wall. Since then, the fire has been burning continuously and constantly - reminding us of the price at which our ancestors gave us freedom . And even though dozens of veterans remain with us now, the memory of their feat will live forever. However, few people know that the tradition of maintaining fire in special devices, at various memorials and monuments arose in Ancient Rome. The symbolic meaning of fire was discussed in ancient myths. Often, fire was generally classified as a religious object that people worshiped. Since ancient times, it was believed that light carried a symbol of the “divine” and illuminated the human path. Moreover, the first people on earth considered the flame to be a manifestation of God himself, who was accessible to perception. In essence, fire has always been considered a symbol of purification, life, as well as family (which gathers around its light and warmth) and home. For the first time, the Eternal Flame was lit in Paris at the Arc de Triomphe at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, in which the remains were buried a Frenchman who died in the battles of the First World War. The flame of memory has been burning in Paris since January 28, 1921. After this, the tradition of lighting a fire was adopted by many states and countries. So, in the 1930-1940s, flames were lit in Belgium, Romania, Portugal and the Czech Republic in memory of the soldiers who died in the First World War. But the first country to perpetuate the memory of the soldiers killed in the Second World War was Poland. The fire was lit in Warsaw on May 8, 1946. The fire was also lit in Canada, the USA and many European countries. The first Eternal Flame in the USSR was lit in the Tula region in the village of Pervomaisky on May 9, 1957 in memory of those who fell in the Great Patriotic War. However, the first Eternal Flame in the USSR at the state level appeared on November 6, 1957 on the Field of Mars in St. Petersburg. Currently, three Eternal Flames burn in Moscow. The first was lit at the Preobrazhenskoye Cemetery on February 9, 1961 from the flames on the Field of Mars. The second is located near the Kremlin wall at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Heroes of the Soviet Union took part in the ceremony of lighting the fire at the Kremlin wall: A.P. Maresyev and G.F. Muslanov. Then Maresyev passed the torch with fire into the hands of the Secretary General of the CPSU Central Committee L.I. Brezhnev, who lit the fire at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The ashes of the unknown soldier were transferred from the mass grave at the 40th kilometer of the Leningrad Highway in Zelenograd to the Alexander Garden on December 3, 1966. The third flame appeared on April 30, 2010 on Poklonnaya Hill. At the moment, the Eternal Flame has been lit in many cities of Russia. And while the symbol of victory, heroism and perseverance will burn, we will remember the great feat of our grandfathers, great-grandfathers and those who won Victory over Nazism.
The eternal flame symbolizes the courage and bravery of the soldiers who gave their lives for a brave cause. When the Nazi occupiers violated the non-aggression pact and treacherously invaded the territory of the Soviet Union, everyone, young and old, contributed as best they could to the Great Victory. Most of the boys and girls volunteered to go to the front to beat the enemy, those who did not go to the front stood behind the machines, making shells and tanks for the Soviet army, mostly these workers were children.
The first days and months of the war were very difficult and tense. With incredible courage and bravery, the Soviet people defended their great Motherland. Volunteers were organized in Belarusian forests partisan detachments, who through their actions tried to thwart Adolf Hitler’s lightning-fast plan to capture the Soviet Union.
Opening of the first Eternal Flame of Glory
One of the first monuments to soldiers killed in battle was opened back in 1921. The memorial complex was built under the Arc de Triomphe in the French capital, Paris.
In the collapsed Soviet Union, in Moscow, in honor of the celebration of the Great Victory in 1955, the Eternal Flame was solemnly lit at the monument. However, it is difficult to call it “eternal”, since it was lit periodically, only a few times a year:
- to celebrate Victory Day;
- on Armed Forces Day and Navy, later, since 2013, on Defender of the Fatherland Day;
- on the Day of Liberation of Shchekino.
The truly Eternal Flame is considered to be the fire in St. Petersburg (formerly Leningrad), which was lit on November 6, 1957 on the Field of Mars.
Today there are only three such memorial complexes in the capital. The first Eternal Flame was lit on February 9, 1961. Over time, the gas pipeline supplying gas deteriorated, and starting in 2004, it was temporarily turned off while repairs were being carried out, and by 2010 it was turned on again.
Monuments and memorial complexes built in the 50-60s of the twentieth century have become fairly worn out by our time. Gas pipes leading to fire are especially affected. Therefore, the government annually allocates funds to reconstruct and replace pipes at many of the country's monuments as quickly as possible.
Photos of the memorial complex
The photo below shows the Eternal Flame at the Kremlin Wall, which was lit at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in 1967. The opening ceremony was chaired personally by Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev. In 2009, the fire was moved to Victory Park on Poklonnaya Hill. In 2010, it was returned again to the Kremlin wall.
Representatives of the Moscow Veterans Society made a proposal to open a memorial on Poklonnaya Hill. The public warmly supported this initiative, because such monuments symbolize the eternal memory of fallen soldiers and teach modern youth not to forget the terrible pages of the history of their country.
The following remarkable and brave citizens were honored to light the Eternal Flame:
- Vladimir Dolgikh, a participant in the fighting during the defense of Moscow, an honorary citizen, and chairman of the Council of War and Labor Veterans.
- Hero of Russia Colonel Vyacheslav Sivko.
- Representative public organization Nikolai Zimogorodov.
After opening memorial complex this place has become the most visited in the Russian capital. Not only Moscow residents come here, but also numerous tourists who want to see the sights of the hero city.
Is the Eternal Flame necessary?
Modern youth are less and less interested in history and those distant, troubled days of the Great Patriotic War. There are fewer and fewer people left who passed through the fiery walls of hell in those years. But nevertheless, we must never forget about the feat that our fathers and grandfathers accomplished in the name of peace for future generations. One of these reminders are monuments and memorials with an eternal and unquenchable flame, reminiscent of the heroic deeds of soldiers on the battlefields.
When designing and restoring monuments, experts are thinking about how to make an Eternal Flame, but there are people and officials who are against this. They argue this by saying that extra material costs are needed for the installation and maintenance of gas exhaust pipes and burners. But it is very good that there are only a few such people, because the Eternal Flame symbolizes the eternal memory of the feat that people accomplished in the name of peace.
Where do veterans meet?
In many cities of the vast expanses of Russia, monuments and memorials with the Eternal Flame have been opened. These places have long become attractions and calling cards of cities; they attract many people of different ages, guests and tourists. For veterans, they serve as a meeting place and remembrance of distant war days and fallen comrades.
On the day of the celebration of the Great Victory over the Nazi occupiers, May 9, fresh flowers are brought to monuments and memorials and wreaths are laid. Here they very often set up a field kitchen for veterans with the mandatory one hundred grams of front-line food.
Eternal flame at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
During the bloody battles, a huge number of soldiers and officers went missing. The remains of dead soldiers are still being found at former battlefields. During the defense of Moscow back in 1941, a huge number of workers and soldiers were killed; in their honor, the monument “Tomb of the Unknown Soldier” was built in 1967. At its foot, pointed flames burst out from a bronze five-pointed star, symbolizing the unforgotten exploits of the heroes.
The Eternal Flame monument serves as a meeting place, because every day people bring fresh flowers to it, thereby honoring the memory of the soldiers who gave their lives for a bright future. It serves as a meeting place for students from Moscow (and not only) schools with war veterans. Each child then records what they see by creating a drawing. The eternal flame burns with a bright flame in young hearts.
Creating a drawing
How to draw the Eternal Flame? Before you start sketching, you need to look at it in person at least once. It is best to make a sketch without leaving the memorial, this way you can choose the most suitable angle. The monument should be photographed in order to complete the begun drawing at home.
On a piece of paper you need to sketch out the outline of the memorial. It is important to remember when creating a drawing: The eternal flame should not reach the edges of the sheet; two to three centimeters should be left. In this case, the image will turn out beautiful and voluminous. The sketch and the drawing itself should be done with a sharp pencil, drawing light lines.
Shutdown
The next step is to draw clearer outlines. Parents can give their children their advice on how to draw the Eternal Flame, but it is better to do it in the shape of a five-pointed star in the form of rays with all sides of the figure completed.
To add volume from each vertex of the star, we raise (lower) perpendicular lines relative to the entire picture and connect them with parallel lines. The final moment will be connecting the center of the star with its vertices. After this, you should proceed directly to drawing the flame. It is better not to paint the tongues of fire in a flashy bright red color, but to make them orange-red.
Finally, use an eraser to remove all auxiliary lines and color the picture using colored pencils or watercolors.
Hero Cities
The inscription on the granite slab of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial reads: “Your name is unknown, your feat is immortal.” In continuation historical ensemble Parallel to the Kremlin wall, urns with soil taken from the hero cities were installed: Minsk and Leningrad, Sevastopol and Kyiv, Kerch and Volgograd, Brest and Smolensk, Tula and Murmansk.
As you can see in the photo, the “Eternal Flame” is a monument that is always crowded with people. The flame burns constantly, and the top of the memorial ensemble is decorated with a soldier's helmet cast in bronze, a laurel branch and a battle flag. On May 9, Victory Day, thousands of people come to look at the Eternal Flame, as well as veterans who take a minute of silence to honor the memory of the fallen soldiers who showed extraordinary courage and fortitude in the struggle for freedom during the Great Patriotic War.
Craft for Victory Day
The “Eternal Flame” craft, made with your own hands, will be the most beautiful and expensive gift that a schoolchild can give to his grandparents who fought. On the eve of the holiday, at school and at home, adults should have a conversation with children about the heroic exploits of Soviet soldiers on the battlefields against the Nazi occupiers.
The craft is made from paper or other available materials. It should not be complicated so as not to discourage children from doing it. To make an Eternal Flame out of paper, a child will need perseverance, attentiveness, and the ability to use scissors and glue. Such crafts are best done by middle school students, fifth and sixth grade students. To make a gift you will need scissors, colored paper, glue, a simple pencil and a ruler. First you need to draw a star on the back of the colored paper, cut it out and glue the three-dimensional shape. You also need to do the same with the image of fire.
More possible in a simple way make the Eternal Flame with your own hands. To do this, you will need the following ingredients: half a glass of flour, water and one tablespoon of vegetable oil. Ask your elders or try to knead the dough yourself. From it, like from plasticine, mold a cake and press it down with something flat, such as a saucer or plate. From the resulting cake, cut out a five-pointed star with a knife. Make five small fire holes in the middle. To make flames you will need red colored paper. On back side you should draw the fire, then cut it out. There should be five flames. Having cut them out of paper, they need to be inserted into the holes made in the dough. The craft is ready, and you can give it to your grandparents!
The fire of Eternal Glory burns
Many representatives of the younger generation do not even know that their grandfathers and great-grandfathers once fought for the freedom of their Motherland. The primary task of teachers and parents is to work with children, aimed at ensuring that they do not lose the thin thread connecting the history of past glory and the realities of present life. Almost no one can answer the question of when the first Eternal Flame was lit; few can tell why it burns and what it symbolizes. Stories about war are an integral part in the upbringing and development of a child.
The eternal flame in Moscow and many cities in the vast expanses of the Motherland burns at the foot of memorial ensembles and monuments.
Memory is imperishable
In Cherkessk, during the celebration of Victory Day in 1967, a fire was solemnly lit at the memorial to the fallen liberating soldiers who gave their lives for the independence and freedom of Russia. From a conversation with the director of the local history center, S. Tverdokhlebov, it was possible to find out that he piece by piece collected information about the soldiers who died in the Great Patriotic War, defending the city of Cherkessk. Based on this material, a book was published and the memory of the heroes was immortalized in the form of a memorial complex with the Eternal Flame.
It is very important that the current generation never forgets about the terrible crimes against all humanity committed by the Nazi invaders, so that the horror of war that our grandfathers experienced is never repeated, especially since every year there are fewer and fewer living witnesses of those terrible and busy days.