USSR. Soviet Union. Motherland Calls Statue. Родина-мать зовёт!,

The Motherland Calls statue, in Russian: Родина-мать зовёт!, literally “The Motherland Calls!”, is a monumental statue erected on Mamayev Kurgan hill in Volgograd (formerly Stalingrad), Russia, in commemoration of the Battle of Stalingrad during World War II. It was designed by sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and structural engineer Nikolai Nikitin, and was declared the tallest statue in the world in 1967. The statue is complex from an engineering standpoint, due to its distinctive posture with the sword raised high in the right hand and the left hand extended in a calling gesture.

This statue is mainly based on the personification of Mother Russia, although it is also a modern interpretation of Victory or Nike. It can be seen as an allegory of the Motherland calling and urging her children to fight the enemy.

Construction of the monument began in May 1959 and was completed on October 15, 1967. When inaugurated, it was the tallest statue in the world, measuring 87 meters from the tip of the sword to the base of the platform. Two hundred steps, symbolizing the 200 days of the Battle of Stalingrad, lead from the bottom of the hill to the monument.

The model who posed for the statue, Valentina Izotova, a native of the city, is still recognized for her resemblance to the sculpture. She was recruited by Lev Maistrenko, an artist working on the complex in the early 1960s.

Metal with wooden base. Total height is 59 cm, the figure itself measures 55.5 cm. The sword can be detached, screwed into the hand.