The Chollima Statue () is a monument on in

Pyongyang Pyongyang (, , ) is the capital and largest city of North Korea, where it is known as the "Capital of the Revolution". Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River about upstream from its mouth on the Yellow Sea. According to the 2008 populatio ...

, the capital of

North Korea North Korea, officially the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), is a country in East Asia. It constitutes the northern half of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and shares borders with China and Russia to the north, at the Yalu River, Y ...

. The monument symbolizes the "Chollima speed" of the

Chollima Movement The Chollima Movement () was a state-sponsored Stakhanovite movement in North Korea intended to promote rapid economic development. Launched in 1956 or 1958, the movement emphasized "ideological incentives to work harder" and the personal guidance ...

. The legendary winged horse

Chollima The ''qianlima'' (; also ''chollima'', ''cheollima'', and ''senrima''; ) is a mythical horse that originates from the Chinese classics and is commonly portrayed in East Asian mythology. The winged horse is said to be too swift and elegant to be m ...

depicted by the monument is said to travel 1,000 ''ri'' (400 km) a day.

History

The monument was constructed as a gift to

Kim Il-sung Kim Il-sung (; , ; born Kim Song-ju, ; 15 April 1912 – 8 July 1994) was a North Korean politician and the founder of North Korea, which he ruled from the country's establishment in 1948 until his death in 1994. He held the posts of ...

. It was built by the Merited Sculpture Production Company of the

Mansudae Art Studio The Mansudae Art Studio is an art studio in Pyeongcheon District, Pyongyang, North Korea. It was founded in 1959, and it is one of the largest centers of art production in the world, at an area of over 120,000 square meters. The studio employs ar ...

. The statue was unveiled on 15 April 1961, the 49th

birthday of Kim Il-sung The Day of the Sun () is an annual Public holidays in North Korea, public holiday in North Korea on 15 April, the birth anniversary of Kim Il-sung, founder and Eternal President of North Korea. It is the most important national holiday in the ...

. The impetus to build the monument was Kim Il-sung's speech "Let Us Further Develop Popular Art" given to rural amateur artist groups on 7 March 1961. The Chollima Statue was awarded the

People's Prize The People's Prize ( ko, 인민상) is a North Korean arts and sciences award. It is awarded by the People's Prize Awarding Commission, which is working directly under the Cabinet of North Korea. The prize can be granted to works of art or people ...

Features

The monument is 46 meters tall in total. The sculpture stands 14 meters high and is 16 meters long. The two figures riding the Chollima, a worker and a woman peasant, are 7 meters and 6.5 meters tall, respectively. The worker raises a document from the

Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea The Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea ( ko, 조선로동당 중앙위원회) is the highest party body between national meetings of the Workers' Party of Korea (WPK), the ruling party of North Korea. According to WPK rules, the ...

and the peasant holds a sheaf of rice. The figures are made of bronze, while the base is granite.

History

Features

See also

References

Further reading