Savur-Mohyla ( uk, Савур-могила), often transliterated using the Russian spelling Saur-Mogila (russian: Саур-Могила), is a strategic height in the

Donets ridge The Donets Ridge is a highland that is the highest northeastern part of the Donets upland. The ridge is located within the Donetsk and Luhansk Oblasts and is partially in the Rostov Oblast (Russia). The highest point on the ridge is a hill — M ...

near the city of

Snizhne Snizhne or Snezhnoye ( uk, Сніжне́, ; russian: Снежное; until 1864 — Vasylivka — uk, Василівка) is a city in Horlivka Raion, Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine. The eastern edge of Snizhne is adjacent to administrative border ...

, in occupied Ukraine. The tall hill is better known for a big monument complex that was built in 1963 by Ukrainian architect Anatoly Ignashchenko to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the liberation of Savur Mohyla during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

History

It was originally a

tumulus A tumulus (plural tumuli) is a mound of earth and stones raised over a grave or graves. Tumuli are also known as barrows, burial mounds or '' kurgans'', and may be found throughout much of the world. A cairn, which is a mound of stones ...

(

kurgan A kurgan is a type of tumulus constructed over a grave, often characterized by containing a single human body along with grave vessels, weapons and horses. Originally in use on the Pontic–Caspian steppe, kurgans spread into much of Central As ...

) – ''mohyla'' means "tumulus" in

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

and according to one interpretation the word ''savur'' comes from Turkic ''sauyr'', meaning "steppe mound shaped like a horse bottom". Rosamund Bartlett writes, "Many popular legends had been spun about this particular kurgan, which had acted as a kind of frontier between the Russians and the Turks and Tatars in the mediaeval period; Saur appears in them either as an evil Turkish khan or a Cossack hero."

World War II

During

, Savur-Mohyla was the focal point of intense fighting, when Soviet troops managed to retake control of the height from German forces in August 1943. In 1963, a memorial complex was unveiled at the top of the hill to honour fallen soldiers, comprising an obelisk with a steel-and-concrete statue of a Soviet soldier, four steel-and-concrete sculptures built along the slope leading up to the obelisk (each memorializing infantrymen, tankmen, artillerymen and airmen involved in the battle), and walls inscrcribed with the names of fallen soldiers in the battle.

2014 war in Donbas

In 2014, during the first months of the military conflict between Ukrainian troops and Ukrainian rebels of the Donetsk People's Republic (DPR) in the Donbas, the Savur-Mohyla height was captured by Donetsk People's Republic fighters. On 23 July 2014, DPR forces shot down two Ukrainian Air Force

Sukhoi Su-25 The Sukhoi Su-25 ''Grach'' (russian: Грач ('' rook''); NATO reporting name: Frogfoot) is a subsonic, single-seat, twin-engine jet aircraft developed in the Soviet Union by Sukhoi. It was designed to provide close air support for Sovi ...

(NATO reporting name "Frogfoot") ground-attack aircraft flying at 17,000 feet (5,182 meters) over Savur-Mohyla, using an advanced anti-aircraft system. On 28 July 2014, after intense fighting, the

Armed Forces of Ukraine , imports = , exports = , history = , ranks = Military ranks of Ukraine , country=Ukraine The Armed Forces of Ukraine ( uk, Збро́йні си́ли Украї́ни), most commonly know ...

claimed that they recaptured control of Savur-Mohyla from DPR fighters. However, the commander of the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a disputed en ...

, Igor Girkin, denied Savur-Mohyla had been lost, saying fighting was continuing. Following its capture by the Ukrainian

25th Airborne Brigade The 25th Separate Airbone Sicheslav Brigade ( uk, 25-та окрема повітрянодесантна Січеславська бригада) is an airborne formation of the Ukrainian Air Assault Forces. It is the only airborne unit of Ukra ...

on 9 August 2014,Ополчение отступило со стратегической высоты Саур-Могила
// RIA Novosti, 9 August 2014 the DPR recaptured the hill on 26 August 2014. During the fighting, the hill changed sides between the Ukraine and DPR about 8 times.

Destruction of the memorial

On 21 August 2014, the memorial's obelisk collapsed after enduring weeks of heavy shelling.Panoramic video of the destroyed memorial
Lifenews.ru, August 28, 2014Savur-Mohyla Left Without Obelisk Because of Shelling
Censor.NET, August 21, 2014

Reconstruction

On 4 September 2022, representatives of the Donetsk People's Republic announced completion of restoration works on the complex with official reopening to occur on 8 September.

Gallery

Saur-Mogila Soviet soldiers colorized.png, Red Army soldiers near Saur-Mogila during World War 2 Savur Mogila 01.jpg, Monument to Soviet infantrymen in World War 2 Savur Mogila 02.jpg, Monument to Soviet tankmen in World War 2 Savur Mogila 03.jpg, Monument to Soviet pilots in World War 2 "Саур-Могила".JPG, Soviet soldier statue next to the former obelisk Savur-Mohyla.JPG, Ukrainian soldiers near the memorial before the Battle of Shakhtarsk Raion in June 2014 Saur-Mogila Ukrainian 2S5 Giatsint-S.png, Ukrainian soldiers fire multiple

2S5 Giatsint-S The 2S5 ''Giatsint-S'' (russian: 2С5 «Гиацинт-С»; en, hyacinth) is a Soviet/Russian 152 mm self-propelled gun. "2S5" is its GRAU designation. It has nuclear, biological, and chemical protection. The 2S5 is capable of engaging ta ...

at DPR positions at Saur-Mogila, July 2014 Saur-Mogila bombarded with artillery.png, Ukrainian soldiers bombing DPR positions in Saur-Mogila, July 2014 Saur-Mogila bombarded with BM-21 Grad.png, Ukrainian

BM-21 The BM-21 "Grad" (russian: БМ-21 "Град", lit= hail) is a self-propelled 122 mm multiple rocket launcher designed in the Soviet Union. The system and the M-21OF rocket were first developed in the early 1960s, and saw their first comba ...

rockets exploding at Saur-Mogila, July 2014 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 045.jpg, Large memorial to World War 2 Soviet soldiers in August 2015 Saur Mogila memorial.png, Close-up of the memorial 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 049.jpg, Another view of the memorial Saur Mogila memorial in 2015.png, Saur-Mogila in 2015 with notable damage a year after the war in Donbas battle 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 055.jpg, HD view of the path and visitors File:2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 056.jpg, Aftermath of the monument to Soviet infantrymen 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 063.jpg, Aftermath of the monument to Soviet tankmen 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 072.jpg, Aftermath of the monument to Soviet artillerymen 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 075.jpg, Aftermath of the monument to Soviet pilots 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 077.jpg, Soviet pilot statue collapsed in front of rubble 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 079.jpg, More pilot statues amongst the rubble 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 092.jpg, A memorial considerably damaged after the battle 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 093.jpg, Path to the destroyed obelisk 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 102.jpg, Outside view of the former obelisk 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 105.jpg, Rubble inside of the former obelisk 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 109.jpg, View of the area in front of Saur-Mogila 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 086.jpg, Cemetery for fighters of DPR Vostok Battalion unit called "Medvedevtsi", with an old bell 2015-08-16. Участники фестиваля «Большой Донбасс» на Саур-Могиле 154.jpg, Closeup of fallen DPR fighters that died for the capture of the hill

References

{{Coord, 47, 55, 22.75, N, 38, 44, 25.94, E, scale:2000, display=title Russia–Ukraine border Tourist attractions in Donetsk Oblast National Landmarks in Donetsk Oblast World War II memorials in Ukraine Geography of Donetsk Oblast Kurgans Hills of Ukraine World War II sites in Ukraine Former buildings and structures in Ukraine Demolished buildings and structures in Ukraine