Poklonnaya Gora (russian: Покло́нная гора́, literally "bow-down hill"; metaphorically "Worshipful Submission Hill"') is, at 171.5 meters, one of the highest natural spots in

Moscow Moscow ( , US chiefly ; rus, links=no, Москва, r=Moskva, p=mɐskˈva, a=Москва.ogg) is the capital and largest city of Russia. The city stands on the Moskva River in Central Russia, with a population estimated at 13.0 million ...

. Its two summits used to be separated by the

Setun River The Setun () is a river in the west of Moscow and the largest tributary of the Moskva in Moscow. The length of the river is , of which is in Moscow itself. Its basin has an area of .Second World War 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

on display. Historically, the hill had great strategic importance, as it commanded the best view of the Russian capital. Its name is derived from the

Russian Russian(s) refers to anything related to Russia, including: *Russians (, ''russkiye''), an ethnic group of the East Slavic peoples, primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries *Rossiyane (), Russian language term for all citizens and peo ...

for "to bow down", as everyone approaching the capital from the west was expected to do homage here. During the

French invasion of Russia The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...

in 1812, it was the spot where

Napoleon Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

in vain expected the keys to the

Kremlin The Kremlin ( rus, Московский Кремль, r=Moskovskiy Kreml', p=ˈmɐˈskofskʲɪj krʲemlʲ, t=Moscow Kremlin) is a fortified complex in the center of Moscow founded by the Rurik dynasty. It is the best known of the kremlins (Ru ...

to be brought to him by Russians.

Victory Park

In the 1960s, the Soviet authorities decided to put the area to use as an

open-air museum An open-air museum (or open air museum) is a museum that exhibits collections of buildings and artifacts out-of-doors. It is also frequently known as a museum of buildings or a folk museum. Definition Open air is “the unconfined atmosphere� ...

dedicated to the Russian victory over Napoleon. The New Triumphal Arch, erected in wood in 1814 and in marble in 1827 to a design by

Osip Bove Osip ( Russian ''О́сип'') is a Russian male given name, a variant of the name Joseph. Notable people with the name include: * Osip Abdulov (1900–1953), Soviet actor * Osip Aptekman, Russian revolutionary * Ossip Bernstein (1882-1962), Rus ...

, was relocated and reconstructed here in 1968. A loghouse, where

Kutuzov Prince Mikhail Illarionovich Golenishchev-Kutuzov ( rus, Князь Михаи́л Илларио́нович Голени́щев-Куту́зов, Knyaz' Mikhaíl Illariónovich Goleníshchev-Kutúzov; german: Mikhail Illarion Golenishchev-Kut ...

presided over the Fili conference which decided to abandon Moscow to the enemy, was designated a national monument. The huge panorama "

Battle of Borodino The Battle of Borodino (). took place near the village of Borodino on during Napoleon's invasion of Russia. The ' won the battle against the Imperial Russian Army but failed to gain a decisive victory and suffered tremendous losses. Napole ...

" by

Franz Roubaud Franz Roubaud (russian: Франц Алексеевич Рубо, translit=Franc Alekseevič Rubo; french: François Iwan Roubaud; June 15, 1856 - March 13, 1928) was a Russian painter who created some of the largest and best known panoramic pain ...

(1910–12) was installed here in 1962. The and the Square of Victors are important parts of the outdoor museum. In 1987 the hill was leveled to the ground and in the 1990s an

obelisk An obelisk (; from grc, ὀβελίσκος ; diminutive of ''obelos'', " spit, nail, pointed pillar") is a tall, four-sided, narrow tapering monument which ends in a pyramid-like shape or pyramidion at the top. Originally constructed by An ...

was added with a statue of

Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...

and a monument of St George slaying the dragon, both designed by Zurab Tsereteli. The obelisk's height is exactly , which is for every day of the War. A golden-domed Orthodox church was erected on the hilltop in 1993-95, followed by a memorial

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

and the Holocaust Memorial Synagogue. At the 60th V-day celebrations in 2005,

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university * President (government title) President may also refer to: Automobiles * Nissan President, a 1966–2010 Japanese ...

Vladimir Putin Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin; (born 7 October 1952) is a Russian politician and former intelligence officer who holds the office of president of Russia. Putin has served continuously as president or prime minister since 1999: as prime min ...

inaugurated 15 extravagant bronze columns, symbolizing main fronts and navies of the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian language, Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist R ...

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 ...

. File:St. George Slaying the Dragon 2, Moscow, Russia.jpg, Sculpture of St. George Slaying the Dragon File:Поклонка.jpg, St. George's Church. File:Memorial mosque.jpg, The memorial mosque File:Eternal flame on Poklonnaya Hill.jpg, Eternal Flame File:Синагога на Поклонной горе.JPG, The memorial synagogue

War museum

Since the 1980s the hill also includes the monumental museum to the Soviet victory in the

Great Patriotic War The Eastern Front of World War II was a theatre of conflict between the European Axis powers against the Soviet Union (USSR), Poland and other Allies, which encompassed Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Northeast Europe (Baltics), an ...

. The main building of the museum was constructed between 1983 and 1995. 'Hall of glory' holds reliefs of the 12 soviet Hero Cities, on its marmor walls are inscribed the names of several thousand

Heroes of the Soviet Union The title Hero of the Soviet Union (russian: Герой Советского Союза, translit=Geroy Sovietskogo Soyuza) was the highest distinction in the Soviet Union, awarded together with the Order of Lenin personally or collectively for ...

, awarded during the war. 'Hall of remembrance' downstairs contains 'Books of remembrance' with the names of more than 26 million soviet war dead. File:Unic-Kegresse P107 halftrack Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill 2.JPG, A

Unic Unic was a French manufacturer founded in 1905, and active as an automobile producer until July 1938. After this the company continued to produce commercial vehicles, retaining its independence for a further fourteen years before being purcha ...

- Kegresse P107

half-track A half-track is a civilian or military vehicle with regular wheels at the front for steering and continuous tracks at the back to propel the vehicle and carry most of the load. The purpose of this combination is to produce a vehicle with the cro ...

that was captured and used by the

Wehrmacht The ''Wehrmacht'' (, ) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the ''Heer'' (army), the '' Kriegsmarine'' (navy) and the ''Luftwaffe'' (air force). The designation "''Wehrmacht''" replaced the previo ...

, displayed in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park File:Unic-Kegresse P107 halftrack Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill 3.JPG, Tracks of a

- Kegresse P107

that was captured and used by the

, displayed in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park File:T44 Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill 3.JPG,

T-44 The T-44 is a medium tank first developed and produced near the end of World War II by the Soviet Union. It was the successor to the T-34, offering an improved ride and cross-country performance, along with much greater armor. Designed to be eq ...

displayed in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park File:SU76i Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill 3.JPG, Su-76i displayed in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park File:T48 57 mm GMC SU-57 Poklonnaya Hill Moscow 2.JPG, T48 57 mm GMC / SU-57 based on the

M3 Half-track The M3 half-track was an American armored personnel carrier half-track widely used by the Allies during World War II and in the Cold War. Derived from the M2 half-track car, the M3 was extensively produced, with about 15,000 standard M3s and mo ...

in the Museum of the Great Patriotic War, Moscow, Poklonnaya Hill Victory Park

References

External links

Report in English on exhibits at Moscow Victory Park

(in English) * Satellite photos of: *
The Moscow Triumphal Arch
*
Poklonnaya Hill main monument
*
War technics museum (ships - on the left, aircraft - on the right), tanks are hidden under trees
{{coord, 55, 43, 54, N, 37, 30, 24, E, region:RU_type:landmark_source:ruwiki, display=title Hills of Moscow Parks and gardens in Moscow Triumphal arches in Russia Military and war museums in Russia Soviet military memorials and cemeteries Museums in Moscow World War II museums in Russia