Slavín is a

memorial A memorial is an object or place which serves as a focus for the memory or the commemoration of something, usually an influential, deceased person or a historical, tragic event. Popular forms of memorials include landmark objects or works of a ...

monument and

military cemetery A war grave is a burial place for members of the armed forces or civilians who died during military campaigns or operations. Definition The term "war grave" does not only apply to graves: ships sunk during wartime are often considered to be ...

Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...

, the capital of

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

. It is the burial ground of thousands of

Soviet Army uk, Радянська армія , image = File:Communist star with golden border and red rims.svg , alt = , caption = Emblem of the Soviet Army , start_date ...

soldiers who fell 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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

while taking over the city in April 1945 from the occupying German

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 previous ...

units and the remaining Slovak troops who supported the clero-fascist Tiso government. It is situated on a hill amidst a rich villa quarter of the capital and embassy residences close to the centre of Bratislava. It was constructed between 1957 and 1960 on the site of a field cemetery, and opened on April 3, 1960 on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the city's liberation. The monument was constructed similar in kind to the

Palace of Culture and Science A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence, or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word is derived from the Latin name palātium, for Palatine Hill in Rome which ...

in Stalinist architectural style. In 1961 it was declared a National Cultural Monument. Its designer was Ján Svetlík. RR5712-0044R

History

The monument was inaugurated in 1960 on the occasion of the 15th anniversary of the liberation of the city by the Soviet army. Cities with dates of their liberation are listed on its walls. 6,845 soldiers are buried in the cemetery.

Description

This monument and cemetery of the soldiers of the Soviet Army killed while liberating Bratislava near the end of the Second World War was designated a National Cultural Monument in 1961. On top of the 42 metre tall obelisk is
12.5 metre tall statue of a soldier
from Slovak sculptor Alexander Trizuljak. The soldier is holding up a flag in his right hand and crushing the

swastika The swastika (卐 or 卍) is an ancient religious and cultural symbol, predominantly in various Eurasian, as well as some African and American cultures, now also widely recognized for its appropriation by the Nazi Party and by neo-Nazis. It ...

with his left boot. The bronze caisson door of the memorial auditorium is decorated with reliefs by R. Pribiš. The site consists of: *A solemn staircase *A cemetery with graves (6 mass graves, 278 individual graves) of 6,845 Soviet soldiers who fell while liberating Bratislava *The central solemn hall with various statues, inscriptions, and a symbolic

sarcophagus A sarcophagus (plural sarcophagi or sarcophaguses) is a box-like funeral receptacle for a corpse, most commonly carved in stone, and usually displayed above ground, though it may also be buried. The word ''sarcophagus'' comes from the Greek ...

made of white

marble Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or Dolomite (mineral), dolomite. Marble is typically not Foliation (geology), foliated (layered), although there are exceptions. In geology, the ...

. It also features a 42 m high

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 Anc ...

topped with a statue of a Soviet soldier, and on the outside walls are inscriptions of the dates of liberation of various places in Slovakia during 1944–45. Other facts about Slavín: *The monument is situated on top of the Slavín hill, one of Bratislava Old Town's topographic highs (part of the Male Karpaty mts.). The location offers excellent views of much of Bratislava, which makes it a popular destination for walks for local residents. *In the area of Slavín there are also more statues of Slovak famous artists, such as Jan Kulich, Tibor Bártfay and Jozef Kostka. *In 2005, Vladimir Putin, the Russian president, visited it during his meeting with G. W. Bush in Bratislava. *The day of Bratislava's liberation is 4 April, when people and president show their honor to fallen Soviet soldiers. *In 2015, Sergey Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, visited Slavín on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of Bratislava's liberation.

History

Description

See also