The Motherland Calls
The “Motherland Calls” statue has great significance for the evolution of Russia’s political identity. During the Battle of Stalingrad in 1942, German soldiers stormed Russia on what is now Mamayev Kurgan Park in an attempt to gain control over the Soviet Union. The battle lasted five months, one week, and three days, and is regarded as one of the bloodiest battles of all time because of the non-stop warfare, air raids, and close combat fighting. The purpose of the Battle of Stalingrad for the Axis powers was to gain control over the industrial capacity of Stalingrad and block the nearby Volga River that was used for shipping oil and ammunition supplies. After months of fighting, the Russian army devised a series counter-attacks known as Operation Uranus that eventually succeeded in weakening the German army in 1943.
In the course of the battle, tens of thousands Soviet soldiers died on Mamaev Kurgan. However, the counterattack by the Russian army marked a decisive moment in World War II history and shattered the German record of unprecedented winnings in the Eastern bloc. These factors contributed not only to Russia’s historical legacy as a strong and militarized nation but also to its cultural legacy of nationalism, pride, and propaganda. Most notably, the Russian counterattack that brought down the German army was later re-enacted, shown in a popular propaganda film and broadcasted throughout the world (Petrov, The Battle of Stalingrad). The statue’s status as the largest sculpture in the world at the time of completion sent a strong message to the world: that Russia was strong, powerful, and important and would not be intimidated. The Mother figure in “The Motherland Calls,” with her defiant expression and large sword, ultimately represents the archetypal image of the Russian Motherland. However, certain questions about the statue remain unanswered. It is unclear if the woman in the statue is simply shouting in triumph, or if she is making an impassioned call to the Russian people to rise in battle and prevent a similar massacre from occurring in the future (Polyakova, 2015).
source- http://omeka.macalester.edu/courses...w/love-thy-mother--symbolic-moth/significance
