Defense Square in Yekaterinburg, which appeared in the second half of the 19th century, changed its name and appearance more than once. Located in the center of a modern city, it is a small, cozy space surrounded by sprawling, old trees. Relatively quiet place for a relaxing holiday.
Once a year, on the day of the celebration of the Great Victory, Defense Square in Yekaterinburg (at the address: Parkovy microdistrict) comes to life. Thousands of jubilant citizens gather here and solemn events are held near the monument "Gray Ural".
Night Square
At first, it was just a wasteland among city houses, one end of which rested on Sennaya Square, the largest in Yekaterinburg. The other approached the foot of the Pleshivaya Gorka, 282 meters high, on the top of which already in those years there was a magnetic meteorological station. Today it is a city observation deck.
But in 1885, the city authorities opened a doss house for 600 people in a wasteland. Money for construction and maintenance wasallocated by the Committee for the Welfare of the Poor. In 1888, the name of the new square appeared on the city map - Nochlezhnaya.
Simeonovskaya and Gorky Square
The city brotherhood of St. Simeon of Verkhotursky, who was busy about allocating a land plot for the construction of a church, in 1898 was given 2600 square meters. fathom in the area. Construction began immediately, collecting money from the whole world. Most of the expenses were covered by the fraternity. In 1906, a whole complex was opened here, consisting of the Simeon Church and two schools for 140 students. The square began to be called the name of the saint.
With the onset of the 20th century, new buildings appeared here: a fire station, an elementary school and a detention house. Since 1918, in the modern garden at the hospital, a building with potholes in the wall has been preserved, near which executions of dissident citizens were carried out. In 1919, a decision was made to change the church name of the square, and it became the name of Maxim Gorky. The sign of love and respect for the proletarian writer was given during his lifetime.
Ekaterinburg Defense Square
During the Great Patriotic War, military units were formed within the walls of the school located on the square. There was also a collection point where the men called to the front came. From here, mothers and wives saw off their loved ones to the war.
In total, over 100 thousand inhabitants went to the front during the war years, over 40 thousand did not return. In the 40s, in honor of those who fought and worked in the rear, aDefense Square in Yekaterinburg. On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the Victory, in 2005, a monumental sculpture was erected here, called by the author "The Gray Urals".
Monument "Gray Ural"
According to legend, the hero and giant Gray Ural is the defender of the Ural land. When he defeated all the enemies, he lay down and fell asleep before the arrival of a new disaster.
The author of the monument, G. Gevorkyan, created a bronze hero 12 meters high standing majestically on Defense Square in Yekaterinburg in full growth. In flowing long robes, an old man with gray hair raised his right hand with a sword in a scabbard. Peace has come, the weapons that were forged in the Urals have been removed. But if necessary, it will be unsheathed, and the people will again rise to defend their land.
The monument is a symbol of the courage and resilience of the inhabitants of the Urals, it is gratitude to the defenders of our land, it is a call to posterity to protect their homeland.
Where is Defense Square in Yekaterinburg? It is located in the Central residential area, in the Parkovy microdistrict. You can get there by trams and buses.
