Rostov-on-Don is the largest city in the south of the European part of Russia, with a population of over one million people. One of its most famous monuments is the Kumzhensky memorial. Rostov-on-Don is one of the few Russian cities that survived two occupations during the Great Patriotic War. And the memorial complex in the Kumzhenskaya grove is a living reminder of that difficult but heroic period in his biography.
Hero City on the Don
In 2008, Rostov-on-Don received the honorary title of "City of Military Glory". Everyone understood the most important strategic significance of the "gates of the Caucasus": both Stalin and Hitler. Having occupied this city, the fascist troops got access to two important resources at once: the Kuban fields and the Caucasian oil.
For the first time, German troops came close to the lower reaches of the Don in mid-November 1941. For three days, young and inexperienced fighters held back the onslaught of the enemy. But on November 21, the Germans entered the city. The first occupation of Rostov lasted only a week. However, this week went down in the history of the city as "bloody". Enraged fascists carried out more than one punitive operation here, shooting people right on the streets.
Counteroffensive underthe leadership of Marshal Semyon Timoshenko made it possible to oust the enemy from the city. By the way, this was one of the first major victories of the Red Army in that war.
Soviet Rostov-on-Don remained until mid-July 1942. On July 24, Wehrmacht troops entered the city again. The second defense of Rostov was no less fierce. And she, having pulled over a significant proportion of the German troops, gave time to prepare for the battles near Stalingrad.
The second occupation of the city lasted about seven months. During this time, up to 40 thousand citizens died, about the same number were sent to forced labor in Germany. In February 1943, a large-scale military operation began to liberate the city, which later historians will call "real hell." Indeed, for this, the Soviet troops had to cross to the opposite bank of the Don along a frozen and uncovered area.
On February 14, 1943, Rostov-on-Don was completely liberated from the Nazi invaders.
Where is the Kumzhenskaya Grove?
One of the monuments of modern Rostov-on-Don, which reminds its inhabitants of those bloody battles, is the Kumzhensky memorial. It is located in the Zheleznodorozhny district, on the southwestern outskirts of the city.
Geographically, this is a cape (or "arrow") between the channels of two rivers - the Don and the Dead Donets. The townspeople know this place as the Kumzhenskaya grove.
The grove is not only the Kumzhensky memorial, but also a great place for a summer holiday. It is famous for its spacious green meadows, from which a picturesqueview of the river and city.
Kumzhensky memorial: photo, history and description
The complex consists of several objects: the main monument, four steles of Glory, a mass grave, five marble pylons and numerous commemorative plates. The names of combat units that took part in the battles for Rostov are carved on them.
The central place of the memorial complex is occupied by a monument called "Sturm". It is depicted as a huge 20-meter arrow, which indicates the direction of advance of the Soviet troops. When viewed from the side, the monument clearly resembles the arrow used in classic military maps.
The monument is decorated with a sculptural composition consisting of several figures of Soviet soldiers going into battle. Interestingly, here are the real faces of people who took an active part in the operation to liberate Rostov in 1943.
Kumzhensky memorial was opened in 1983. The authors of the project were R. Muradyan (architect), E. Lapko and B. Lapko (sculptors). In the mid-1990s, the memorial complex gradually fell into disrepair. Only in 2015 it was thoroughly restored and landscaped. Now the territory of the memorial is decorated with beautiful lawns, flower beds, equipped with lighting and video surveillance systems.
Memorial (Kumzhenskaya grove): reviews of tourists
After the reconstruction, the attendance of the memorial complex has increased several times. Here withboth guests of the city and its natives come with pleasure. Traditionally, newlyweds lay flowers at the central monument. All the alleys of the complex are lined with beautiful paving slabs, and the main monument is decorated with spectacular lighting.
Kumzhensky memorial is very popular among travelers. “Beautiful, large-scale, touching” - such epithets are most often found in the reviews of tourists about this place. Most of all, travelers are impressed by the huge stele in the form of a curved arrow.
Most people who visited the memorial complex advise to come here in the summer and dry days of the year. Since in rainy weather it will be very difficult to get to the object without getting dirty. But there will be no problems with food on the “arrow”. At the entrance to the Kumzhenskaya grove there is a large restaurant.
