For endurance and heroism: Stelas in Russia’s cities of military glory

The 45 cities of military glory have all been recognised for the unparalleled feats performed there by defenders of the Fatherland, becoming a symbol of courage, endurance and mass heroism for generations of Russians. A memorial stela is mounted in each of the cities holding this honorary title.

A memorial dedicated to these cities has been built in Moscow’s Park Pobedy. The foundation of the stela includes bas-reliefs depicting Great Patriotic War soldiers and military leaders of different epochs – Prince Dmitry Pozharsky, Peter the Great and Generalissimo Alexander Suvorov. At the top of the stela there is a golden two-headed eagle with outspread wings.

Which cities hold the title?

The executive order on the terms and procedure of granting the honorary title “City of Military Glory” was signed on 1 December 2006. In the ten years since, the number of recipients has reached 45. The first cities to be honoured were Belgorod, Kursk and Oryol in April 2007, followed by Vladikavkaz, Malgobek, Rzhev, Yelnya and Yelets later that October. In 2008, the title was conferred on Luga, Polyarny, Rostov-on-Don, Tuapse, Voronezh, Velikiye Luki, Veliky Novgorod and Dmitrov.

In 2009, Vyazma, Kronstadt, Naro-Fominsk, Pskov, Kozelsk and Arkhangelsk were added to the list, followed by Volokolamsk, Bryansk, Nalchik, Vyborg, Kalach-na-Donu, Vladivostok, Tikhvin and Tver in 2010. Later, Anapa, Kolpin, Kovrov, Lomonosov, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, Stary Oskol and Taganrog were honoured with the title. In 2012, the title was bestowed upon Maloyaroslavets, Mozhaisk and Khabarovsk. The most recent ones were Staraya Russa, Grozny, Gatchina, Petrozavodsk and Feodosiya in April 2015.

What do the stelas look like?

The stelas are based on a uniform design differing from one another only in city emblems and bas-reliefs. On the top of the 10.3-metre high Doric column rests the national emblem made of gilded bronze. The front of the stela’s pedestal is decorated with a plate on which the presidential executive order on granting the title is inscribed. The reverse side bears the city emblem. Four cubes with bas-reliefs depicting heroic scenes from the city’s history are placed around the square platform on which the stela stands.

The bas-reliefs in Velikiye Luki feature Alexander Nevsky with his troops, Peter the Great against the background of the 18th century city fortress’ scheme, city defence battles of 1941, Matvei Kuzmin’s feat during the occupation and other scenes. The bas-reliefs in Tver tell the story of Prince Mikhail of Tver’s victory in the battle in Bortenevo, the liberation of the city from the Polish-Lithuanian invaders, the People’s Militia of 1812, and the victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945.

The design of the stela for the cities of military glory was chosen in a national competition in 2008. In 2009, it was approved by the Pobeda organising committee. The project was developed by Merited Architect of Russia Igor Voskresensky, architects Galiya Ishkildina and Vasily Perfilyev, and sculptor Merited Artist of Russia Salavat Shcherbakov.