Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Kiev)

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Ukrainian: Могила невідомого солдата) is a war memorial located in the Ukrainian capital of Kiev, dedicated to the soldiers of the Red Army killed in the Second World War. It is situated at the Memorial of Eternal Glory inside the Park of Eternal Glory.[1] The memorial is a 27 meters high obelisk, with an eternal flame burning at the tomb. The Alley of Heroes leads to the tomb.[2]

The tomb in 2008.

Overview

The tomb was opened on 6 November 1957, on the eve of the ruby jubilee of the October Revolution.[3] On 8 May 1967, is was dedicated to the memory of all the unknown Ukrainian soldiers who gave their lives in the Liberation of Ukraine.[4] International dignitaries such as U.S. President Richard Nixon,[5][6] Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev,[7] Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius,[8] Russian President Vladimir Putin,[9] and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan[10] have visited and laid wreaths at the tomb. It is official protocol by the State Protocol Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for dignitaries on state visits to lay wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. The British government has annually held Remembrance Day services at the tomb.[11]

Since Ukrainian decommunization laws came into effect in 2015, the monument has become a divisive symbol between the pro-Russian population and the nationalist population.[12] In August 2016, neo-Nazis destroyed the memorial on the grave of the unknown soldier. On 7 November 2017 which was the day after the monument's 60th anniversary, vandals filled the eternal flame with wet cement, thus ceasing the flame for the first time since its inception. The flame was later re-lit by authorities.[13]

  • The unknown soldier
  • A Ukrainian Navy honor guard marching to the tomb.
  • The eternal flame
  • Dmitry Medvedev and Viktor Yanukovich at the tomb.
  • The eternal flame at night.

See also

References
  1. "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier - Kyiv". wikimapia.org.
  2. "Monument "Unkown Soldiers Grave" - information, events, map, reviews". kyivmaps.com.
  3. "Національний музей історії України у Другій світовій війні". warmuseum.kiev.ua.
  4. "Tomb of the Unknown Ukrainian Soldier - Find A..." www.findagrave.com.
  5. "Clip D378_38_306, from Dissolve". Dissolve.
  6. Times, Robert B. Semple Jr Special to The New York (May 30, 1972). "Greeting in Kiev" – via NYTimes.com.
  7. "Azerbaijani President visits Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Kiev". azertag.az. 28 October 2010. Retrieved 2020-04-12.
  8. "Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius paid a tribute to victims at the Memorial in Commemoration of Famines' Victims in Ukraine and a Tomb of the Unknown Soldier (Kiev)". ministraspirmininkas.lrv.lt.
  9. "President of Belarus Takes Part in Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Liberation of Ukraine - Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Belarus". mfa.gov.by. Retrieved 2017-10-07.
  10. "Turkish pm visits Tomb of Unknown Soldier in Kiev". www.aa.com.tr.
  11. "Remembrance Day in Kyiv". GOV.UK.
  12. "The Memorial Park of Eternal Glory". architectuul.com.
  13. "Vandals Cemented the Eternal Flame of the Memorial at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Kiev • Stalker Zone". Stalker Zone. November 8, 2017.

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