Monument to Valery Chkalov (Nizhny Novgorod, Russia) - description, history, location, reviews, photo and video.
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Monument famous pilot Valery Chkalov is considered the second most popular attraction in Nizhny Novgorod after the Kremlin. Wedding corteges come here, dates are made here, and tourists consider it a matter of honor to take a picture next to him and walk along the huge Chkalov Stairs. Valery Petrovich Chkalov - Soviet test pilot, participant in an unprecedented flight through North Pole. As a teenager, he saw an airplane for the first time and became "sick" of the sky. At the age of 15, the boy went to the front of the First World War as an apprentice aviation fitter. In 1936, together with his comrades, he made the first ever direct flight of almost 10 thousand km - from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, for which he received the Lenin Prize, the title of hero Soviet Union and Stalin's personal gratitude.
Chkalov's sculpture was installed on the Volga embankment on December 15, 1940, two years after the death of the pilot. The idea was brought to life by his friend, sculptor, laureate of the State Prize of the USSR I. A. Mendelevich, and the architects I. G. Taranov and V. S. Andreev gave it significance thanks to the pedestal. The basis of the monument is three steps in the form of a polyhedron and a high cylindrical foot, lined with black granite, on which the name of the hero and a map of the northern hemisphere with the routes of famous flights are engraved. Chkalov is depicted in black stone in anticipation of the flight. The figure is facing the city, he is dressed in a pilot's uniform, pulls on a glove and looks up, as if planning his next meeting with the sky.
Practical Information
Address: Nizhny Novgorod, Verkhnevolzhskaya office. Coordinates: 56.330048, 44.009390.
How to get there: from the Moscow railway station by car 6.5 km (11 minutes), by buses No. 3, 4, 19 to the Minin and Pozharsky Square stop.
Arriving in Nizhny Novgorod, tourists are sure to get acquainted with one of the most popular monuments - a sculpture depicting Valery Pavlovich Chkalov. He dreamily looks into the sky and seems to be preparing for a new flight.
Locals treat this attraction with special trepidation. It seems as if the monument has always been there. Today it is a meeting place, an obligatory point of the tourist route and a symbol of the city. Do you know how this statue appeared near the Kremlin?
History of the place
We will walk to the St. George's Tower. If you turn to face the Volga, the figure of Chkalov will rise to your right, who, like a hospitable host, greets guests.
The very place on which the monument stands is remarkable. At the beginning of the 17th century there was a nunnery here, which in the 19th century was moved to Lyadova Square. The fact is that at that time space was being cleared. Along the walls of the Kremlin, it was planned to equip a recreation area for citizens who could walk along the paths, admire the green spaces and views of the Volga.
In the last century, on the site of the pedestal, there was a cafe where you could enjoy delicious ice cream.
Today, a truly amazing view opens up from here. Bor flaunts on the opposite bank, in the distance one can see new bridge, and on the river, various ships are important and majestically sailing: pleasure boats, steamers, business barges.
Who was supposed to take Chkalov's place?
The great pilot liked to walk along the Volga slope and stopped at the observation deck near the Kremlin wall to admire the river landscapes. He often came to the city, here he had many friends and acquaintances. With one of them, the sculptor Isaac Mendelevich, he talked about the fact that such a remarkable place should have a monument to an outstanding Nizhny Novgorod citizen. The figure of Maxim Gorky would be perfect for this role.
Although the idea was good, it was not given to be realized. After the death of Valery Chkalov, the sculptor insisted that the monument really be erected, but it belonged to the pilot. The project was developed by Mendelevich himself with the help of architects Ivan Taranov and Viktor Andreev.
The monument was supposed to be on the territory of the Kremlin, but Isaac Mendelevich installed the figure of a friend in his favorite place.
Transfer of stairs to the monument
What appeared first - a monument to the legendary test pilot or the famous Chkalov Stairs? The idea of building steps arose long before the Great Patriotic War. Valery Chkalov was familiar with the chairman of the City Executive Committee, Alexander Shulpin, and told him more than once about the need to connect the observation deck with the embankment at the very edge of the river.
The idea of building a staircase grew into the development of a whole project, which was carried out only in 1949. Initially, the steps were supposed to be closer to the Kazan Congress, but the death of Valery Chkalov changed its location and name.
History decreed that the memory of the legendary pilot-hero is securely kept in the hearts of his countrymen, Nizhny Novgorod residents. It is here, where he thoughtfully looked into the distance, admiring the incredible landscapes, that his bronze counterpart is installed. The staircase connecting the Kremlin and the Volga, the main building of the city and the mighty river, proudly carrying its waters, is named after him.
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A country: Russia
City: Nizhny Novgorod
Was passed: 1940
Sculptor: I.A. Mendelevich
Architect: I.G. Taranov, V.S. Andreev
Description
Monument Soviet test pilot, Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Pavlovich Chkalov, who was the first to make a non-stop flight over the North Pole from Moscow to Vancouver, is a figure of the legendary Soviet pilot in full growth. Valery Chkalov, in a flight suit, stands with his arms folded across his chest and his gaze fixed on the boundless blue of the sky. The monument is set on a cylindrical pedestal lined with labradorite. On the pedestal is a map of the world, more precisely the view from the North Pole. The map shows the route of the famous flight. And also on the pedestal there is a commemorative inscription: “1904-1938, to Valery Chkalov, the great pilot of our time.”
History of creation
The monument to Chkalov was erected on the square near the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin. A beautiful staircase leads from the embankment to the monument, named after the heroic personality of Chkalov. The monument was erected in 1940 on the day of the tragic death of the pilot.
How to get there
The most interesting thing to get to the monument is to come to the Boat Hero stop (route T117, T42). Admire the monument to the Hero Boat and climb the very beautiful Chkalov stairs. Here, near the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin, at the crossroads of the Kremlin Street and the Verkhnevolzhskaya Embankment, there is a monument to the legendary pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov (Verkhnevolzhskaya Embankment Street, 10a).
The monument was erected as a tribute to the great deeds of Nizhny Novgorod, famous throughout the country, a countryman who managed to make a record flight in 1936 across the whole country (Moscow - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky), and in 1937 an unprecedented flight from the USSR to the USA through the North Pole. On December 15, 1938, during the first test flight on the new I-180 fighter at the Central Airfield named after M.V. Frunze (formerly the Central Airfield named after L.D. Trotsky), an experienced pilot Valery Pavlovich Chkalov died. Making a landing approach, the M-88 engine stopped, but Chkalov V.P. heroically controlled the plane to the end and managed to land it outside the area occupied by residential buildings. The pilot himself hit his head on the metal armature that was at the crash site, and died of his injury 2 hours later in the Botkin hospital.
In the same year, after the death of the pilot, the residents of Gorky applied to the city authorities with a request to erect a monument to Chkalov. On the day of the second anniversary of the death of the legendary test pilot, brigade commander and Hero of the Soviet Union Valery Pavlovich Chkalov on December 15, 1940, a monument in his honor was solemnly opened in Nizhny Novgorod. The monument was installed in one of the most beautiful places in Nizhny Novgorod - on the Upper Volga embankment near the Georgievskaya tower of the Kremlin, where Valery Pavlovich Chkalov loved to walk so much. The authors of the project were the Laureate of the State Prize, sculptor I.A. Mendelevich and architects V.S. Andreev and I.G. Taranov. The monument is located on three high steps lined with black granite. Bronze statue of V.P. Chkalova was cast at the Monumentsculptura plant in Leningrad. The figure of the pilot rises on a cylindrical pedestal, the head is slightly thrown back, the right hand pulls the glove on left hand. Everything in the guise of a great pilot speaks of his courage, fearlessness, perseverance.
The polished surface of the cylinder bears the contours of a map of the Northern Hemisphere with the routes of two historical flights of the ANT-25 crew under the command of Chkalov. Flight routes of the heroic crew of Chkalov-Baidukov-Belyakov on Far East and across the North Pole to America are depicted with nickel-plated plates, Moscow as the starting point for flights was marked with a red ruby star. At the bottom of the pedestal there is an inscription in bronze letters: “1904-1938. To the great pilot of our time Valery Chkalov.
The history of mankind is full of the names of those people whose merits and deeds are forever imprinted on its pages. At all times there were those who looked at the world differently, had a sharp mind, purposefulness, had the courage and courage to accomplish real feats. The activity of such people does not go unnoticed, is not forgotten by the next generations. Their perpetuation in the form of monuments plays a big role in this. This kind of manifestation of respect and memory can be found in every locality because even the smallest community knows the names of those who made huge contribution and in its formation and development. Nizhny Novgorod also remembers great people. The monument to the test pilot and real master virtuoso was erected on December 15, 1940 and still reminds residents of his services to the country.
Who is Valery Chkalov?
Among all the significant places, the monument to Chkalov in Nizhny Novgorod stands out, the history of which is distinguished by many twists and turns and surprises. The man who gave the development of Soviet aviation a powerful impetus and thanks to whom during the Great Patriotic War pilots mastered new, incredibly important skills cannot but arouse respect and gratitude from people. Valery Chkalov was the commander of the aircraft crew, which was the first to make a direct flight from Moscow to Vancouver.
He was an innovator, the initiator of a new stage in aviation. Thanks to the results of his activities, Valery Chkalov is considered the founder of the aerobatics school, which is based on a thorough knowledge of piloting technique and courage. This man was the first test aircraft of different speeds, which allowed the designers to constantly improve their models. His ability to quickly escape from the fire thanks to wartime helped a considerable number of pilots to stay alive in the face of direct danger.
Monument to Valery Chkalov in Nizhny Novgorod: history
Valery Chkalov died on December 15, 1938 while testing another fighter model. Immediately after his death, the government adopted a number of documents in which there were decisions to perpetuate his memory. The place for the installation of the monument was not chosen by chance. The observation deck near the Georgievskaya tower of the Kremlin was Chkalov's favorite place for walks.
Previously, this place was a statue of a "Girl with an oar." Even during his lifetime, Valery Chkalov advised this place to his friend, sculptor Isaac Mendelevich, to erect a monument to Maxim Gorky. At that time, he still did not know that it was in this place that his exploits would forever be immortalized and that it would especially highlight Nizhny Novgorod. Dozens of people come to see the Chkalov monument every day, and they all look with great respect at the figure of the Hero of the Soviet Union.
The idea of the authors
The monument to Valery Chkalov in Nizhny Novgorod was designed by his friend Mendelevich, as well as architects and Viktor Andreev. Valery Chkalov is shown in his flight suit putting on a glove. The basis is a cylindrical granite pedestal, which is placed on three high steps. On the polished surface of the base, an image of a map was applied, on which the route of the two most significant flights of Valery Chkalov was marked. Moscow, as the starting point of all its beginnings, is marked with a ruby star.
construction
In just a month of work, this place adorned Nizhny Novgorod. Although the monument to Chkalov was erected quite quickly, since the solemn laying of its foundation on Aviation Day in 1940, it has often been altered, since a number of inaccuracies were made. The monument is made of bronze; the figure was cast at the Leningrad plant "Monumentskulptura". According to the establishment, the question arose of creating the necessary chiaroscuro, as a result of which searchlights were installed for special lighting on the roof of the St. George's Tower and the Medical Institute.
Sculptor Isaac Mendelevich was awarded the Stalin Prize in 1942 for the monument to Valery Chkalov. Later, in 1960, the monument was taken under state protection. It has changed several times since 1940. Often had to restore it, because weather accelerated the process of destruction of materials. As a result, the stars on the map changed three times. But even with frequent strengthening and alteration, the monument retained its original appearance.
Chkalov staircase
Chkalov staircase is business card, one of the most popular places that glorify Nizhny Novgorod. The monument to Chkalov was originally built near industrial areas. At one of the meetings of the city commission for the erection of the monument, the idea was put forward to build a staircase that would connect the monument itself and the river below.
This contributed to the improvement of the slope and the embankment. The war became the main obstacle in the completion of the project, and its implementation dragged on for six whole years. As a result, it was made in the shape of a figure eight and has 560 steps. The name "Chkalovskaya Stairs" was given to the place by the people and was finally assigned to it.
