Some communist-era monuments in Moscow, Russia

*WS 107: some communist-era monuments in Moscow, Russia*

Moscow was the capital of the communist Soviet Union from 1922 to 1991. And all communist countries love to build giant monuments to showcase the success of communist rule, achievements, etc. In 2011 we visited Moscow and spent a morning at 2 important monuments built for this purpose: the Monument to the Conquerors of Space and the Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy or VDNKh. 

The first 2 photos show the scenes at the Space monument first open in 1964. The main structure is a giant obelisk topped by a rocket and resembling in shape the exhaust plume of the rocket. It is 107 m tall and covered with titanium cladding.

As for the VDNKh it started in 1935 first as a venue for agricultural exhibition. The site expended to include, by 1989, nearly 400 buildings and 82 pavilions. The most memorable structure here is the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman statue in the 3rd photo, featuring the gigantic figures of a man and woman holding together the famous "hammer and sickle", the symbol of communism. It is 24.5 m tall and first erected at the 1937 World's Fair in Paris. The 4th photo is the main gate, the 5th is the statue of Joseph Stalin in front of the Central Pavilion, the 6th the Pavilion of Armenia, the 7th the Rotunda of the Uzbekistan Pavilion while the 8th is the Fountain of Friendship of Nations.