Grieving Mother Monument Novozybkov

During a walk around Novozybkov, Bryansk region, my attention was attracted by a small monument. It would seem an ordinary monument to the victims of war, typical for our country. Except the sad eyes of the old woman depicted on it, that looked to me unnaturally realistic. The history of this statue, meanwhile, is very interesting. This is a monument to a grieving mother. Initially, it was installed twenty kilometers from Novozybkov - in the village of Svyatsk. The prototype of the collective image of a grieving mother was one of the elderly local residents. Great help in the creation of the memorial was provided by twice hero of the Soviet Union David Dragunski, who was a native of Svyatsk. During the war, almost all of his relatives, along with other Jews who lived in the village, were killed by the Nazis.

After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, Svyatsk was in the area to be evacuated and its residents were resettled in other places. The grieving mother monument and monument of general Dragunski were moved in Novozybkov. Thus, the memorial to the Grieving mother also became a reminder of the consequences of the Chernobyl disaster. The following words are inscribed on a separated pedestal in front of the monument:

"When the country was stunned by Chernobyl alarm
Again to her soldiers- her sons came the war
Seeded suddenly our peaceful atom the threat of death over the land
There are countless number of different dates, but we remember this one."

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!