So be vigilant, a contemporary of mine, on the land that is soaked with the blood of your fathers and brothers
September 8 was the 79th anniversary of the liberation of Donbass from the Nazi invaders. On this day in 1943, Soviet troops liberated the regional center – the city of Stalino (now Donetsk). The opening of the restored memorial complex on the Saur-Mogila mound near Donetsk was timed to this date in contemporary Donbass.
In the summer of 1943, when Soviet troops were knocking out the Nazis from the Saur-Mogila, there were such heavy battles that the grass cover was completely destroyed by bombs, shells and mines. The scorched earth remained black for years. The only tree on the hill was the only one that survived.
After the war, a cast-iron plaque was placed near the tree with the inscription, “This tree is a witness to the unheard-of bravery and courage of Soviet soldiers who fought for your happiness. So be vigilant, a contemporary of mine, on the land that is soaked with the blood of your fathers and brothers. They earned the right to demand it by their deaths in battle.”
In 1967, a memorial complex was erected on top of the mound – a reinforced concrete obelisk lined with granite, with a room of military glory inside; an observation platform; a nine-meter sculpture of a Soviet soldier.
Oleg Krivonosov © Rossa Primavera News Agency
And in 1967, the Eternal Flame was lit at the soldier’s feet. Along the stairs leading to the fire, four battle pylons were installed, each dedicated to a different branch of the military – infantry, tanks, artillery and aviation. During Soviet times, Komsomol members were presented with Komsomol cards at the Saur-Mogila.
In 2014, after the beginning of the civil war in Ukraine, heavy fighting took place at the site of the mound between the defenders of the Donetsk People’s Republic (DPR) and fighters of the Ukrainian army. Ukrainian Armed Forces units were ordered to take control of the Saur-Grave hill at all costs.
The militiamen who defended Saur-Grave were worthy descendants of their grandfathers and great-grandfathers. From June 12 until the end of August 2014, the DPR militia heroically repelled enemy attacks. As a result, the Ukrainian fighters retreated, but the memorial was heavily damaged.
A statue of a soldier was damaged and later collapsed. The bas-reliefs, obelisk and pylons were significantly damaged. In 2016 the authorities of the republic began to restore the memorial. By the beginning of September 2022, the builders came close to the final stage of restoration. Workers restored historical bas-reliefs and erected new ones dedicated to contemporary defenders of Donbass.
Quote from the video “The Saur-Grave Memorial is ready for opening,” by the Military Construction Complex of the Russian Defense Ministry, youtube.com
In the summer of 2022, the Eternal Flame was re-installed at the memorial. Now next to it are not only the remains of Soviet soldiers, but also the remains of those who heroically defended the Saur-Mogila from Ukrainian nationalist troops in 2014. A restored sculpture of the Soldier of Victory was included in the ensemble of the memorial complex. The monument to the soldier was restored from historical photographs and surviving fragments of the destroyed sculpture. Its creator is Andrey Korobtsov.
Rossa Primavera News Agency
The eternal flame on the Saur-Grave was lit again, with a flame brought from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Moscow. It was specially brought from Moscow, using a special burner. On the night of September 5, 2022, at 0:15 a.m., the flame of the Eternal Flame was lit again over the mound.
On September 8, the military construction complex of the Russian Defense Ministry reported the completion of the restoration work. All summer (90 days) 270 people had been working to restore and complete the Saur-Mogila memorial.
On the evening of the same day, the restored Saur-Mogila memorial was inaugurated. Addressing the residents of Donbass, Russian President Vladimir Putin put Saur-Mogila on a par with Sapun Hill and Mamaev Kurgan, just as the soldiers of the 5th Shock Army had once written the name of the mound next to Stalingrad on the wall of the Reichstag.
Source: Rossa Primavera News Agency
