Volgograd

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Firstly, apologies on how late and rushed this one is. The next will be better, I promise!



I arrived in Volgograd mid-afternoon on Tuesday and walked to my hostel on Heroes Alley.

Volgograd is probably better known to history buffs as Stalingrad, but before Stalingrad it was called Tsaritsyn, 'Yellow River'. Founded in about 1589 to guard Russia's southern boundary, Tsritsyn was also a trading port. Although it was only named 'Stalingrad' for 39 years, this is the name most people recognise.

The Battle of Stalingrad had a devastating effect on the city and the people. I visited Mamaev Kurgan (Hill 102) and the Battle of Stalingrad Museum. Mamaev Kurgan is a monument to the battle and the museum is, well, a museum dedicated to the battle. At Mamaev Kurgan I was given a guided tour by a woman who knew just about everything to do with the battle.

On the first day of the battle, Nazi aircraft dropped bombs on Stalingrad and razed it to the ground. 90% of the city was destroyed in one day. The battle lasted 5 months but resulted in the deaths of over a million people (more than the current population). The statistics continued to be unbelievable. (for more information, begin with Wikipedia and move on something in paper).

The woman in my hostel suggested I should go out for a walk (apparently being on my laptop at 10am is too late), I headed out of the hostel and headed towards the waterfront. There was a fountain of women (statues, nothing gross), and two column things (see photos) that guided you down to the waterfront and the fairground that was set up there. It wasn't working, fortunately (I love a pirate ship), and so I made my way through the park, crossed over the road to a cafe, found the café was closed, walked along the pier and came across a policeman, a lady and a dead body being covered with plastic bags...

Across the road was a park with a church. By Orthodox standards it was very plain and simple, but elegant none-the-less. Outside stood statues of the patron saints of the family, and around them was a wall with biblical quotes about fathers, mothers and children (I took photos, I'll look them up one day).

I took the tram to Mamaev Kurgan (with the statue of the Motherland calling). Volgograd's tram is half underground and half above. There is the typical straightforwardness you come to expect on Russian public transport: buy the ticket from one person, have it stamped by another, have one person monitor you as you go down the 1-storey escalator, and then someone might check it on the tram for good measure. Why have one when you an employ four?

We passed Volgograd's football stadium on the way, and a Carousel (the Tesco of Russia). I got off the tram and went across the street and headed up the hill until I could see Mother Russia, perching on top of a hill. A special hill that had a special geographic name.... that I can't remember. (Mum, if you would like to leave a comment with the answer, it would be appreciated... is Kurgan an English word too? Wikipedia says Tumulus? is that an English word? What is it?)

... Anyway, as I was heading up the... mound... I came across a woman reading a book, who was offering her services as a guide. I don't normally go for guides, but this woman was very sweet, and very knowledgeable, she was very excited to speak English and well, I hadn't done any research before going out. She was lovely and spoke just about solidly for an hour and a half. She knew all the details of the war and pointed out interesting parts of the courtyards, statues and walls.

I headed back into town and visited the planetarium, where the woman in the ticket office threw down her sandwich and explained that there was nothing on today and returned to her sandwich.

The war museum was well stocked with photos and letters of the soldiers that lived and died in the city. There was a Coventry cross on display (during the war Volgograd was twinned with Coventry, since both of them had been devastated).

The highlight (and most publicised part) of the museum were the rooms of panoramas. Circular walls were covered with murals that matched up to the real debris on the floor in front. The largest panorama was up three or four storeys in the centre of the building. A 360° degree panorama of what the battle may have looked like.

I met some lovely people in the hostel in Volgograd. The staff were lovely and the city was very peaceful. It turned out to be my last stop in Russia as I found a direct train to Crimea, Ukraine and decided to spend a few days there before heading to Chisinau, Moldova.

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Comments

[Mandy]

Tumulus
This is an ancient burial ground - would that make sense?

[scenicroute]

Tumulus
Yep, that makes sense!