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Photo by Rəcəb Həsənbəyov from Wikimedia
Top 10 outstanding Facts about Monument to Richard Sorge
Located in Baku’s Sorge Park, the Monument to Richard Sorge is a monument to the Hero of the Soviet Union Richard Sorge, a Soviet intelligence officer during the Second World War.
It was erected in 1981 on the initiative of the then President of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev. The monument features fake bullet holes, with the eyes of the sculpture lighting up at night. It was sculpted by Soviet artist Vladimir Tsygal.
The monument to Richard Sorge is made in the form of an oblong and curved bronze plaque. In the center, there is an image of the middle part of Sorge’s face which cuts through the stone eyes and depicts his piercing gaze.
Here are the Top 10 Outstanding Facts about Monument to Richard Sorge
1. It is Dedicated to Richard Sorge
The Monument to Richard Sorge is a monument specifically dedicated to Soviet Union’s Hero Richard Sorge, a Soviet intelligence officer during the Second World War. The monument is located in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan.
Sorge, born on 4th October 1895 and died on 7th November 1944, was a German journalist and Soviet military intelligence officer who was active before and during World War II.
He worked undercover as a German journalist in both Nazi Germany and the Empire of Japan. His codename was “Ramsay”.
Many famous personalities considered him one of the most accomplished spies.
Sorge is most famous for his service in Japan in 1940 and 1941 when he provided information about Adolf Hitler’s plan to attack the Soviet Union.
2. It was Sculpted by Vladimir Tsigal
Photo by Rəcəb Həsənbəyov from Wikimedia
The Monument to Richard Sorge is a monument to Soviet Union’sHero Richard Sorge and was sculpted by Vladimir Tsigal.
Vladimir Tsigal was born on 17th September 1917 in Odessa. In the 1920s he lived in Penza, where he finished lower school and later studied at the Surikov State Art Institute in Moscow from 1937 to1942.
In 1944 he served in the Navy as a war artist. He participated in the Novorossiysk and Kerch landings, as well as other combat operations, to the Black Sea and Baltic fleets.
He got his first degree in 1948, a diploma in the specialty of sculpting. Since 1947, he participated in many art exhibitions throughout the Soviet Union and internationally.
3. The Monument was unveiled on the Eve of Victory day
The monument was unveiled on May 1981 on the eve of Victory Day, in one of the alleys of the city which is currently a park named after Richard Sorge.
Victory Day is a holiday that commemorates the victory over Nazi Germany in 1945. It was first inaugurated in fifteen republics of the Soviet Union, following the signing of the German Instrument of Surrender late in the evening on 8 May 1945.
The Russian Federation has officially recognized 9 May since its formation in 1991 and considers it a non-working holiday. Most other countries in Europe observe Victory in Europe Day often abbreviated to VE Day, or V-E Day on 8th May, and Europe Day on 9th May as national remembrance or victory days.
4. It is Located in Richard Sorge’s Hometown
When launching the Monument, Vladimir Tsigal said that “For many years I have dreamed of creating a monument to the legendary Soviet intelligence officer, the commander of a group operating deep behind enemy lines, R. Sorge.
I visited Japan and talked for a long time with people who knew him. The collected materials and impressions helped the team of authors in creating a monument to Sorge for Baku”.
Baku is the capital and largest city of Azerbaijan, as well as the largest city on the Caspian Sea and in the Caucasus region.
5. Its Architects are Rasim Aliev, Leonid Pavlov, and Y.Dubov
Photo by Axel.Mauruszat from Wikimedia
The Monument to Richard Sorge is a monument to Soviet Union’s Hero Richard Sorge, a Soviet intelligence officer during the Second World War.
The monument is located in Baku, It was installed in 1981. The sculptor is Vladimir Tsigal, the architects are Rasim Aliev, Leonid Pavlov, and Y.Dubov.
Leonid Pavlov was one of the most important architects of Soviet modernism from the 1960’s to1980s.
6. The Monument is made of Bronze and Granite
The monument was unveiled in May 1981 on the eve of Victory Day, in one of the alleys of the city which is currently a park named after Richard Sorge.
Granite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies underground.
7. The Monument Took Many Years to Come about
Photo by Rəcəb Həsənbəyov from Wikimedia
Vladimir Tsigal said that he dreamed of creating a monument for R. Sorge for many years. R. Sorge was the commander of a group operating deep behind enemy lines.
He visited Japan and talked for a long time with people who knew him. The collected materials and impressions helped the team of authors in creating the monument.
8. It is Located near a Cherry Tree Bought in Japan
The monument was unveiled in May 1981 on the eve of Victory Day, in one of the alleys of the city which is currently a park named after Richard Sorge.
A cherry is the fruit of many plants of the genus Prunus and is a fleshy stone fruit. The name ‘cherry’ also refers to the cherry tree and its wood, and is sometimes applied to almonds and visually similar flowering trees in the genus Prunus as in “ornamental cherry”. or ” cherry”.
9. The monument is Framed by Pine Trees and Plane Trees
Photo by Rəcəb Həsənbəyov from Wikimedia
The bronze and granite monument is framed by pines, plane trees, and mulberry trees, and nearby, a cherry tree was brought from Japan.
A pine is any conifer tree or shrub in the genus Pinus of the family Pinaceae. Pinus is the sole genus in the subfamily Pinoideae.
The World Flora Online created by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, and Missouri Botanical Garden accepts 187 species names of pines.
10. The Monument has Fake bullet Holes
The Monument to Richard Sorge was erected in 1981 on the initiative of then President Heydar Aliyev. The monument features fake bullet holes, with the eyes of the sculpture lighting up at night.
Sculpted by Soviet artist Vladimir TsIgal, this monument started a trend of building Sorge monuments across the Soviet Union.
It’s a must-see for Sorge fans and those interested in espionage. The monument is an attraction for both Local and international tourists.
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