Monument to the Champions of the Revolution on the Marsovo Polye (the Mars Field).
The Marsovo Polye is the arena of the unforgettable events of 1917. In this spot, which was but a tract of swampy land at the dawn of the city's birth and was turned into a dusty drillground in the 19-th century (called “Petersburg Sahara” owing to its dust), where reviews and drills of the tsarist troops were held, tempestous demonstrations of the rebellious people took place in the days of the February revolution of 1917.
On March 23 to the sounds of Chopin's Dead March and the booming of the guns of the Peter and Paul Fortress 180 coffins with the victims of street fights of the February revolution were lowered into a common grave in the centre of the Marsovo Polye. Later, new grave mounds appeared in the square. Among those buried here were eminent revolutionaries: V. Volodarsky, M. S. Uritsky, S. M. Nakhimson, A. S. Rakov, N. G. Tolmachov, I. I. Gaza and others.
On April 18, 1917 (May 1, new style), a May Day demonstration of many thousands took place in the Marsovo Polye. V. I. Lenin addressed the crowd with a speech on the significance of May Day celebrations.
On July 19, 1920, V. I. Lenin accompanied by the delegates of the Second Congress of the Comintern (Communist International) then being held in Petrograd visited the Marsovo Polye and placed wreaths on the graves of the fighters for the revolution. On May 1, 1920, 13 thousand participants of a Communist subbotnik (a subbotnik means a few hours' work voluntarily given on a day off and designed to promote some public undertaking) started the work of rebuilding the Marsovo Polye (according to plans submitted by I. A. Fomin) and in a few years the former “Petersburg Sahara” was converted into one of the most beautiful gardens of Leningrad.
This park being added to the Summer Garden and the Mikhailov Garden, a vast architectural and park ensemble has sprung up. The monument in its centre was designed in 1917—1919 by architect L. V. Rudnev and consists of austere granite gravestones forming a quadrangle and bearing inspired inscriptions. Their author is A. V. Lunacharsky. In its centre among the common graves an eternal fire was lit in 1957.
The Soviet style are retained in the text (including historical realities of the time corresponding to the period when the photo was taken).
The Marsovo Polye is the arena of the unforgettable events of 1917. In this spot, which was but a tract of swampy land at the dawn of the city's birth and was turned into a dusty drillground in the 19-th century (called “Petersburg Sahara” owing to its dust), where reviews and drills of the tsarist troops were held, tempestous demonstrations of the rebellious people took place in the days of the February revolution of 1917.
On March 23 to the sounds of Chopin's Dead March and the booming of the guns of the Peter and Paul Fortress 180 coffins with the victims of street fights of the February revolution were lowered into a common grave in the centre of the Marsovo Polye. Later, new grave mounds appeared in the square. Among those buried here were eminent revolutionaries: V. Volodarsky, M. S. Uritsky, S. M. Nakhimson, A. S. Rakov, N. G. Tolmachov, I. I. Gaza and others.
On April 18, 1917 (May 1, new style), a May Day demonstration of many thousands took place in the Marsovo Polye. V. I. Lenin addressed the crowd with a speech on the significance of May Day celebrations.
On July 19, 1920, V. I. Lenin accompanied by the delegates of the Second Congress of the Comintern (Communist International) then being held in Petrograd visited the Marsovo Polye and placed wreaths on the graves of the fighters for the revolution. On May 1, 1920, 13 thousand participants of a Communist subbotnik (a subbotnik means a few hours' work voluntarily given on a day off and designed to promote some public undertaking) started the work of rebuilding the Marsovo Polye (according to plans submitted by I. A. Fomin) and in a few years the former “Petersburg Sahara” was converted into one of the most beautiful gardens of Leningrad.
This park being added to the Summer Garden and the Mikhailov Garden, a vast architectural and park ensemble has sprung up. The monument in its centre was designed in 1917—1919 by architect L. V. Rudnev and consists of austere granite gravestones forming a quadrangle and bearing inspired inscriptions. Their author is A. V. Lunacharsky. In its centre among the common graves an eternal fire was lit in 1957.
The Soviet style are retained in the text (including historical realities of the time corresponding to the period when the photo was taken).