it is the real deal. "bigger than life," and all of that jazz. but you can't walk up to within 100 feet of it anymore because of disrepair. the opposite of "The Arch" in st louis, this rotting landmark is indicative of the ongoing financial and cultural rot in the former soviet digs. more

The statue overlooks the Dnipro river and is set on top of the Museum of the Great Patriotic War (aka WW2). The museum itself is worth the visit and surrounding the towering statue are two areas filled with Russian tanks, artillery, AA batteries, a couple of planes and one aging Hind attack helicopter. There are also more statues and carvings... more

The Rodina Mat (the Mother Motherland) statue at 302 ft tall dominates the skyline of Kiev and can be seen from miles away. It is located in the park that houses the museum of the Great Patriotic War - itself one of the excellent attractions of this underated city. The statue is actually on top of the museum. At the... more