This vintage 1975 postcard depicts the ‘Mourning Mother’ stele, erected over the mass grave of the ‘Young Guard’ underground resistance members in Krasnodon (now Sorokyne), Luhansk Oblast.
What is shown on the postcard
The postcard shows a memorial marker made of a large, rough block of grey granite, featuring a bas-relief profile of a mourning woman wearing a headscarf on its front face. In front of the stele on a paved area stand three visitors: a man in a Soviet military uniform, a girl in a summer dress, and a woman laying flowers at the base of the monument. In the foreground on the left, a portion of a memorial bowl is visible. Green trees and a wooden fence form the background.
Historical note
The mass grave of the Young Guard heroes is located in Komsomol Park. The memorial complex at the burial site was officially opened in 1965 to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the victory in World War II. The ‘Mourning Mother’ monument was created by sculptors P. Kiziyev, A. Redkin, and G. Sleptsov, alongside architects V. Krasyuk and G. Golovchenko. The monument symbolizes the motherland’s grief for the fallen young resistance fighters.
Present day
Today, the memorial complex in the park of Sorokyne remains preserved as an important historical monument. The area around the mass grave is well-maintained, regularly hosting commemorative events. The grey granite monument and its surrounding plaza continue to serve as a significant historical and cultural heritage site of the region.
Location (map)
Address: Komsomol Park, Sorokyne (Krasnodon), Luhansk Oblast, Ukraine
Coordinates: 48.300588, 39.734674
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Coordinates of the Young Guard mass grave in Komsomol Park, Sorokyne (Krasnodon).
Questions and answers
- Where exactly is the ‘Mourning Mother’ stele located? The stele is located in Komsomol Park in Sorokyne (Krasnodon), at the mass grave of the ‘Young Guard’ underground organization members.
- Who designed the monument? The monument was designed by sculptors P. Kiziyev, A. Redkin, G. Sleptsov, and architects V. Krasyuk and G. Golovchenko.
- When was this memorial complex opened? The memorial complex at the burial site of the Young Guard members was officially inaugurated in 1965.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Sorokyne from 1975.
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