Monument to the
«Defenders of Moscow»
The 40th kilometre of Leningradskoye Shosse is a place where every passerby involuntarily slows their gaze. Here, on a rise near the transport interchange, a monument soars into the sky, known to every resident of Zelenograd and many Muscovites as “The Bayonets.” Officially, it is called the Monument to the Defenders of Moscow, and its austere, upward-striving silhouette has become an integral symbol of fortitude and courage, forever inscribed in the topography of the Moscow region. The memorial occupies a special place in the system of defensive lines of the capital. It is located on a hill popularly known as the Hill of Glory, near a complex interchange where Leningradskoye Shosse splits into Panfilovsky Prospekt, the entrance to Zelenograd, and Lyalovskoye Shosse, leading to the village of Mendeleyevo. This is not a random spot; it was precisely here, in November and December 1941, that the forward edge of the defence ran, and every metre of this land was soaked with blood. The composition of the monument strikes with its laconic monumentality. At its base is a mound about 27 metres high, inside which rests a mass grave. There, more than 760 soldiers who fell in the battles for Moscow found their final resting place. From the top of the mound rises a 42-metre obelisk shaped like three joined bayonets. This image is no coincidence: the three points symbolize the unity of three branches of the military – infantry, cavalry, and tank units – which fought shoulder to shoulder on this line. A relief triptych unfolds on the slope of the mound, and a bronze bowl is installed at its foot. One of the ledges bears an inscription carved in stone, which sounds like a testament to descendants: “1941. Here the defenders of Moscow, who perished for their Motherland, remain forever immortal.” The history of this sacred place began long before the appearance of the modern complex. In 1942, when the snow melted, local residents began to bury in this hill the soldiers found on the battlefields. Later, in 1954, the remains of warriors from other surrounding mass graves, including from the village of Matushkino, were transferred here. As Zelenograd was being built, new burials were discovered, and the mass grave continued to grow. The first monument appeared here as early as 1953, but the current majestic ensemble was unveiled on 24 June 1974. It was created by architects Igor Pokrovsky and Yuri Sverdlovsky, sculptor Evgenia Shteyman-Derevyanko, and monumental artist Alexei Shteyman, authors who managed to embody in stone and metal all the tragedy and grandeur of the people’s feat. One of the most moving pages of Russian history is connected with this memorial. It was from here, from this mass grave, that on 3 December 1966, the ashes of the Unknown Soldier were exhumed, to then be reburied with honours in the Alexander Garden near the walls of the Moscow Kremlin. Since then, the Eternal Flame at the Kremlin wall has become the main symbol of remembrance for all nameless heroes, and the beginning of this was laid on the Zelenograd hill. By the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory, in 2025, the memorial acquired new life. Granite slabs with 281 identified names of defenders resting in this soil were installed on its slopes. A large-scale reconstruction of the architectural and artistic lighting was carried out, thanks to which “The Bayonets” now look especially majestic in the dark. The complex has the status of a cultural heritage site of regional significance, and its condition is under constant supervision. Today, the Hill of Glory is a place of constant pilgrimage. Veterans, schoolchildren, newlyweds, and tourists come here. Ordinary Muscovites also come to bow in silence to the fallen. The three bayonets piercing the sky remind each of us that the price of freedom is measured not in tons of metal or kilometres of trenches, but in the fates of those who forever remain lying on this line.
Address: Moscow, Zelenograd, Leningradskoe shosse, 40th km.
