Fordite, often known as “Ford stone,” is an artificial mineral made by layering and hardening automotive enamel paint. Detroit agate, also known as Motor City agate, is a kind of agate mined from the site of a defunct car plant in Detroit, Michigan, United States. “Fordite” was so named because it was first found in the 1940s at the Ford Motor Company’s car painting facility in Michigan. However, that automaker wasn’t the only one that produced it. Today, they are still considered an “ore,” and the raw Fordites continue to rise in value.
History and Formation of Fordite
When the Fordite is sliced open, it may reveal a variety of designs. (Credit: Robert Weldon/GIA)
Automobiles were once painted by hand or sprayed with a spray gun which was invented in 1888 in the United States. Therefore, the work site’s hallways, spray booths, and loading platforms were contaminated with oversprayed paint in those automotive factories.
Since automobiles were often painted in highly vivid colors in the 1960s and 1970s, the Fordites from those decades tend to have more vibrant, psychedelic hues. A cabochon of a very uncommon kind of Fordite, with big metal flakes, dating from 1972, sold for $400.
Among the sources of factories for Fordite are the Corvette Assembly Plant in Kentucky, the Ford Motor Company in Michigan, the Harley-Davidson motorcycle plants, and the Lincoln-Mercury painting plant in Canada. The Fordites from the latter plant even hold a specific name: “corvetteite”.
This practice continued from the 1930s all the way to the 1990s. And as the years accumulated, the factories were covered in a rainbow of paint hues.
Since the paint was subjected to high heat treatment hundreds, if not thousands of times, the accumulated layers of paint became harder over time.
This paint buildup got too thick over time and needed to be scraped away since it was getting in the way. Some creative souls in Henry Ford‘s Ford automotive factory then realized that this layer of paint could be sliced and polished to create a beautiful agate-like gemstone, cabochons, and beads, which could then be recycled and sold as eco-friendly jewelry.
The finished product was visually spectacular and distinctive, with swirls and patterns in vivid colors that emphasized the industry’s long and storied past in automobile production.
Fordite is a Time Capsule
The color of Fordite, and, by extension, the development of the automotive industry in the United States can be deduced from its distinctive color.
According to Fordite, for instance, most automobiles in the nation in the 1940s were painted in black or brown enamel—industrial paint that dries to a very hard, glossy finish—but by the 1960s, brighter lacquers were in favor.
Current automobiles are painted with electrostatic coatings that adsorb paint granules to the steel plate by Coulomb force, or “electrostatic force”, almost eliminating the need for unnecessary spraying.
Consequently, the formation of Fordite has halted since powder painting has been replaced by hand spraying.
That’s why we no longer see new Fordites around, and the raw ones that are still around continue to rise in value. There is actually a small market for Fordites today.
What Makes Fordite Valuable?
Fordite is prized for its one-of-a-kind, multicolored patterns that have developed through many years of paint overspray accumulation. This artificial ore is actually quite uncommon because the majority of car companies no longer produce it.
Fordite finds its most widespread use in the jewelry and automobile industries. Collectors and those with an interest in automobiles often buy them.
Experienced cutters can bring out striking layers of color and design in polished Fordite. Paint is a fairly light substance because of its composition. During the cutting and polishing procedures, safety equipment like a dust mask is required.
Similarly, several generations of Jackson Whites in Sloatsburg, New York fell victim to this same paint when contractors hired by the defunct Ford factory in Mahwah, New Jersey dumped poisonous vehicle paint waste dangerously close to the communities’ houses.
Where Can I Find Fordite?
Today, Fordite is a very uncommon man-made mineral. But you may be able to find some residual Fordite in a few classic automobile assembly plants in the Detroit region. However, internet vendors and gem and mineral exhibitions are the most typical places to find Fordites.
Fordite is a colorful tribute to the American workers whose creativity and resourcefulness transformed a byproduct of the auto industry into a piece of art. The workers at the American auto factories saw value where most others would see waste, much like how older vehicles have long been admired for their beautiful looks.
Type 1: Characterized by consistent gray banding of primer layers in between distinct color layers (Color on Color).
Type 2: Opaques and metallics make up Type 2. Lacking variety. Miniature quantities and limited-edition colors (Distinct Colors).
Type 3: Drippy and/or striped, with several overlapping layers of solid colors and metallic accents define this type. Patterns of lace and orbits appear on the surface, and there is some channeling on occasion (Distinct Colors).
Type 4: Opaques and metallics of Type 4 have color layers that flow into one another and may have pitting from air bubbles that developed while the layers solidified (Distinct Colors).
Photography by Elaine Sweeney. See the original Image on Flickr.Photography by Elaine Sweeney. See the original Image on Flickr.
Fordite at a Glance
What is Fordite?
Fordite, also known as Detroit Agate or Motor Agate, is an artificial substance made out of enamel paint layers that collected over decades on the tracks, racks, and floors of paint booths in automobile plants.
How is Fordite formed?
Layers of paint overspray would accumulate on the walls and floors of paint booths at auto assembly plants, eventually transforming into Fordite. As more paint was sprayed on top, the previous coats would dry and solidify. This method would result in thick layers of multicolored, patterned material that could be gathered and fashioned into a wide range of objects.
What makes Fordite special?
The distinctive and vibrant patterns of Fordite are the product of years of paint overspray accumulation. Since the majority of automakers no longer produce it, it is an uncommon item.
The Peter the Great Statue in Moscow is one of the highest monuments in Russia. The structure itself is 322 feet tall (98 m), while Peter’s statue alone is 59 feet tall (18 m). The Moscow government commissioned Zurab Tsereteli to build a monument to Peter the Great in 1997. Officially titled “Monument in commemoration of the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy,” the monument is located on an artificial island created at the confluence of the Moskva River and the Vodootvodny Canal.
Well-known for his distaste for Moscow, Peter decided to relocate the country’s capital to St. Petersburg.
Design and Construction of the Peter the Great Statue
Monument to Peter the Great in Moscow.
The Peter the Great Statue is a one-of-a-kind engineering achievement. The monument’s bronze features are hinged to a stainless-steel framework that holds the monument aloft. The pedestal, which consists of the ship and a statue of Peter, was built in pieces and then attached to the lowest portion of the monument. The completed statue of Peter was directly placed on the pedestal.
The shrouds of the ship are corrosion-resistant stainless steel. They are all locked in place with a complex web of ropes that prevents them from moving at all. Inside the copper skin of the sails is a spatial metal structure to cut down on weight.
The bronze used in the Peter the Great Statue is top-notch, having undergone a rigorous process that included sandblasting, patination, and a coating of wax and varnish designed to withstand the elements. The Saltire symbol on the flags, which are meant to act as a weather vane, and the golden scroll Peter I is personally holding are both gilded objects.
Inside the Peter the Great Statue is a ladder for inspecting the structure. The iron-concrete base, which forms an artificial island on which the monument rests, is surrounded by fountains to give the impression of a ship cutting through the sea.
There is a Columbus statue in Puerto Rico with a similar style to the Peter the Great Statue, also designed by the Georgian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli. According to a popular claim, on the 500th anniversary of the Europeans’ discovery of the American continent, Tsereteli allegedly presented the Columbus statue to the United States, Spain, and Latin American nations in 1991–1992, but was rejected each time.
Therefore, he redesigned the monument into the Peter the Great Statue of today. However, Tsereteli disputes the veracity of this claim.
It is officially estimated that it cost 100 billion non-denominated rubles to set up the monument, which is almost $16.5 million at the exchange rate in 1997.
Design and construction of the structure took less than a year. The aerodynamic qualities of the monument were greatly enhanced in the wind tunnel at Moscow State University’s Institute of Mechanics. The same model statue is housed in the university’s history museum today.
Under the direction of head surveyor Valery Makhanov and head foreman Vladimir Maximov, 120 installers from the company 1st MSMU JSC “Stalmontazh” completed the erection of the Peter the Great Statue.
History of the Peter the Great Statue
The Peter the Great Statue’s aesthetic value was assessed by a public commission in 1997. And a few months before its unveiling, the commission claimed that the government and Zurab Tsereteli had “lied” about the Peter the Great Statue being a present to sailors to celebrate the 300th anniversary of the Russian Navy.
According to the commission, the anniversary was in October of the previous year. Furthermore, in 1995, the sailors had petitioned the Russian government and individually petitioned Prime Minister Viktor Chernomyrdin to have a new monument dedicated to the anniversary in Moscow. The petition had the signature of the acting Navy Commander, Admiral Selivanov.
Lev Kerbel, an academician and Soviet artist, had sculpted the statue.
A new pedestrian bridge across the Vodootvodny Canal was constructed, and the embankment was adorned, in preparation for the monument’s September 1996 unveiling in front of Tretyakov. However, Moscow declared to the government in a separate letter that it had undertaken to settle all issues with this monument on its own, without Russia’s assistance.
Peter the Great Statue and Moskva River.
Special committees were established by the city administration and the city’s previous head architect Leonid Vavakin to look into the plans of Kerbel and Tsereteli, and they concluded that Zurab Konstantinovich Tsereteli’s concepts were beautiful and unique.
On the advice of the Government of Moscow, the city committee tasked with commemorating the Navy’s 300th anniversary visited the Tsereteli studio to learn more about the Peter the Great Statue’s design.
The celebration committee requested that Tsereteli be recommended to make changes to the design, such as depicting Peter the Great in the traditional uniform of an early 18th century Russian sailor, installing busts of outstanding naval commanders inside the monument; removing the eagle from the bowsprit, etc., but these requests were not met.
As part of the festivities commemorating Moscow’s 850th anniversary, the Peter the Great Statue was dedicated on September 5, 1997. Prior to that, on September 3 and 4, respectively, the area surrounding the renovated Cathedral of Christ the Savior and the repaired Stoleshnikov Lane with the temple near the future Marriott Aurora Hotel was revealed by Moscow Mayor Yury Luzhkov and President of Russia Boris Yeltsin.
Criticism Toward the Peter the Great Statue
Architects and the general public both thought the Peter the Great Statue was ugly and pointless. In 1997, “Stolitsa” magazine published a series of articles and organized a petition drive to protest the monument’s planned placement in the city. About 5,000 letters of support were sent to the magazine in response to the request, along with a sticker depicting a defaced memorial to Peter I.
According to an article that “Stolitsa” magazine published after reading and evaluating reader responses, the primary complaints about the Peter the Great Statue were its enormous size and its inappropriate location.
Even though there was a lot of interest in the monument, sociological polling in Moscow by the Public Opinion Foundation (FOM) and VCIOM in May revealed that only half of the city’s residents favored the structure. After reviewing the data, the commission conducted its own vote, with 13 members favoring maintaining the monument in its current location and 3 members opposing it.
Moscow residents were polled on their opinion of the city’s urban planning strategy as part of a large-scale sociological study that was contracted out to non-governmental organizations. Only 15% were in a low mood, 30% were upbeat, and 40% had mixed feelings.
Notably, the majority of the people (60%) who were hesitant about Moscow’s urban planning strategy openly despised the Peter the Great Statue.
After taking everything into account, it is found that Peter the Great Statue alone was 30% responsible for the poor reputation of the Moscow administration’s urban planning policies. This is a rare example of how one building can affect a whole metropolis of people.
The Peter the Great Statue is occasionally included in lists of the world’s 10 ugliest monuments. The City Council Building in Boston and the Montparnasse Tower in Paris often come on top of those lists since both seem like they belong in a nuclear bunker.
In an attempt to destroy the monument in July 1997, members of the Revolutionary Military Council planted explosives. They later claimed that the explosion was called off because of the risk of harming innocent bystanders. A different account had it that an anonymous phone call stopped the bomb from going off. From that point, visitors had been turned away from the landmark.
Five members of the “Revolutionary Military Council” were convicted guilty of terrorism and given prison terms by the Moscow City Court in 2002. In April 1997, they were accused of bombing a monument to Nicholas II (sculpted by Vyacheslav Klykov), and in the same month they were suspected of damaging a monument to Peter and a gas distribution station in the Moscow area.
The newspaper “Izvestia” reported that a proposal at the yearly exhibition “Arch Moscow” offered covering the monument in glass so that it would be invisible. In 2007, the architect Boris Bernaskoni displayed his creation at a gallery show. He proposed turning the Peter the Great Statue into a tower that would house a museum dedicated to the work of Zurab Tsereteli as well as provide a vantage point and recreational space for the people of Moscow.
The ART4.RU Museum of Contemporary Art also held an event in 2007 to raise money for the destruction of Tsereteli’s art, with contributions totaling about 100,000 rubles. Fundraising for the removal of all Zurab Tsereteli monuments in the city was advertised on a box left at the exhibition’s entrance.
The director of the museum claimed that more money was raised in contributions than was spent on admissions within a few days. Later, at the request of the sculptor’s grandson and director of the Moscow Museum of Modern Art, Vasili Tsereteli, the name “Zurab Tsereteli” was removed from the text, leaving just the inscription calling for the removal of the monuments.
Following the Moscow Mayor’s Resignation
Gallery owner Marat Gelman, who had previously condemned the Peter the Great Statue, urged its destruction on September 28, 2010—one day before Yuri Luzhkov was dismissed from office as Mayor of Moscow. At a meeting of Moscow’s administration on October 4, 2010, interim mayor Vladimir Resin proposed moving the monument.
According to the head of the Moscow Municipal Duma Commission, moving the Peter the Great Statue would cost the municipal budget 1 billion rubles ($34 million in 2010) and it was doubted that this amount would be found. Gelman said that he would obtain sponsorship money outside of the budget to facilitate the relocation of Zurab Tsereteli’s monument.
Some organizations voiced concern that the proposed relocation of the monument was motivated by populism. Another effort to mislead public opinion by relocating the monument and claiming it solves all issues with Moscow’s image.
Interestingly, St. Petersburg refused to host the statue, unlike many other cities. This is probably because the city already had a Peter I monument commemorated by Tsereteli (at a height of 41 ft; 12.6 m). There was also the already popular Peter the Great monument called “The Bronze Horseman,” erected in 1768–1782.
“Peter the Great Statue has stood and will continue to stand”, Sergey Baidakov, prefect of Moscow’s Central Administrative District, remarked during a news conference in July 2011.
Peter the Great Statue When It Comes to Culture
None of Moscow’s modern monuments has arguably become the symbol of the city. This is because they are neither part of the city’s legend nor the so-called “cultural text.” This includes the Peter the Great Statue.
Some people have seen parallels between St. Petersburg’s monument The Bronze Horseman, and the Peter the Great Statue in Moscow.
But other than that, the Peter the Great Statue has never found itself a prominent place in culture. Today, the monument is often remembered as part of the “Peter the Great Statues” in Russia.
Does Archangel Michael have a wife? Archangel Michael is not depicted as married in Christian, Jewish, or Islamic writings. Therefore, it is not believed that Archangel Michael had a wife. He’s generally portrayed as a compelling person who faithfully serves God and follows His orders. In three of the monotheist traditions of the Middle East, angels have no gender and are forbidden from love relationships or marriage. Therefore, the idea that Archangel Michael is married and has a wife is not part of common credence.
Who Is Archangel Michael?
A fierce fighter and protector of the religion, Archangel Michael is often regarded as one of the most prominent angels. Both Daniel (10:13) and Revelation (12:7–12) depict Michael as an archangel with great power who vanquishes their enemies and defends the people of God.
He is also held responsible for the downfall of Lucifer (later Satan) and his angelic companions. One of the four (or seven) archangels, Michael (or Mika’il in Islam and Mikha’el in Judaism), is credited with ensuring the survival of all forms of life on Earth.
However, the Bible clearly states that angels do not get married. And this includes Archangel Michael. There is no indication of Michael having a wife in the Bible or any other canonical document in Christianity.
Why Do People Ask If Archangel Michael Has a Wife?
One main reason that brings up the question of whether Archangel Michael has a wife is the fact that Michael is referred to as “he” in the Bible. Angels are not living beings; hence, they do not have sexual reproduction like humans.
“They neither marry nor are given in marriage.”
Mark 12:18-27
The pronoun “he” is specifically used for Archangel Michael and the other angels, but that is probably only because it is more common than the other options (such as “she” or “it”). Archangels like Michael are more manly than typical men, but not really male. No matter what form their bodies take, archangels are unable to conceive offspring.
Traditional Christian beliefs do not accept the idea of angels having wives or participating in love relationships. What is most frequently highlighted is the function of angels as God’s messengers.
The question of whether Archangel Michael had a wife or not is motivated by cultural beliefs, personal curiosity, or a desire to comprehend the nature of angels and their relationships.
Depictions of Archangel Michael Regarding His Wife
Many individuals throughout history have looked to Archangel Michael for help. In many works of art and iconography, he appears as a mighty angelic warrior, armed to the teeth with a sword and shield.
However, Archangel Michael is never depicted with a female partner; therefore, it is safe to say that he never had a wife.
Since archangels are not as prominent as prophets in the tradition, the Bible is not particularly forthright on whether or not Archangel Michael had a wife. When it comes to the angelic hierarchy, archangels have the second-lowest ranking. They are also two kingdoms higher than humans.
Some non-canonical or apocryphal writings or religious traditions may have different ideas or legends about whether or not Archangel Michael is married. Michael having a wife, on the other hand, is not supported or shown to be true by the main Christian tradition.
Did Archangel Michael Have a Son?
Michael is an angelic being. Heaven’s angels abstain from having offspring. When asked about second marriages, Jesus provided a glimpse into heavenly matters such as these:
“For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven.”
As recorded in Matthew 22:30.
Although often portrayed as strong and masculine, angels do not reproduce. The celestial kingdom is strictly asexual. Therefore, no, Archangel Michael does not have a son.
Relationship Between Archangel Michael and Joan of Arc
Joan of Arc has been revered as a martyr. Wikimedia Commons.
Archangel Michael was ever associated with one woman figure, and it is a one-sided story. At her trial, Joan of Arc said that she first saw the three saints—Michael, Catherine, and Margaret—when she was 13 years old, around 1425.
Over the course of three years, Joan of Arc had visits from saints who gradually made it clearer to her—through their “voices,” as she called them—that she must redeem France. She said that one of the voices was really the Archangel Michael.
Joan of Arc saw the Archangel Michael, and according to her, Michael was a dashing man. She thought so highly of Archangel Michael that she remembered almost little of his physical appearance.
Joan had a firm conviction that the apparitions were genuine; at one point, she even claimed that she had clasped one of them and that their scent had been heavenly. As a woman, Joan of Arc felt a religious love for the Archangel Michael.
Some very religious people believe that Joan of Arc was the reincarnation of Athena and the soulmate of Archangel Michael. However, Archangel Michael does not have a wife or soulmate, and it is pointless to speculate on that.
This Article at a Glance
Who Is Archangel Michael?
Archangel Michael is a prominent angel in the Christian, Jewish, and Islamic traditions. He is one of the four or seven archangels and is known for his great power, which he uses to defend the people of God and vanquish their enemies. He is also credited with ensuring the survival of all forms of life on Earth.
Does Archangel Michael Have a Wife?
No, Archangel Michael is not depicted as married in Christian, Jewish, or Islamic writings. In fact, angels have no gender and are forbidden from love relationships or marriage in three of the monotheistic traditions of the Middle East. Therefore, the idea that Archangel Michael is married and has a wife is not part of common credence.
Why Do People Ask If Archangel Michael Has a Wife?
The pronoun “he” is specifically used for Archangel Michael and other angels in the Bible, but that is probably only because it is more common than the other options (such as “she” or “it”). This has led some people to wonder if Archangel Michael has a wife or any romantic relationships. The question is also motivated by cultural beliefs, personal curiosity, or a desire to comprehend the nature of angels and their relationships.
Did Archangel Michael Have a Son?
No, Archangel Michael is an angelic being, and heaven’s angels abstain from having offspring. Therefore, Archangel Michael does not have a son.
What Is the Relationship Between Archangel Michael and Joan of Arc?
According to Joan of Arc, Archangel Michael was one of the saints who visited her and gradually made it clear to her that she must redeem France. She saw him as a dashing man and felt a religious love for him. Some very religious people believe that Joan of Arc was the soulmate of Archangel Michael, but this is not supported by the main Christian tradition.
The Motherland Calls statue is a memorial that stands 279 feet (85 m) tall in the Russian city of Volgograd, which used to be called Stalingrad. It is a monument to the Battle of Stalingrad and can be found atop Mamayev Kurgan (the word “kurgan” means “grave tumulus” and comes from ancient Turkic). Sculptor Yevgeny Vuchetich and civil engineer Nikolai Nikitin collaborated on the monument’s design. When it was unveiled in 1967, it was the tallest monument on the globe. To this day, it stands as the world’s tallest statue of a woman (without the base), Europe’s tallest statue, and the world’s second-tallest non-religious statue, after the Statue of Unity.
The Motherland Calls Statue in Numbers
The Motherland Calls statue is a female figure holding a sword and urging her children to defend the country. The total weight of the monument is 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal, and it has a height of 279 feet (85 m) from the top of the base to the end of the sword. The whole monument weighs around 8,000 tons in total. The statue itself is 170 feet (52 m) tall, while the length of the sword is 108 feet (33 m).
On the trail to the Mamayev Kurgan and the Motherland Calls statue, a Red Army soldier greets the visitors. He is depicted unclothed to convey that the soldier is shielding his chest for the motherland.
Together with the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin (erected in 1949) and the Rear-Front Memorial in Magnitogorsk (erected in 1979), the Motherland Calls Statue forms a triptych (a work of art with three separate sections). All three figures depicted in the triptych are humans armed with swords.
The Woman Chosen for the Statue
The Motherland Calls’ woman figure Nina Dumbadze. (Image. VK.com)
Nina Dumbadze, the model who posed for the Motherland Calls statue, was a discus thrower. In the early 1960s, one of the memorial’s designers, Lev Maistrenko, hired her to be the statue itself. For the monument’s face, the sculptor Vuchetich reportedly used his wife, Vera.
Another Motherland Calls woman candidate Valentina Izotova. (Source: Ochevidets.ru)
In other sources, it was Valentina Izotova or Ekaterina Grebneva who the sculptures created the whole Motherland Calls monument. She was a Volgograd local. At the time of the monument’s completion, Leonid Brezhnev was in control of the Soviet Union.
The hill on which the monument stands, known as Mamayev Kurgan, is the final resting place for some 35,000 members of the Red Army. That is why the Motherland Calls statue is featured prominently on the banner and coat of arms of the Volgograd Oblast and is now widely recognized as an emblem of Russia.
The flag of Volgograd Oblast with the Motherland Calls statue. (CC0)
The Motherland Calls Statue’s History
Constructive Concept and Plan
The Battle of Stalingrad was commemorated with a memorial initiative launched in 1958 by the Council of Ministers of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic. After a massive effort, all explosives and munitions were removed before the statue’s base could be set in the Mamayev Kurgan.
Soviet sculptor Ernst Neizvestny’s original concept for the monument, depicting a kneeling combatant holding a folded red flag, was ultimately scrapped. It was later conveyed that the memorial should depict a mother encouraging her children to fend off enemies by placing a sword in front of her. This concept was developed by architects Yevgeny Vuchetich and Nikolai Nikitin. (Yevgeny Vuchetich also worked on the Motherland Monument in Ukraine).
“The Departure of the Volunteers of 1792,” or “La Marseillaise”, as it is seen on the Arc de Triomphe in France. (CC0)
The inspiration for the Motherland Calls statue reportedly came from the models of earlier works. Among them is the Arc de Triomphe’s “La Marseillaise” sculpture.
The second inspirational work was the Winged Victory of Samothrace or the Nike of Samothrace. The same statue is known to have inspired another Soviet monument, the Worker and Kolkhoz Woman.
Samothrace’s Victory of Samothrace sculpture.
The Motherland Calls has also been interpreted as a contemporary representation of the Greek deity Nike or the Roman goddess Victoria.
Building and Dedication
In total, the construction of the Motherland Calls statue took 15 years, the first 8 of which were spent on planning and laying the groundwork. The construction started in May of 1959 in Stalingrad (now Volgograd). The statue was opened to the public on October 15, 1967.
Tens of thousands of Soviet residents, including the Communist Party General Secretary Leonid Brezhnev, Defense Minister Andrei Grechko, and Soviet Marshals Andrey Yeryomenko and Vasily Chuikov, showed up for the monument’s opening event.
To that point in history, the Motherland Calls statue had stood as the world’s tallest monument. It also used to be the tallest non-religious monument in the world for 51 years. That title went to the Statue of Unity in India in 2018.
Despite the existence of taller statues, the Motherland Calls is the tallest female figure in the world. Spotlights shine on the monument to highlight it at night. The statue was lit in a unique light display called “The Light of the Great Victory” on May 8, 2017, to commemorate the Great Patriotic War’s 72nd milestone of success over Nazi Germany.
The Motherland Calls statue’s arms are in an extremely complicated position from a technical perspective, with the right hand holding a sword and the left hand extending in a motion of summoning. The hollow monument was constructed using the same mix of prestressed concrete and steel wires that were used in Nikitin’s other famous Moscow landmark, the Ostankino Tower.
Because of the sculpture’s hollowness, the use of concrete and steel wires is crucial. The interior of the figure is divided into numerous compartments. The sculpture’s concrete walls are between 10 and 12 inches (25 and 30 cm) thick and are held together with steel wires.
When all the structures in the vicinity are included, the Motherland Calls statue’s footprint expands to an impressive 64 acres (26 ha). “Memory of Generations” is engraved on a pedestal that stands at the primary entryway of the statue.
The stone pedestal features figures of different eras paying tribute to the Red Army soldiers who have died. Behind it are stone pedestals inscribed with the titles of each hero-city.
Eleven figures are depicted in relief at the foot to symbolize the fatalities at the Mamayev Kurgan. Further on, you can see the shells of Nazi-bombed structures. Nearby, in an area named Heroes’ Square, are six miniature outposts, each symbolizing a different faction in the conflict.
There were 5,500 tons of concrete and 2,400 tons of metal used in the building, with the exception of the statue’s base. The weight of the sword held by the Motherland Calls is actually 14 tons (28,000 lbs).
The monument stands at a whopping 279 feet (85 m) in height. The female figure’s height is 170 feet (52 m) without the sword, and her sword measures 108 feet (33 m). The depth of the statue is 52.5 feet (16 m). The base itself occupies another 6.5 feet (2 m).
The memorial is significantly heavy at 8,000 tons (8,800 US tons). To honor the 200 days of fighting at Stalingrad, the statue’s foundation is reached via 200 stairs. A memorial to the Red Army’s armed forces stands at the base of this flight of stairs.
Restoration and Perils Posed by Nature
In the Motherland Calls statue, stainless steel was used in the initial construction of the sword, which was then adorned with titanium. Since the sword is so huge and heavy, it is frequently blown around by the wind, which causes gradual deformations in the area where the figure’s hand grips it.
The titanium plates on the sword are also shifting due to design flaws, making resounding metallic noises. Therefore, in 1972, a new sword made completely of steel was installed, and holes were drilled in the top portion of the sword to improve its wind permeability. The sword has a red light on its tip to warn aircraft.
The concrete structures of the statue were fortified in 1986. According to news reports from 2009, the Motherland Calls statue’s foundation had shifted due to fluctuating groundwater levels. The monument is supported only by its own weight and is not affixed to its foundations.
According to a source who requested anonymity, the monument had already shifted 7.9 inches (20 cm) and could not have moved any further without toppling. In 2008–2009, workers devised a plan to restore the Motherland Calls statue, and in 2010, they got to work.
In 2017, a two-billion-ruble ($35 million) repair project started that would take a full year and a half to complete. Repairs were made to over 64,500 square feet (6,000 sq. m.) of cracked concrete.
The Symbolism Behind the Motherland Calls Statue
A commemorative coin for the monument.
One of the fiercest and deadliest fights of the Battle of Stalingrad took place on the Mamayev Kurgan slope, where the monument stands today. The memorial commemorates the bravery and sacrifice of the soldiers at the pivotal Battle of Stalingrad in World War II.
There are approximately 35,000 fighters interred on the slope, according to the available data. The renowned Soviet sharpshooter Vasily Zaitsev, who killed 225 troops and commanders of the German army and their supporters in the fight, is interred in a graveyard nearby the memorial.
Motherland is part of the triptych of statues bearing the sword of war, along with the Soviet War Memorial in Berlin and the Rear-Front Memorial in Magnitogorsk.
The Motherland Calls statue stamps, coinage, and awards were all manufactured in the former Soviet states and modern-day Russia. The statue is depicted on the Volgograd Oblast’s coat of arms and banner.
The monument is widely recognized as a representation of Russia. The hill on which the monument stands was voted as one of Russia’s Seven Wonders in a 2008 competition, coming in at number three.
The Chinese land of Manchuria is home to a tiny version of the monument.
More than three million visitors a year come to see the Motherland Calls statue. Since January 31, 2008, the monument and its location have been part of a government district and they have been shielded by government regulation. The monument and its compound have been designated a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.
Critics Toward the Motherland Calls Statue
The Motherland Calls statue has also received a number of critical reviews. A reviewer for the field of architecture, Jonathan Meades, referred to the monument as a “kitsch sample” and said it was a poor imitation of a preexisting blueprint of style. Russian artist Vladimir Tserkovnikov warned of the statue’s imminent collapse in an open letter to Russia’s then-Minister of Culture, Vladimir Medina, in 2013. He blamed this on the fact that Nikitin made numerous errors while constructing the monument.
Motherland Calls Statue at a Glance
What is the Motherland Calls statue?
The Motherland Calls statue is a memorial located in the city of Volgograd in Russia. It is a monument to the Battle of Stalingrad, depicting a female figure holding a sword and urging her children to defend the country.
How tall is the Motherland Calls statue?
The Motherland Calls statue stands at a height of 279 feet (85 m) from the top of the base to the end of the sword. The statue itself is 170 feet (52 m) tall, while the length of the sword is 108 feet (33 m). It is the world’s tallest statue of a woman (without the base), Europe’s tallest statue, and the world’s second-tallest non-religious statue, after the Statue of Unity.
Who modeled for the Motherland Calls statue?
Nina Dumbadze, a discus thrower, is the woman who modeled for the Motherland Calls statue. However, some sources suggest that it could have been Valentina Izotova or Ekaterina Grebneva.
How long did it take to build the Motherland Calls statue?
The construction of the Motherland Calls statue took 15 years, with the first 8 years spent on planning and laying the groundwork. The construction started in May of 1959 in Stalingrad (now Volgograd), and the statue was opened to the public on October 15, 1967.
The Guanyin of Nanshan is a statue of the goddess of mercy. It is in the Nanshan Temple in Sanya, which is in the province of Hainan in the People’s Republic of China. Hainan is an island province in China, and the Guanyin of Nanshan is a 354 feet (108 meters) tall Buddhist statue. As of 2023, it is the world’s 14th tallest statue. It took six years to construct the statue, and it was finally opened on February 7th, 2005. Among the tallest 148 statues, China is home to 32 of them, and many are Buddhist statues. The Guanyin of Nanshan is a statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin.
The Significance of the Guanyin of Nanshan
The 354-foot-tall Guanyin of Nanshan statue in China represents the bodhisattva Guanyin. Guanyin is the goddess (“bodhisattva”) of mercy and the protector of children. Depending on the culture, this deity may be portrayed either as a man or a woman. She is revered as the sea goddess and a sign of elegance, wit, and good fortune.
“Bodhisattva” is a person who is progressing along the road to enlightenment (“bodhi”). Guanyin is the Chinese form of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteśvara. It is short for Guanshiyin which means “[the one who] perceives the sounds of the world”.
Today, the monument attracts 15,000 tourists every day. On April 24, 2005, 108 monks traveled from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, and China to attend the enshrinement of the monument alongside tens of thousands of pilgrims.
The Meaning of the Guanyin of Nanshan Statue
Objects
The Guanyin of Nanshan has three faces, and they overlook east, west, and north at the same time. The first face, called “aspect”, is holding a sutra, symbolizing wisdom, while the second aspect is holding a lotus, symbolizing peace, and the third aspect is holding a rosary, symbolizing compassion.
The wisdom aspect faces inland, while the compassion and peace aspects face the South China Sea. The compassion side also looks partly toward Taiwan.
The three statues represent Guanyin offering her blessing and protection to China and the rest of the globe from both the land and water sides.
Gestures
The gestures of the three representations are different. The first wisdom aspect gestures Vitarka Mudra (“mudra of discussion”) with her right hand, which symbolizes discussion and the passing on of Buddhist doctrine.
The second compassion figure has her arms lowered and her hands closed which symbolizes a period of time shortly after Buddha attained insight by standing in front of a bodhi tree for seven days without moving an eye.
The third peace figure displays Pang Ham Yati which looks like a “stop” gesture. It’s a metaphor for Buddha making peace with her relatives.
The Guanyin of Nanshan’s Design
The Guanyin of Nanshan stands on a lotus platform. Some Buddhists think that when one of their followers dies, Guanyin places them in the center of a lotus.
The entire statue is known as the “Guanyin scenic area.” The statue is divided into several sections, such as the main body of Guanyin, the lotus platform, and a carved base with an entrance at the bottom.
The Guanyin of Nanshan is exactly 354 feet (108 meters) tall, and it cost around $97 million (800 million RMB) to build the statue. The monument stands on a 98.5-foot (30 m)-tall pedestal, and the body of the Buddha alone measures 256 feet (78 m).
The statue is adorned with over 220 pounds (100 kg) of gold, over 120 carats of South African diamonds, thousands of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, coral, turquoise, and pearls, and over 220 pounds (100 kg) of jade.
The statue is made of mixed metals coated with a fluoropolymer surface coating that is resistant to corrosion from salt. The Guanyin of Nanshan weighs about 2,600 tons and is supported by a layer of stones under the artificial island.
The statue is located in the Nanshan Cultural Tourism Area in Hainan Province. It is a significant cultural and religious landmark in this large Buddhist province. The area is located 25 miles (40 km) west of Sanya.
Timeline of the Guanyin of Nanshan
The inside of the Guanyin of Nanshan’s pedestal.
On August 10th, 1999, the construction of the Guanyin of Nanshan project officially began.
On November 29th, 2000, the construction of the Guanyin Island began as the base of the statue.
In November 2000, the Nanshan Temple was completed.
In February 2003, the steel structure of the Guanyin of Nanshan began construction.
On February 7th, 2005, the Guanyin of Nanshan Statue was opened at a ceremony.
The inscription on the statue reads “Guanyin of Nanshan,” which was written by the Chinese calligrapher Zhao Puchu. This monument was built with help from the National Religious Affairs Bureau and the People’s Government of the Hainan region.
Guanyin of Nanshan at a Glance
Who is Guanyin of Nanshan?
Guanyin of Nanshan is a statue of the bodhisattva Guanyin, the goddess of mercy and protector of children. It is a 354 feet (108 meters) tall Buddhist statue located in the Nanshan Temple in Sanya, Hainan Province, China.
What is the significance of the Guanyin of Nanshan statue?
The Guanyin of Nanshan statue represents Guanyin, the Chinese form of the Buddhist deity Avalokiteśvara, who is revered as the sea goddess and a sign of elegance, wit, and good fortune. The statue is considered to be a significant cultural and religious landmark in Hainan Province and attracts about 15,000 tourists every month.
What is the design of the Guanyin of Nanshan statue?
The Guanyin of Nanshan statue has three faces that overlook east, west, and north at the same time. The first face is holding a sutra, symbolizing wisdom, the second aspect is holding a lotus, symbolizing peace, and the third aspect is holding a rosary, symbolizing compassion. The statue is adorned with over 220 pounds (100 kg) of gold, thousands of rubies, sapphires, emeralds, coral, turquoise, and pearls, and over 220 pounds (100 kg) of jade. It is made of mixed metals coated with a fluoropolymer surface coating that is resistant to corrosion from salt, weighs about 2,600 tons, and is supported by a layer of stones under the artificial island.
Paul Richard Alexander was disabled at age 6 by a case of poliovirus. He was born on January 10, 1946, in Dallas, and he contracted the disease before the American form of the vaccine was developed. Paul was paralyzed almost entirely and placed in an “iron lung.” For 70 years, he has spent only a few moments of his daily life outside of his iron lung machine. Despite that, he became a lawyer and an author.
Paul Richard Alexander is a role model for people with disabilities who want to succeed in life despite their difficulties because he completed high school, went to college, and became a practicing lawyer who has appeared in court hearings. He even published a book in 2020, typing on a keyboard with a stick he held in his mouth. Paul Alexander is 77 years old today.
Paul Richard Alexander’s Disease and the Iron Lung
At 74 years old, Paul Alexander began to stay in the iron lung for most of the time. He is 77 today. (Mitch Summers/YouTube)
The highly contagious virus Paul Richard Alexander contracted is called poliomyelitis. Paul was six years old in 1952 when a polio epidemic swept through the Dallas neighborhood where he and his family lived.
It was the biggest outbreak in the history of the United States, killing hundreds daily, mostly children.
A week after his symptoms first appeared, they deteriorated dramatically. At this point, Paul was not able to talk. He was brought to Parkland Hospital, where he joined hundreds of other critically ill children.
Paul Richard Alexander as a kid (colored from the original).
After some time, Paul Richard Alexander’s sickness rendered him unable to breathe on his own, so he was put in an iron lung, which is a negative-pressure mechanical respirator with a covered aperture for the patient’s neck.
Paul was in the hospital for a total of 18 months, and he was in the iron lung the entire time. In the eyes of doctors, Paul initially had no chance of recovery. However, he had a strong will to live and was making miracle progress in his recovery.
The first “iron lung” was developed in 1927, and subsequent refinements were made in the 1950s in response to widespread polio epidemics. The device is an enclosed pressure chamber large enough to fit a human, within which a pressure different from atmospheric pressure is created. The “iron lung” helps a person who cannot move his muscles to breathe by pumping air into and out of his lungs at varying pressures.
Paul Richard Alexander and his iron lung machine during one of the treatment sessions.
In 1954, his parents brought the machine and their son home, where they set him up with a physical trainer who specialized in helping those with paralysis of the breathing muscles learn to breathe through their mouths.
Paul Richard Alexander was taught by the doctor to breathe like a free diver, using the glossopharyngeal method.
The technique is based on drawing oxygen into the lips and using the motions of the tongue to force it into the trachea and lungs. After contracting polio, Paul was not able to breathe like other people since the diaphragm is also made of muscles.
Paul Alexander is drawing with a brush he is holding in his mouth.
His parents rewarded him with a dog after he spent a year training to stay outside his iron cage for three whole minutes. After practicing glossopharyngeal breathing for three years, Paul Richard Alexander was able to go for several hours without his iron lung.
In his younger years, Paul refused the practice of sitting at home and tried to attend parties and clubs, just like other people, and also prayed at church and traveled on planes and ocean liners.
During his adulthood, he led and joined a sit-in protesting for the rights of people with impairments.
Paul Richard Alexander’s Academic Life
After mastering the unusual breathing technique, Paul started school and learned quickly by memorization since he was not able to take notes. Just like Franklin Roosevelt, who contracted polio as a child and was paralyzed below the waist, Paul was an ambitious child who dreamed of becoming president.
Paul Richard Alexander continued his education despite obstacles. He was one of the first students registered in the Dallas Independent School District’s distance education program in 1959 at the age of 13.
He graduated from high school (W.W. Samuell High School) at the age of 21. He became the first high school student ever to graduate from high school through a distance education program.
Simultaneously, Paul Richard Alexander had only “fives” and one “four” on his graduation certificate. He got a “4” in biology because he was paralyzed and therefore unable to dismember an animal.
After completing high school, Paul took and passed the university entrance exams. But despite his good grades, the rector’s office still denied him admission based on his disability.
Paul Richard Alexander on his birthday. (Mitch Summers/YouTube)
Paul surmounted the rector’s opposition with the help of his instructors in high school. After two years of struggle, he registered at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, finished, and then attended the University of Texas School of Law in Austin.
In Paul’s classroom, he was the only student with a disability.
Paul used a wheelchair for transportation around the campus. However, he spent the vast majority of his time in the “iron lung,” where he also studied. This happened as a result of persistent feelings of embarrassment.
Paul Richard Alexander’s presence at the university in a wheelchair garnered media attention because, in the 1960s, the United States had no federal disability inclusion initiatives and people with impairments were not prominent in society.
Paul Richard Alexander graduated from college with a bachelor’s degree in 1978. He attended law school after finishing university, earned his Juris Doctor (J.D.) in 1984, and was admitted to private law practice in 1986 after passing the bar exam.
A Career as a Lawyer and His Retirement
With the help of his friends, Paul Richard Alexander went to college, and became a practicing lawyer. (Dream Big/YouTube)
In order to help him out after he graduated from law school, Paul Richard Alexander employed Kathy Gaines. To this day, she has provided both work and care support to Paul from her home next door.
Since he was already able to handle his own difficulties, many people believed that Paul would be able to handle judicial disputes with ease.
In his time as a lawyer, Paul Alexander has dealt with wills, estates, social security conflicts, criminal trials, civil trials, cases involving minors, and business and governmental issues in court.
As he got older, Paul’s stamina gradually declined. When he was over the age of 70, he could no longer muster the stamina to spend more than a few minutes outside of his iron lung. At 74 years old, he began to stay in the iron lung almost all the time because he needed the respirator to breathe. Today, Paul Richard Alexander is 77 years old.
In 2020, Paul became the only living person using an iron lung. 2022 marked the year Paul Alexander used his iron lung for 70 years, which earned him a place in the Guinness Book of Records as the longest-living individual in an iron lung.
Paul Alexander is still using his iron lung in the bedroom of his modest Dallas apartment.
Paul Richard Alexander Published a Book
Paul and his friend Norman D. Brown published an autobiography book in 2020 titled Three Minutes for a Dog: My Life in an Iron Lung. It was Kathy Gaines who came up with the name of the book.
During the making of the book, Paul conveyed the words to his friend verbally, and he also wrote many of the pages himself, using a pencil he held in his mouth and typing on a keyboard using it.
The first writing implement Paul could use was a flat stick with a fountain pen attached to the end, which his father fashioned for him. In time, his father crafted an assortment of sticks for various uses. Paul put them to use in his writing, drawing, and typing.
The Discontinuation of Paul’s Iron Lung Machine
In the late 1960s, iron lung machines stopped being produced. Paul’s machine sometimes broke, and he didn’t want to switch to a breathing tube, which would have required a tracheostomy (hole in the throat) and forced him to change his way of life completely. Due to the risks of having a tracheostomy, Paul did not want to have a hole in his neck.
In 2018, the United States was home to all three of the world’s operational iron lung machines. After the air pressure in his iron lung failed in 2015, Paul’s friends helped him find an expert by posting a YouTube video, who was able to restore his respiratory equipment.
Because no living technicians or engineers are left to maintain these devices. After the vaccine was developed, there was no longer a requirement to educate people on how to care for the iron lungs.
Brady Richards was an expert mechanic and engineer who worked at the Environmental Testing Laboratory and whose hobby was fixing racing cars. He deduced the iron lung’s design, created replacement parts, and got Paul’s “lungs” back in working order.
Paul Richard Alexander’s Private Life
(Gizmodo/YouTube)
During his college years, Paul was engaged to a fellow student named Claire, but the engagement was called off after Claire’s parents prohibited her from keeping in touch with Paul. So, Paul put off tying the knot forever.
Paul developed an intimate, strictly professional connection with his caregiver and aide, Kathy Gaines.
In 2018, Paul saw Sue Perry, who had been by his side in the polio unit 65 years ago for the same illness. She was 4 years old at the time, and she was not as severely affected by the poliovirus as Paul was, so she made a full recovery. When she learned that Paul Richard Alexander was alive, Sue immediately tracked him down.
As of today, all of Paul Richard Alexander’s family members have predeceased him, including his elder brother Nick.
(Gizmodo/YouTube)
History of Polio Disease
During the epidemic that affected Paul Richard Alexander, there were a total of 58,000 cases of polio, over 21,000 cases of disability, and around 3,150 cases of death in the United States.
There were global polio infections before the vaccine was developed in 1955. In the 1940s and 1950s, poliovirus was widespread, causing the deaths or paralysis of an estimated 600,000 individuals worldwide annually.
The highly contagious viral illness Paul Richard Alexander contracted is called poliomyelitis. Children younger than 5 years old are particularly vulnerable to contracting poliomyelitis. The poliovirus can impair the nervous system and cause spinal cord damage, just like it happened with Paul Richard Alexander.
Today, the World Health Organization estimates that polio causes general disability in 1 out of every 200 cases.
Paul Richard Alexander at a Glance
Who is Paul Richard Alexander?
Paul Richard Alexander was born on January 10, 1946, in Dallas, and contracted poliomyelitis when he was 6 years old, before the American vaccine was developed. As a result, he became almost entirely paralyzed and was placed in an “iron lung” where he has spent almost every moment of his life for the last 70 years. Despite his disability, he became a lawyer and author and published a book in 2020 by typing on a keyboard with a stick he held in his mouth.
How did Paul Richard Alexander become a lawyer?
After completing high school through a distance education program, Paul Richard Alexander was denied admission to university because of his disability. With the help of his instructors in high school, he overcame this opposition and attended Southern Methodist University in Dallas, where he finished and then attended the University of Texas School of Law in Austin. He became a practicing lawyer who has appeared in court hearings and even published a book in 2020, typing on a keyboard with a stick he held in his mouth.
What is an iron lung, and how does it work?
An “iron lung” is a negative-pressure mechanical respirator with a covered aperture for the patient’s neck. The device is an enclosed pressure chamber that creates a pressure different from atmospheric pressure large enough to fit a human. The “iron lung” helps a person who cannot move his muscles to breathe by pumping air into and out of his lungs at varying pressures. The machine was first developed in 1927 and later improved in the 1950s in response to widespread polio epidemics.
How did Paul Richard Alexander breathe without his iron lung machine?
After contracting polio, Paul Richard Alexander was unable to breathe like other people, and his parents brought the iron lung machine home. They set him up with a physical trainer who specialized in helping those with paralysis of the breathing muscles learn to breathe through their mouths. He was taught by the doctor to breathe using the glossopharyngeal method. The technique is based on drawing oxygen into the lips and using the motions of the tongue to force it into the trachea and lungs. After practicing glossopharyngeal breathing for three years, Paul Richard Alexander was able to go for several hours without his iron lung.
