Liberation Monument
Encyclopedia
The Liberation Monument is a monument
in Pyongyang
, North Korea
. It was built in 1947 to honour Red Army
soldiers who took part in liberating Korea
from Imperial Japanese occupation during the final stage of the Second World War. Soviet paratroopers took control of Pyongyang on August 24, 1945. The monument is composed of a stele surmounted by a five-pointed red star, with the entire structure attaining a height of 30 meters. The square base of the monument bares an inscrpition on each of its sides. The text, in Russian
and Korean
, describes the purpose of the monument. The monument is often visited by official delegations as well as by tourists and city residents. It has become traditional for newlywed couples to visit the monument as well.
English translation:
The great Soviet people defeated the Japanese imperialists and liberated the people of Korean. The blood shed by Soviet soldiers during the liberation of Korea has served to strengthen the bonds of friendship binding the Korean and the Soviet peoples.This monument was erected to signify the gratitude of the Korean people. August 15, 1945
Secondary Russian inscription (Back side)
English translation:
Eternal glory to the great Soviet Army, which unyoked Korean people from Japanese imperialists and showed them the way to liberty and independence! August 15, 1945
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
in Pyongyang
Pyongyang
Pyongyang is the capital of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, commonly known as North Korea, and the largest city in the country. Pyongyang is located on the Taedong River and, according to preliminary results from the 2008 population census, has a population of 3,255,388. The city was...
, North Korea
North Korea
The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea , , is a country in East Asia, occupying the northern half of the Korean Peninsula. Its capital and largest city is Pyongyang. The Korean Demilitarized Zone serves as the buffer zone between North Korea and South Korea...
. It was built in 1947 to honour Red Army
Red Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
soldiers who took part in liberating Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
from Imperial Japanese occupation during the final stage of the Second World War. Soviet paratroopers took control of Pyongyang on August 24, 1945. The monument is composed of a stele surmounted by a five-pointed red star, with the entire structure attaining a height of 30 meters. The square base of the monument bares an inscrpition on each of its sides. The text, in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
and Korean
Korean language
Korean is the official language of the country Korea, in both South and North. It is also one of the two official languages in the Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in People's Republic of China. There are about 78 million Korean speakers worldwide. In the 15th century, a national writing...
, describes the purpose of the monument. The monument is often visited by official delegations as well as by tourists and city residents. It has become traditional for newlywed couples to visit the monument as well.
Inscriptions
Primary Russian text (Front side):
Великий советский народ разгромил японских империалистов и освободил корейский народ. Кровью, пролитой советскими воинами при освобождении Кореи, еще больше укрепились узы дружбы между корейским и советским народами. В знак всенародной благодарности воздвигнут этот памятник. 15 августа 1945 года.
English translation:
The great Soviet people defeated the Japanese imperialists and liberated the people of Korean. The blood shed by Soviet soldiers during the liberation of Korea has served to strengthen the bonds of friendship binding the Korean and the Soviet peoples.This monument was erected to signify the gratitude of the Korean people. August 15, 1945
Secondary Russian inscription (Back side)
Вечная слава великой Советской Армии, освободившей корейский народ от ига японских империалистов и открывшей ему путь к свободе и независимости! 15 августа 1945 г.
English translation:
Eternal glory to the great Soviet Army, which unyoked Korean people from Japanese imperialists and showed them the way to liberty and independence! August 15, 1945
External links
- A photo of the Liberation Monument
- Tourist's view on Pyongyang (in Russian), includes some photos of the monument
