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Memorial to the Victims of Political Repression (Saint Petersburg)
Monument in Saint Petersburg, Russia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Memorial to the Victims of Political Repression (Russian: Памятник жертвам политических репрессий, «Метафизические сфинксы») in Saint Petersburg is a monument dedicated to millions of people who suffered from state terror in the USSR. It is located at the descent to the water on the Voskresenskaya Embankment of the Neva River, separating it from the legendary Kresty Prison, where many political prisoners were held. The central element of the monument is a pair of sculptures of "metaphysical sphinxes" by artist Mihail Chemiakin. Executed in the spirit of modernism, they feature - their faces are divided vertically into two halves. Facing the residential buildings on the embankment, the sphinxes have profiles of young female faces, and facing the Kresty prison on the opposite bank are exposed skulls. This symbolizes the tragic division of the people during the Soviet years. Around the perimeter of the sculpture pedestals are plaques with texts dedicated to Soviet repression, written by famous writers and dissidents. Between the sphinxes is a structure made of granite blocks in the form of an early Christian cross with a prison window and a crown of thorns made of barbed wire. The architectural solution of the monument was designed by Vyacheslav Bukhayev [ru] and Anatoly Vasiliev. The memorial was opened at the initiative of the sculptor and city authorities on April 28, 1995.
Памятник жертвам политических репрессий, «Метафизические сфинксы» ("Metaphysical Sphinxes")[1] | |
![]() Panorama of Voskresenskaya Embankment | |
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Location | Voskresenskaya Embankment, 12-14![]() |
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Designer | Mihail Chemiakin Bukhayev, Vyacheslav Borisovich Anatoly Vasiliev |
Type | Monument, Memorial |
Material | bronze, granite |
Height | ~ 3.3 meters |
Opening date | April 28, 1995 |