Soviet Soldier Monument in Rzhev

Obverse

the mirror field of the disc bears a relief image of the National Coat of Arms of the Russian Federation, over it along the rim there is the semicircular inscription ‘РОССИЙСКАЯ ФЕДЕРАЦИЯ’ (RUSSIAN FEDERATION) framed on both sides by doubled rhombuses, below under the coat of arms there are indications of the precious metal and its fineness on the left and the fine metal content and the mint trade mark on the right, at the bottom in the centre, in three lines, there is an inscription ‘БАНК РОССИИ’ (BANK OF RUSSIA), the denomination of the coin ‘3 РУБЛЯ’ (3 RUBLES), and the year of issue ‘2020 г.’ (2020).

Reverse

the mirror field of the disc features a relief image of the monument to the Soviet soldier – the central part of the memorial complex in commemoration of all soldiers of the Great Patriotic War at the venue of the gory battles near Rzhev in 1942–1943, against the background of the silhouettes of flying cranes; along the rim there is an inscription: ‘РЖЕВСКИЙ МЕМОРИАЛ СОВЕТСКОМУ СОЛДАТУ’ (SOVIET SOLDIER MONUMENT IN RZHEV).

Authors

Designers: E.V. Kramskaya (obverse), A.A. Brynza (reverse).
Sculptors: A.A. Dolgopolova (obverse), A.N. Bessonov (reverse).
Mint: Saint Petersburg Mint (СПМД).
Edge: 300 corrugations.

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The Soviet Soldier Monument was erected at the venue of fierce fighting that took place in 1942–1943. The bloody battles along the perimeter of the Rzhev–Vyazma Salient lasted for 14 months. The offensive and defensive operations undertaken by the troops of the Western and Kalinin Fronts suffering huge losses were extremely important strategically to change the course of the war in favour of the Red Army on the entire Soviet–German front.

The idea to erect the monument dedicated to the heroes of the Battle of Rzhev was suggested by veterans of the Great Patriotic War and supported by the Union State, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, and the Russian Military Historical Society.

After the decision on the erection of the monument was approved in summer 2017, the Russian Military Historical Society announced and organised a creative contest. The Arts Council of the Russian Military Historical Society received 32 projects for consideration, including from Moscow, Belgorod, Bryansk, Irkutsk, Klin, Novosibirsk, Taldom, and the Republic of Belarus. In May 2018, the Council declared the winning project. Its authors are sculptor Andrey Korobtsov and architect Konstantin Fomin. They carried out the work under the general supervision of Andrey Konchalovsky.

The Soviet Soldier Monument was erected by the Russian Military Historical Society with the support of the Union State, the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation, the Government of the Tver Region, and the Museum of the Great Patriotic War. The monument was built on people’s donations. Its erection and inauguration are a key event of the Year of Memory and Glory in Russia.

Source: http://rzhev.histrf.ru