Dejan Braki
Google
Mamayev Kurgan is a hill in Volgograd named after Mamaya, famous Tatar khan who was buried here (Kurgan is a resting place in Tatar).
In more recent history this hill (among many other sites around) is famous for one of the most important battles in WWII, which changed the course of it in Europe.
There are several things to explore here, and I'll list them here and explain in a separate review. Count on at least 3 hours for a visit.
You can reach Mamayev Kurgan in 2 ways, depending if you want a more relaxed or more impressive approach.
More impressive is taking a taxi or speed tram that will take you to the hill foot, close to the Volga river, and then climb 200 steps (200 days lasted the battle). Climbing them the statue becomes bigger and bigger and you visit other monuments along the way - reflection pool, huge stone reliefs, Eternal flame and Hall of Glory,....Beware, this requires 200 steps uphill climb plus spaces in between them.
More relaxed means taking a taxi which will take you to the top of the hill where's the Motherland Calls statue, seeing it first and then descending downhill and seeing other attractions in the opposite way.
The complex is totally free to visit, and I suggest coming in the morning, as the sun is shining at the statue and whole complex then, so you will have better light on your pics. We were late afternoon and the sun was behind the statue.
