Video: Vimia memorial in France in memory of the Canadian soldiers who died in the First World War
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
During the First World War, 630 thousand Canadians served in the army, taking part in the battles with the German Empire. In memory of the fallen soldiers in France installed Vimia memorial, the largest monument, on the pylon of which the names of 11,168 missing soldiers are carved.
The Vimi memorial is so named because it was erected near the city of Vimy, located 8 km north of Arras. Here, from 9 to 12 April 1917, the fierce confrontation between the troops of the Entente and the German Empire continued, in which the Canadians won. The memorial was erected in memory of those soldiers whose graves could not be found, because of the 60 thousand dead, 11 thousand people are listed as missing. In addition to the names of the brave warriors, the fields near Vimi keep another memory of the terrible months of the war - the trenches, which still remind of battles.
The memorial was designed by Walter Seymour Allward. A total of 160 works were sent to the competition, but preference was given to a structure consisting of two thirty-meter pylons, symbolizing Canada and France. On one pylon there is a maple leaf, on the second - fleur-de-lis.
The sculptural complex of the memorial includes 20 figures: at the top of the pylons you can see a group of 8 figures (the so-called "choir"), symbolizing Justice, Peace, Hope, Mercy, Honor, Faith, Truth and Knowledge. The spirit of Sacrifice is embodied in a sculptural composition depicting a dying soldier passing a sword to his comrades. At the foot of the memorial there are figures of grieving parents. The female statue is an allegory of a grieving mother, young Canada, mourning her sons.
The memorial offers a picturesque view of the forest, each tree in which was planted by Canadians after the tragic events. The monument itself is built of a very rare Brac stone, Walter Oldward chose this material for its dazzling whiteness. The stone is mined in the only place on the planet - on the Croatian island of Brač.
It took Aldward 11 years to create the memorial; the grand opening was on July 26, 1936. The ceremony was held in the presence of King Edward VIII and French President Albert Lebrun. In total, 50 thousand people attended the opening.
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