In the center of Tashkent, as in many cities of the post-Soviet space, there is a memorial complex with an ever-burning flame. The eternal flame is a reminder to all people of that difficult time when someone’s fathers, brothers and children died in the name of freedom, in the name of the safety of their families, shedding blood at the front. The memorial complex is located next to Independence Square, and it is called Memory Square.
Previously, this place was the site of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier memorial, on which an eternal flame also burned. Now there is a sculpture of the Sorrowful Mother installed here.
The monument was erected in 1999; it preserves the memory of hundreds of thousands of soldiers from Uzbekistan who did not return home from World War II. Their names are engraved in gold in the Book of Memory. The author of the monument is Ilkhom Jabbarov.
Today the name “Grieving Mother” already sounds like an established name and familiar to everyone. However, the author intended his creation to have a slightly different meaning. He wanted to capture eternal hope and faith in the best, so he called the monument “Waiting Checkmate.” Jabbarov erected a symbol of all mothers who waited for their sons until the end of their lives, because many of them never returned from the war. The prototype for the sculpture was the author’s own mother, and it was her expectation that is reflected in the attraction.
Over 400 thousand Uzbek citizens did not return home from the war. They, without knowing rest or peace, fought for freedom and contributed to the victory, and their memory is eternal. The monument to the “Grieving Mother” reminds the descendants of the heroes of the high cost of peaceful life today. Every year on May 9, thousands of people lay flowers at the foot of the monument. A military guard is present throughout the day, protecting the memory of the fallen soldiers.
Not far from the monument is the composition Book of Memory. It consists of pavilions stretching over 60 meters with volumes installed in special niches. On their pages the names of all people from Uzbekistan who died or went missing in the war are immortalized.
Canaan Travel especially highlights this place - the monument reminds of the terrible test that all of humanity faced - the most terrible war of the 20th century. Although today the echoes of those events have subsided, we must not forget how fragile the world can become. Our task today is to preserve the peace given to us and pass on the memory of the great war to our descendants. You can also pay tribute to the victims of World War II by leaving flowers at the Sorrowful Mother Monument.