T-34-85 Tank Monument (Samara)

The T-34-85 Tank Monument is a memorial in Samara, in the Krutye Klyuchi microdistrict near Ustinova Street. The Soviet medium tank on a pedestal was unveiled on 9 December 2014, Heroes of the Fatherland Day, to mark the 70th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War. The monument honours the defenders of the country and the home front workers of the Samara Region.

History

The tank was chosen by the city commission for commemorating outstanding people and historical events. The choice fell on a T-34-85 built in 1948, which had stood for several decades at the Rossiya children's summer camp of the Metallist plant. By then the vehicle was in poor condition.

On 27 June 2014 the tank was formally handed over to the Samara Region, and restoration work began. Its original appearance was brought back: the vehicle was fully repainted, and its hull numbers, stars and the inscription "Za Rodinu!" ("For the Motherland!") were applied again.

The monument was unveiled on 9 December 2014. The ceremony was attended by regional and city officials, including Governor Nikolai Merkushkin, and by Hero of the Soviet Union Vladimir Chudaykin.

What to see

The main sight is the "thirty-four" itself on its pedestal. The T-34-85 is a late version of the famous T-34, armed with an 85 mm gun instead of the 76 mm one, which gave it much greater firepower. These tanks were also built after the war, so a 1948 vehicle is a genuine example of the model.

The monument is well kept and can be seen at any time. It is not the only T-34 monument in Samara: another one stands in Victory Park, next to a BTR-40 armoured personnel carrier and a ZiS-3 field gun.

Where the tank stands and getting there

The tank stands in Krutye Klyuchi, not far from School No. 7 on Yevgeniya Zolotukhina Street and the Church of the Presentation of the Lord on Mira Street. A new bus stop was planned between the tank and the church.