The word "memorial" is found in the press quite often, and, frankly, it is not always clear what exactly is meant. This can be called the Egyptian pyramid, and the former concentration camp in Auschwitz, and even running competitions. What is a memorial? Monument or not? Let's try to understand this in detail.
Origin of the concept
So, for starters, let's say that the word itself comes from the Latin memoria, which has a number of meanings. This is a memory, and a tradition, and a chronicle, and written evidence, and, of course, a monument.
As you can see, one way or another, but the concept itself is associated with memory and the means of fixing it. In the broadest sense, a memorial is a kind of tangible or intangible reminder of an event, a person, or even an entire era.
As a warning to future generations
Mankind is still trying to learn from the mistakes of the past and is doing its best to preserve the memory of it. For the average layman, such reminders are most often associated with some fallen heroes. And even if with ordinary people, then all the same - dead. Whether it is a memorial of glory dedicated to victory in the Great Patriotic War, or an obelisk to the victims of the Holocaust, fascism, famine - all this is a stone-walled reminder of the tragic pages of human history. In defense of the average layman it should be noted that on this planet there are indeed thousands of monuments dedicated to human bloodthirstiness, and there is only one invention of the rabies vaccine.
Petrified culture
However, in fairness, let’s say that a memorial to memory is not always associated with tragedy. It can be a building, which is a symbol of goodwill or a reminder of something bright. For example, the mysterious English Stonehenge is the embodiment of ancient culture and its unsolved secrets.
Some constructions of this kind are not only intended to perpetuate an event, they can be functional as well, because the church in which the services are held is also important as a place of worship. In addition, the memorial can be called not only a grandiose monument, but even a modest memorial plaque, which testifies to the fact that Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin lived and composed his brilliant poems in this house in 1820.
Sports approach
An interesting look at the subject of our study is with athletes. In their opinion, the memorial is a competition. Maybe because athletes as people incredibly focused on their activities simply do not imagine a better way to perpetuate a name and honor the memory of an outstanding fellow.
When the corresponding idea arises, they organize some kind of regular (or one-time) tournament and name it after a person who has reached considerable heights in a particular sport: the Lobanovsky memorial is an international soccer competition among junior teams; or a hockey tournament dedicated to the memory of Romazan, or a chess tournament named after Alekhine. Such an approach is generally very good, because the tournament is a guarantee not only that the great athlete will be remembered again, but that this person’s business will not die with him. And this is not to mention how useful such events are to promote a healthy lifestyle.
Evidence of what happened
Each accountant knows what a memorial order is - this is a document that reflects certain financial transactions for a specific period of time. Back in 1654, the great scientist Blaise Pascal saw either a vision or a hallucination and wrote this revelation on parchment (which is still known as the Pascal Memorial).
He sewed a sheet into the lining of his frock coat and kept it until his death. He claimed to be guided by this "synopsis" in all everyday affairs. True or not, historians continue to argue, but the parchment mentioned definitely exists. Thus, a memorial is not only a monument or a sporting event, but also a document, a written evidence of certain events.
The Internet is moving on the planet …
Today, when our society is sinking deeper into the computer monitor (who knows whether this is good or bad?), You can find anything on the global network, even a tombstone. Memorial "Remember" - this is the name of the site where everyone can create a page dedicated to a deceased relative or friend.
Some users, of course, began to make fun of the theme of "Odnotrupnikov", but, in principle, there is nothing wrong with this - a person who is unable to visit the place where a loved one is buried can instead visit the corresponding page on the Internet (another thing is capable of whether it satisfy him). On the other hand, everyone experiences this kind of loss in their own way - and if such a resource can help someone cope with grief, then its existence is more than justified.
What do we remember?
The memorial of memory most often carries the message “we will not forget, we will not forgive” - and it turns out that it broadcasts hatred. But a reminder of an event may carry another meaning in itself, and from this point of view it makes a favorable impression. Valley of the Fallen is a monument and burial place of all those who died during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). Then the Republicans and nationalists seriously tried to "crush each other in small crumbs." The atrocities of both sides do not and cannot be any excuse. But sometimes you just need to stop identifying more or less guilty, but just draw the appropriate conclusions and move on.
In the forties of the last century, Franco ordered the erection of something like that in memory of the victims of a bloody war, despite their political convictions - and the monument turned out to be grandiose. The area of the complex is about 1365 hectares, over thirty thousand people are buried in the territory (including the dictator himself), a huge 150-meter cross crowns the memorial. A photo of him can be found in all travel booklets inviting you to visit Spain.
In the time of Franco, the construction was intended to remind the nation of the need for reconciliation. However, the road to hell has been lined with good intentions - the Spaniards are still engaged in lively discussions: either as a monument to which victims should be considered a memorial (the socialists offer - to the victims of Franco himself), then they try to transfer the remains of not all beloved ruler from the Valley to another place. In general, the attempt to try on society was unlikely to be one hundred percent successful. But the Spaniards at least tried …
