Katyusha, whose monument can be seen in many cities, is the unofficial name for the BM-13 barrelless field artillery systems, which made a significant contribution to the victory in the Great Patriotic War. There are several versions of the appearance of such a name. The first is related to the popularity of Matusovsky and Blanter’s songs about the girl Katyusha. The second version says that the name came from polygons who called the BM-13 installation “Kostikovo automatic thermal”, abbreviated CAT. From this close to Katyusha.
Installation monuments can be found in many cities. In some, it was made, in others, Katyusha helped to win the battles with the Nazis.
In the Rostov region
The Katyusha Monument in the Rostov Region is located on the Dudukalovo Farm. It was established in 1991 in honor of the mortar men who liberated it from the Nazis in 1943.
On the pedestal is a three-meter sample of artillery equipment, which was used in 1943. The monument is made of gypsum concrete and metal.
In the Chelyabinsk region
In the Chelyabinsk region, the Katyusha monument was built in 1975. Few knew then that this legendary artillery mount was produced in Chelyabinsk during the Great Patriotic War. Its production was classified. Ready sheathed cars sent at night.
The idea of erecting the Katyusha monument belongs to the honorary member of the city of Chelyabinsk, the architect Evgeny Alexandrov. Funds for the monument were collected by the workers of the plant, spending subbotniks. And on the anniversary of the thirtieth anniversary of the Victory over the Nazis, Katyusha appeared at the Palace of Culture of the road machine factory.
Alexandrov not only proposed the idea of creating a monument, but also brought it to life. Together with the honored artist of the RSFSR Vitaly Zaikov, a rocket launcher with shells was recreated. This required a special design of the pedestal.
In Volgograd
The rocket launcher monument in the Volgograd region is located on the Volgograd-Elista highway. Katyusha played a big role in the battle of Stalingrad (the former name of Volgograd). The initiators of the erection of the monument were Ogureev and Gorbunov, who served in the division in the village of Tsatsa.
The decision to install the monument was made at a meeting of veterans in 1977 and dedicated to the 32nd anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.
The pedestal is equipped with a real combat vehicle, which was restored at the engine plant. And from him to the installation site Katyusha drove under its own power. The car was escorted to the pedestal by the participants of the battle of Stalingrad.
The Katyusha Monument is annually a gathering place for memory rallies, Memory Watch and the All-Russian motor rally.
In the Smolensk region
The architect of the monument was A. A. Vasilieva. It was installed in the Rudyansky district of the Smolensk region in 1968. It was here that the second volley of this formidable weapon was fired. Then the question of mass production of the Katyusha plant was only being decided.
The monument was restored in 2000. Since installation, the metal has rusted. For restoration, the monument was moved to the company Avtoservis CJSC. During the procedure, almost a tragedy occurred. When working with shells, one of them was smoking. But no one was hurt. Workers stopped all work and called the Ministry of Emergencies. After the arrival, experts neutralized sixteen shells. In fact, there were no warheads in the installation, but a little explosive remained. Which, however, would be enough for a serious incident.
Monument "Katyusha" on the Road of Life
The Katyusha memorial is part of the Green Belt of Glory in St. Petersburg. Built near the village of Kornevo in 1966. In this place from 1941 to 1943 there were anti-aircraft units that covered the Road of Life.
The architects of the memorial were L.V. Chulkevich, P.I. Melnikov, A.D. Levenkov. Engineers - L.V. Izyurov, G.P. Ivanov.
The artillery memorial consists of five steel beams. Their length is 14 meters. Beams are mounted on a concrete base at a slight angle. The memorial is five steel beams with a length of 14 meters.
In Penza
The Katyusha monument in Penza is installed on the corner of Bauman and Sverdlov streets, near the Pezmash factory. The opening of the monument took place in November 1982.
During the Great Patriotic War, a machine-building enterprise was created on the territory of the former biscuit factory.
Initially, the monument was located near the museum of local lore, but after it they decided to transfer it to the Penzmash factory, because it was here that Katyusha artillery mounts were made.
