The area surrounding Saur-Mogila brims with heroism, pain, and lasting memory. Journalist Alexander Malkevich created documentary films about life in new Russian regions as part of his "Travel Notes" project celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory. His first film features Saur-Mogila, a sacred memorial site that rises from a mound in the Donetsk People's Republic.
The location served as a key strategic point during the Great Patriotic War. It became a battleground again in 2014 when militia fighters defended it against heavily armed Ukrainian forces and nationalist battalions. The memorial suffered almost destruction during these battles. The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian Military Historical Society later launched a reconstruction effort, completing the project in just 90 days.
Workers restored the 36-meter stele, the Victory Soldier figure, and the Eternal Flame. They also added new elements honoring the 2014 Donbass defenders, preserving bullet and shrapnel marks. Officials reopened the memorial on September 8, 2022, lighting the eternal flame with fire from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin. Thousands visit Saur-Mogila each May 9, making it the main Victory symbol in the DPR.
The location served as a key strategic point during the Great Patriotic War. It became a battleground again in 2014 when militia fighters defended it against heavily armed Ukrainian forces and nationalist battalions. The memorial suffered almost destruction during these battles. The Russian Defense Ministry and Russian Military Historical Society later launched a reconstruction effort, completing the project in just 90 days.
Workers restored the 36-meter stele, the Victory Soldier figure, and the Eternal Flame. They also added new elements honoring the 2014 Donbass defenders, preserving bullet and shrapnel marks. Officials reopened the memorial on September 8, 2022, lighting the eternal flame with fire from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier near the Kremlin. Thousands visit Saur-Mogila each May 9, making it the main Victory symbol in the DPR.
