FROM THE CENTRE ALONG THE BRIDGE

Duration: about 1.5 hours

You can start the walk from the crossing of the Alley of Heroes and Lenin Prospect in the direction to the southern districts of Volgograd, along beautiful flower beds, shops and shady trees.

On the right side of Lenin Prospect (opposite the Lenin Monument) there is a building with columns in neoclassicism style where the Volgograd Region Administration and the Volgograd Region Duma is placed. Nearby at the corner there is the Regional Museum of Local Lore (Krayevedchesky musey). The Museum building was constructed in eclecticism style with modernist style elements; it is the monument of history and architecture of the end of the 19th– the beginnings of the 20th centuries. The Museum exposition located on several floors tells about the history, culture and nature of the Volgograd region. Annually more than 135 000 people visit the Regional Museum of Local Lore in Volgograd.

Near the Regional Museum of Local Lore in the park there is the Monument to Russian poet Margarita Agashina (Pamyatnik Margarite Agashinoy), going farther you can see the Monument to the Founders of Tsaritsyn (Pamyatnik osnovatelyam Tsaritsyna) which was opened in 1989 in honor of 400 anniversary of Volgograd.

Then crossing the traffic way you will reach Voroshilovsky district on Tsaritsynsky Bridge through the flood plain of the former Tsaritsa River. Under the Bridge you can see the children's railroad where children can try to be a engine driver, a railway engineer or a conductor.

On the right behind the Bridge there is Chekists’s Square (Ploshad Chekistam) where the Monument to Security Officers (Pamyatnik Chekistam) devoted to the tragic events of the Battle of Stalingrad is errected.

In January, 1942, the 10th shooting division of troops of Narkomat of internal affairs under command of the colonel Alexander Sarayev was created in Stalingrad. The basis of the division was made by soldiers and commanders of border troops of Sverdlovsk, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk and, of course, residents of Stalingrad. In December, 1942, the division was awarded the Orders of Lenin for model performance of fighting tasks. 20 security officers of the division became the Heroes of the Soviet Union, hundreds received government awards, and five fighters of the division became gentlemen of awards of Glory of 3 degrees. Pamyatnik Chekistam was opened in 1947. Its height makes 22 m, height of the figure of the soldier security officer – 3.85 m, with the sword – 5.80 m. The granite memorial board is placed at the Monument. Pamyatnik Chekistam in Volgograd was the only monument not only in the Soviet Union, but also some time remained the only monument to soldiers of security services in the world.

Near the Monument there is the Monument to Anti-tank Dogs (Pamyatnik sobakam-podryvnikam) which was erected in 2011. It is the only monument in Russia devoted to the anti-tank dogs defending Stalingrad in the days of the Russian Great Patriotic War. The bronze dog is depicted in full-scale. On the sculpture of the dog a bag with explosives and a detonator is fixed as it was during the war. The bronze dog-soldier is ready to rush in fight after the team of its owner. Guard dogs had only one task – to come as close as possible to the enemy’s tank. The dogs laid down their loves to save hundreds of people’s lives – the Red Army soldiers. Only for the first months of the Battle of Stalingrad the dog destroyed over 20 German tanks. By the end of the battle on the Volga that number increased to 180 units. The authors of the Monument wanted to depict the character of the dog-friend real fighter. It is the monument to four-footed soldiers who were never received any awards or medals for the feats but who till today continue to bear hard service.

From the Chekists’ Square you can walk down Ulitsa Rabochekrestyanskaya, one of the busiest streets of Volgograd with many shops and cafés. Have a snack in the café of the Yuznaya Hotel (Ulitsa Rabochekrestyanskaya, 10).

Opposite the hotel there is a red old building of Tsaritsyn times –the Cossack Theater (Kazachy teatr) where folklore plays are mainly performed. From the theater you can go to Sasha Filippov Park(Park im. Sashi Filippova). It is one of the most favorite places of Volgograd citizens. There is the Sasha Filippov Monument (Pamyatnik Sashe Filippovu) in the park. He was the hero of Stalingrad and every citizen of Volgograd knows him. The park was founded in 1966. There is the grave of Sasha Filippov. In 1970 the granite stone was put on his grave and on the 8th of May in 1981 a bust of metal and concrete made by Volgograd sculptor Peter Malkov was set here.

In 2005, there was athen opening ceremony of the Monument “Guardian Angel of Volgograd” in the park. The sculpture represents an angel made of bronze, standing on the granite hemisphere. The angel’s inspired face is looking at the Volga, he is praying for the citizens. There is an inscription on the base plate: St. Guardian-Angel, pray for us! The author’s idea is that the angel regenerates the connection between generations of Volgograd. In the base of the monument there is a capsule with wishes and dreams of the Volgograd citizens. From the sculpture there are alleys of chestnut, linden, fir, and pine-tree. There is a fountain, children's playground and lots of flower-beds. The Monument has its superstitious beliefs: if you touch the angel and make a wish it will come true.

The Volgograd citizens and guests put coins and lay flowers on the base. Through the park you can get to Ulitsa Tsiolkovskogo and go to the Synagogue. The Synagogue is located at Ulitsa Balachninskaya between houses. There is a beautiful view to the Volga from this building. From blue tall buildings of the residential building “Volzhsky Parusa” you can go in two directions: across Ulitsa Kalinina to the bridge or down to the Volga where you can make some photos with legendary fire boat “Gasitel” and then you can reach the River Port at the Central Embankment and have a dinner at one of the cafés.