Savur-Mohyla
| Savur-Mohyla Memorial | |
|---|---|
Savur-Mohyla Memorial, 2008
|
|
| For Red Army soldiers fallen during World War II | |
| Unveiled | 1963 |
| Location | near Snizhne |
| Designed by | Anatoly Ignashchenko |
Savur-Mohyla (Ukrainian: Савур-могила), sometimes transcribed as Savur-Mogila or Saur-Mogila (Russian: Саур-Могила), is a strategic height in the Donets ridge near the city of Snezhnoye, located about 5 km (3.1 mi) away from the border between Ukraine and Russia (Rostov Oblast).
It is originally a tumulus (kurgan) - "mohyla" means "tumulus" in Ukrainian and according to one interpretation the word "Savur" comes from Turkic "Sauyr", meaning "steppe mound shaped like horse bottom."
World War II[edit]
During the Great Patriotic War, Saur-Mohyla was the focal point of intense fighting. Only in August 1943, Soviet troops managed to retake control of the height from German forces. In 1963 a memorial complex was unveiled on the top of the hill to honour the fallen soldiers.[1]
2014 war in Donbass[edit]
In 2014, during the long-time military conflict between Ukrainian troops and Donbass pro-Russian fighters, the Saur-Mohyla height was captured by the pro-Russian fighters. On July 23, 2014, separatists shot down two Ukrainian Air Force Sukhoi Su-25 (NATO reporting name "Frogfoot") ground-attack aircraft flying at 17,000 feet (5,182 meters) over Saur-Mohyla, using Russian AA systems.[2][3]
On July 28, 2014, after intense fighting, the Armed Forces of Ukraine claimed that they recaptured control of Saur-Mohyla from the pro-Russian insurgents.[4] However commander of the pro-Russian Donetsk People's Republic separatists Igor Girkin, denied Savur-Mohyla had been lost, saying fighting was continuing.[5] Followings its capture by the Ukrainian army on August 9, 2014,[6] the insurgents recaptured the hill on August 26, 2014.[7][8] During the fighting the hill changed hands about 8 times.
Destruction of the memorial[edit]
On August 21, 2014, the memorial's obelisk collapsed after enduring weeks of heavy shelling.[7][9]
References[edit]
| Wikimedia Commons has media related to Saur-Mogila. |
- ^ GPW Veterans Celebrate Victory Day At Saur-Mohyla, UKRINFORM, May 9, 2008
- ^ Two Ukrainian fighter jets shot down as Kiev accuses Moscow of sending more arms to separatists, FoxNews, July 23, 2014.
- ^ Two Ukrainian military jets shot down over rebel-held area, Washington Post, July 23, 2014.
- ^ Ukrainian Armed Forces take control of Saur-Mohyla - report to president, Interfax, July 28, 2014.
- ^ "Ukraine claims more territory as fight intensifies with rebels". www.reuters.com. Reuters. 28 July 2014. Retrieved July 2014.
- ^ Ополчение отступило со стратегической высоты Саур-Могила // РИА Новости, 09.08.2014
- ^ a b Panoramic video of the destroyed memorial, Lifenews.ru, August 28, 2014
- ^ Donetsk militia claims assuming control of border stretch to Azov Sea, ITAR-TASS, August 26, 2014
- ^ Savur-Mohyla Left Without Obelisk Because of Shelling, Censor.NET, August 21, 2014
Coordinates: 47°55′22.75″N 38°44′25.94″E / 47.9229861°N 38.7405389°E