The "Gorkovchane — Frontu" Memorial is dedicated to the memory of the wartime labor exploits of the residents of Gorky during the Great Patriotic War, and is located in Nizhny Novgorod, inside the Kremlin, near Dmitrievskaya Tower of the Nizhny Novgorod Kremlin.
The project authors are architects S.A. Timofeyev, B.S. Nelyubin, and V.V. Kovalyov.
History
To mark the 30th anniversary of Victory Day, a permanent exhibition titled "Gorkovchane — Frontu," dedicated to the memory of the wartime labor exploits of the residents of Gorky during the Great Patriotic War, was opened on 8 May 1975 inside the Kremlin, near Dmitrievskaya Tower. On the same day, a commemorative plaque was unveiled in honor of the military units formed in the City of Gorky and Nizhny Novgorod Region during the Great Patriotic War. In 1979, the Gorky City Executive Committee passed a resolution: "For the 35th anniversary of Victory, the weapons exhibition in the Kremlin shall be granted the status of a memorial. A commemorative marker 'Gorkovchane — Frontu' shall be erected on the memorial grounds."
Description of the Memorial
At the entrance to the memorial stands a commemorative marker faced with granite slabs. One of the slabs bears the following inscription: "From generation to generation, words shall be passed down about those who, in the hour of dire trials, defended the Soviet Motherland with weapons in hand, as well as about those who forged weapons, who built tanks and aircraft, who smelted steel for shells, whose labor exploits were worthy of the martial valor of the soldiers." Pravda, 8 June 1942." Another granite slab bears the words: "2,360 tanks, 1,500 aircraft, 9,000 self-propelled guns, and 10,000 mortars were supplied to the front. The city's factories produced Katyusha combat vehicles and other military equipment."
On pedestals erected along the Kremlin wall, weapons produced in the City of Gorky during the Great Patriotic War are on display. These include a T-34 tank, armored cars, artillery pieces, a mortar, a self-propelled gun, a BM-13 Katyusha, a La-5 fighter aircraft, and the conning tower of submarine S-13.
Opening of the Memorial
The memorial was opened on 8 May 1975. On 8 May 1980, the commemorative marker "Gorkovchane — Frontu" was erected on its grounds.