Why Bokaro Jharkhanda has a statue of Russian soldier Nikolai Maslov

Last update:October 24, 2024, 1:12 pm CEST

The monument was erected in 1974, when the Bokaro Steelworks was built with the help of the Soviet Union.

Bokaro is also called the Steel City.

The BRICS 2024 Summit is currently making headlines with Prime Minister Narendra Modi arriving in Kazan, Russia to attend the event. India and Russia have long had friendly relations, but the history of these ties goes back much further. A striking example of this enduring friendship can be found in the town of Bokaro in Jharkhand, where a monument still stands today, a replica of a historical monument dating back to the Berlin War. But why was this statue installed in Bokaro?

Bokaro, often called the Steel City, holds a special place in the history of India-Russia relations. Historians note that Russia played a significant role in the creation of the Bokaro Steel City. Bokaro Sector 4 is home to the Russian Club, which houses an ancient statue that is a testament to the historical relationship between India and Russia as well as the origins of the Bokaro Steel Plant. This monument depicts the Russian soldier Nikolai Maslov, who heroically saved the life of a young German woman during the last battle of Berlin during World War II.

Historians explain that this event inspired the Russian artist Yevgeny Vuchetich to create the monument in 1946, which is now located in Berlin’s Treptower Park. The monument depicts a Soviet soldier cutting a Nazi swastika in one hand and holding a young girl in the other. The original is in Berlin, but its replica has been installed in Bokaro, symbolizing the enduring friendship between India and Russia.

Dr. Jeet Pandey, renowned Bokaro historian and member of the Indian Sociological Society, recently spoke about the importance of the monument in media interactions. He described it not only as a work of art but also as a symbol of the strong diplomatic and economic ties between India and Russia during that period. The Soviet Union played a key role in the establishment of the Bokaro Steelworks, and this monument is a reminder of the close relations between the two nations at that time.

Dr. Pandey further explained that the monument located at the Russian Club in Sector 4 is a replica of the monument at Treptower Park in Berlin, Germany. It was installed in 1974, when the Bokaro Steelworks was established with the support of the Soviet Union. During the construction of the plant until 1984, approximately 500 Russian experts and their families stayed in the Russian colony of Bokaro.

To accommodate Russian residents, the Russian Club was established in Bokaro, offering a wide range of amenities including entertainment and sports. The club even had an air-conditioned cinema room where Russian films were regularly shown.

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