A memorial complex Victory Park was opened to the west of Moscow on May 9, 1995 in commemoration of the 50th Victory anniversary of the soviet people in the Great Patriotic War. The perpetuation of the people’s heroic deed in the monument (per the design of the architect Ya.Chernikhovsky) was first suggested as early as 1942, however, it was not realistic to implement such plans in the wartime.
In 1958, in the place of the would-be complex, there was founded a memorable granite tablet with a memorable inscription, trees were planted around it, and there was laid out a park called in the name of Victory. The complex was built, among other, on public funds: in 1970—1980 voluntary Saturday work and private contributions of the citizens into construction of the monumental monument amounted to 194 mln. rub., later on additional funds were allowed for by the State and the Moscow City Government. To accommodate the entire complex there was allotted 135 ha.
The eastern part of the park was laid on the Hill of respectful Salutation — an ancient historical site, mentioned in the documents of the XVI cent. Once, a sloping hilltop between the rivers of Setun and Philka afforded a royal view of Moscow and its suburbs. Travelers frequently stopped here to cast another glance to the First Capital City and bow unto it; here, important persons and foreign ambassadors were welcomed with a bow — and the bowing tradition was the very reason why the place got such name. On that very hill in 1812 Napoleon was vainly waiting for the Kremlin keys — the Smolensk road at the Hill of respectful Salutation turned into the road of Victory: first, over the French troops, and later — over the Nazi invaders.
The master object of the contemporary complex is the Central Museum of the Great Patriotic War. In front of the Museum there was laid the Pobediteley Ploshchad (the Victors’ Square) to which the Central Alley of the Victory Park will take you from Kutuzovsky Prospekt. It consists of five terraces symbolizing five war years, and over five water surfaces there is a noise of 1,418 fountains, scarlet in the night highlights — the number of days of battles and blood. The 141.8 m stele in the middle of the square is crowned with the figure of the goddess of victory Nicé. At the obelisk foot, on the granite pedestal, there is a statue of Saint George the Victorious who slays the dragon with a spear and symbolizes the victory of the good over the evil — this very picture is revealed on the Moscow coat of arms.
In addition to the Victory Monument (arch. Z. Tsereteli), the architectural complex of the park and the Hill of Respectful Salutation is also made by the churches of three confessions. In particular, the orthodox Church of St. George with bronze bas-reliefs of the Savior, the Virgin "Sign” and St. George (arch. A. Polyansky, 1995), the Memorial Mosque in commemoration of the Muslim soldiers who died in the lines (arch. I. Stazhnev, 1997), and the Holocaust Memorial Synagogue (arch. M. Zarkhi, 1998). There is also a chapel in memory of the Spanish volunteers who also died in the Great Patriotic War. In the park there are also monuments "To the Defenders of the Russian Land” (sculptor A. Bichukov) and to the soldiers- internationalists, a sculpture complex "The Peoples” Tragedy" (sculptor Z. Tsereteli), a plate "Here the Monument to the Moscow Defenders to Be Founded”.
On April 30, 2010 the Hill of Respectful Salutation held a ceremonial lightning of the Eternal Flame with a spark of the Eternal Flame from the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in the Aleksandrovsky Garden. The honor guard of the Moscow cadets stands at the Flame.
The Victory Park holds a unique open-air exhibition of military hardware and armament, warlike equipment of the navy and railroad troops, engineering-military works. There are more than 300 exponents of heavy equipment made in the USSR and allied countries, as well as machinery of the Third Reich. Many of the exponents date back to the wartime and actually took part in battles.
Today the Hill of Respectful Salutation and the Victory Park are within the Moscow boundary. The park is a favorite promenade of most Muscovites and guests of the capital, newly married couples come here to give a bow to the monuments, open-air concerts are also held here. The Victory Park is popular with bike-fans, rollers, skaters, bikers, other sports fans, including extreme sports. Perfect asphalt tracks, a kinglike forest-park with paths and small benches, split-level landscape and artificial obstacles make this place particularly attractive to fans of aggressive riding as well as adherers of the calm repose — no one feels cramped here. The park has an amusement area with a virtual cinema, there is also a children’s playground.