Slavin

Slavin - darkometer rating : 4 - The main monument in Bratislava , and Slovakia , commemorating the liberation of the country by the Soviet Red Army in the last year of WWII . It is also a war cemetery, with the remains of the nearly 7000 soldiers who fell in the liberation of the city buried in mass graves on site. But it's the very Soviet main monument, a prime example of this monumental style, that is the main feature here. > What there is to see > Location > Access and costs > Time required > Combinations with other dark destinations > Combinations with non-dark destinations > Photos What there is to see: You can already see the monument towering above the city from far away. Not only is it tall itself (some 150 feet / 50m), it also stands at the top of a hill immediately to the north-west of the inner city core, so it is visible from almost anywhere within the inner city. But it is worth getting up close. To do so you can either make your own way up the hill – it's not far from the city centre but quite a steep walk – or do it as part of a guided tour. Visiting the monument, comfortably by car, is included in the so-called “ post-socialist tour ” of Bratislava offered by the alternative operator "Authentic Slovakia" – see their sponsored page here ! Whatever way you get there you will most likely start at the main entrance that faces south towards the Hrad and Old Town. There's a large relief greeting you that depicts a sentimental scene of soldiers with long coats, helmets and machine guns, one of whom is kneeling to kiss a flag. Inscriptions in Slovak and Russian to the sides of the relief declare: Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battle for the freedom and independence of our motherland.