"Touch. Do not want to go, but cannot stay."
The author of the Pärnu 1944 Great Escape memorial, Elo Liiv, has skillfully combined the stormy sea, the last touch of departures, the tragedy of tearing away from everything dear amidst the horrors of war, hope, waves, lines of fate, the shining stars at night, and the longing for freedom that unites those who left with those who stayed home for years. The hands also symbolize the people who welcomed and helped refugees at that time.
Aluminum was chosen as the material due to its price range and its property of reflecting light, which forms a unity with the river. A total of about one nautical mile, or 1850 meters, of aluminum rod, each 5-10-13 and 20 cm long, needed to be bent according to the base shape and then welded together at the same length.The hand material is like water within the lines of fate, and on it boats with refugees… as if on God's palm. The foundation stone of the monument comes from the fields of Tori and seems to have been created for this memorial – full of waves and shimmering stars.
Elo Liiv's team:
Tarvo Vassil and Stanislav
Krivin (Tabitec OÜ) for metalwork, Raul Randväli (Levikivi OÜ) for stone
carving, Uus Monumentaal cast the aluminum boats for the refugee boats,
Rastblaster OÜ performed aluminum cleaning with sandblasting, YES WE CAN
assisted with 3D enlargement, and Genno Puusepp handled transportation. In the
aluminum works, Elo was assisted by Uko-Aija Heintalu, Essu Heintalu, Õnne
Heintalu, and Põvvat Kama and Janari Pähn.
Originally erected on the green area by the river next to the Pärnu Central Bridge, the memorial will find its permanent location near the Jaanson health and sports trail, closer to the water, after the renovation of the central pier. This new location aligns with the intended direction of the sculpture, where the departing hand is placed towards the sea and the staying hand towards the shore.
See pictures of the memorial's construction work here.
Photos and video clips of the installation here
(Külauudised, 21.09.2024)