To The Struggle Against World Terrorism Monument in New Jersey

"Peace cannot be kept by force.
It can only be achieved by understanding."
~Albert Einstein

This morning my friend Ricky Kendall sent me an email about this monument dedicated to the people who lost their lives on the 9-11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade bombing. Apparently there has been a photo of the monument circulating the Internet and verification about it at snopes and urban legends. Ricky, nor I, had heard about this monument before by a Russian artist and given to us by the peoples of Russia. I first thought, maybe it is because we both live out West so maybe that is why we had little publicity about it, but doing a little bit of inquiry I discovered people who live in New Jersey where the monument is, did not know of its existence! It is a shame the memorial did not get more press than it apparently did.

World renown artist, sculptor, designer, Zurab Konstantinovitch Tsereteli was born in Tbilisi ( Georgia ) on January 4, 1934 ; and graduated from the Academy of Arts in Tbilisi in 1958. His Monumental and Design Works are throughout Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Great Britain, Spain, France, Israel, Uruguay, Italy, and the United States. He designed the interior decoration of the embassies of the Russian Federation in the United States, Brazil, Portugal, Japan, Turkey, Syria. A philanthropist, he has generously donated his artworks to charitable auction and hospices.

Zurab Tsereteli was in his home in Moscow on the morning of September 11th. Like the rest of the world, he was glued to Television coverage of the attacks on the Twin Towers, and as he watched the towers collapse he was moved to tears. He soon after decided to do a memorial with an image of a tear. Soon after he came to the United States to find a place for the memorial. He found a perfect spot on the waterfront at Bayonne, New Jersey, across from Ground Zero and with the Statue of Liberty in view.

A 100-foot-tall, 175-ton, bronze-clad sculpture, which encloses a 40-foot steel teardrop, entitled "To The Struggle Against World Terrorism," is a gift from Russian sculptor Zurab Tsereteli, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the people of Russia, to the people of the United States and was dedicated on the fifth anniversary of the 9-11 attacks.

The monument's eleven-sided granite base includes the names of all those who perished in the initial explosion at the World Trade Center in 1993 and in the 2001 attacks. “His bronze monument reflects that image with a jagged tear through the center, and a 4-ton nickel tear hanging from the top. The tear represents not only the sadness and grief over the loss of life on 9/11 and previous attacks on the World Trade Center, but also hope for a future free from terror.”

The monument has several reflective elements, so that the visitor becomes part of the memorial. The nickel tear is shiny and mirror like. The granite name plates which make up the stand for the monument, and on which the names of the victims are etched, is also shiny and reflective.

In looking over previous reports about it, I see there was some controversy regarding size, names, or whatever. I also notice Ricky and I are not alone in never hearing or reading about this monument. I’ve now seen comments from a few people who actually live in New Jersey and never heard about it and its dedication of 9-11-2006!

H. G. Wells wrote, "Our true nationality is mankind.” Do you think we will ever get that?!

I now, ask, why did we not hear of it? Why did our press choose to keep quiet about such a beautiful and generous and heartfelt gift?

Thank you Zurab Tsereteli and all the people of Russia. The monument is a beautiful memorial.

I am reminded by all this of a beautiful and moving poem that Ricky wrote shortly after 9-11. You can read The Eagle Cried by Ricky Kendall here.


~Linda