Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame

The Memorial of Glory and Eternal Flame occupies the centre of Panfilov Park in Almaty, Kazakhstan, and was created in the Soviet era to commemorate those who died in the Second World War. The park itself is named after the 316th Rifle Division commanded by General Ivan Panfilov, formed largely in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan, whose soldiers fought in the defence of Moscow in autumn 1941. The memorial was opened in 1967, in the year of the fiftieth anniversary of the 1917 revolution, and was laid out on an axis through the park. Its main elements are a monumental sculptural group of 28 figures representing the Panfilov Guardsmen, set in a bronze relief composition that shows soldiers in combat, a tall stele, and the Eternal Flame burning in a star-shaped setting. Beside the flame stand walls with the names of fallen soldiers, and a long wall of memorial tablets lists local residents who did not return from the front. Another feature is a monument to Kazakh soldiers who died, with a stone and metal composition in the Soviet monumental style, using bronze, granite and concrete. The memorial is not a museum and has no formal curation, but its sequence of sculptural scenes and plaques moves visitors from the combat relief towards the flame in a processional layout. Solemn ceremonies are held here on 9 May, Victory Day, and on 7 May, the Day of the Defender of the Fatherland, when wreaths are laid and a guard of honour stands by the flame. The monument has been maintained and renovated several times since independence in 1991, with repaving and updated lighting, and it remains in good condition. Nearby are the Military History Museum and Ascension Cathedral, so the memorial works as part of a wider walking route through the park. The site is outdoor and open without an admission fee, and visitors are expected to behave respectfully, avoid loud conduct near the flame and refrain from climbing on the sculptures.