Tanks in Lugansk: The Monument to the Revolutionaries

Monument to the Revolutionaries in Lugansk. Tanks Marko-V (Mk-V).

One of the most beautiful historical and cultural monuments of Lugansk City and its true pride is the Monument to the Revolutionaries, opened back in 1937. In 1938,, in the square, 2 British tanks Marko-V (Mk-V) have been placed opposite the memorial wall. As it’s well-known, English heavy tank Mk-V is a unique item of military equipment. Worldwide, there are only five such tanks, and two of them are exhibited in Lugansk. The production of these tanks began in Birmingham by “Vickers-Armstrongs” in December 1917 and lasted till the end of the World War I. In total they’ve produced 400 tanks. The weight of the tank is 29 tones, the crew – 8 people, speed – 8 km per hour. The length of the tank is 8,05 m, height - 2,49-2,64 m, width - 4,1 m.

The tanks were produced in two modifications: Male and Female. The major difference lied in the amount of armament: the male had two cannons and four machine guns; whereas the female had only six machine guns. However, females proved to be totally ineffective during the battle with Germans on April 24, 1918.

The tanks were sent to Lugansk as monuments to the civil war. The use of the tanks in the Western front by the Entente allies interested Soviet militaries. The total number exported for the White Army from England was 74. Here, the tanks received new names, such as “Bold”, “Ferocious”, “For the Holly Russia”, etc.

In 1920, the tanks Mk-V were captured as trophies by the Red Army. In 1930s, during the period of rearmament of the Red Army, it was suggested to place the tanks as symbols of the victory in the Civil War.
The Memorial Complex to the Revolutionaries belongs to the category of monuments of the national importance.