Ukraine war memorial given eternal LED torch, cell antenna
By Ross Miller 
posted Oct 25th 2009 6:43AM
posted Oct 25th 2009 6:43AM
[Via Hack a Day]
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A shame the flame was lost but understandable... i want to see it at night!
In Soviet Russia, LED torch lights you!
I actually prefer the LED version. I don't think it's disrespectful or tacky. What's wrong with some newer tech? It's a symbol of what their sacrifices have enabled in a way .. the advances of modern life.
Anyway, I suppose we'll be seeing photoshops of this pic show up on engadget and elsewhere time to time.
how can anyone downvote a Soviet Russia joke?
They could have tried harder to make it look like a REAL flame. IMHO, that LED "torch" looks pretty shitty.
lol why vote down Blitzkrieg?! IT WAS FUNNY! :D :D :D :D
Or just don't have it on 24x7. Put it on a timer to light up just from dawn-midnight and all day on memorial days once a year.
I don't know if its just me, but it seems a little disrespectful to have a cell tower built in to a WW2 memorial. I can justify using LEDs as cost-cutting measure instead of natural gas, but to me that cell tower crosses the line. I'm sure they could have found somewhere else to place it. Have a little respect for the Vets.
If it's anything like some other war memorials in that part of the world, it may have been built on top of a man-made hill in an otherwise flat terrain. I think an ugly mast on the very same hill would be more of a sacrilege than integrating the functionality into the memorial.
I agree, it would have been better to just leave it as it was.
I agree, but I think the real flame should have been retained as a symbol of the sacrifices those men made in the name of their cause.
It's a shame really. But then again, money means everything to everyone... another shame.
Yeah, initially I tried to find some humor in it but really it's in really poor taste. I just don't see how one can look at the monument knowing what it means and say: Wow, that'd make a pretty kick ass cell tower.
Digital Douche.
Ukraine is not a very rich country with nearly 20% of its residents living below the poverty line. Their currency fell almost 40% against the US Dollar last year. They're hurting.
They have a monument that was built with a wasteful eternal flame. I'm all for symbolism, but there are plenty of war memorials that garner just as much attention, respect, and pause in thought that don't require the draining of one of a struggling nation's more valued resources. Yes, I'm sure it was a shot to general morale to extinguish this flame. However instead of letting it stagnate in a symbolic state of apathy, it's being used as a makeshift cell tower - something you can't see on the statue, and they added back a flame using modern technology that is sure to reignite the spirit of those who became used to simply blocking the statue out in their daily travels much the way people pay no attention to telephone poles. Now it's the center of focus, it's energy-saving, and I bet it looks pretty cool at night.
The simple fact that it uses a simulated flame instead of a real one is about as relevant as saying it's not respectful because there isn't a real person up there holding it. It's a SYMBOL just like the statue is, and now people once more have a brightly-lit reminder of the honour the soldiers who fought and died for their freedoms brought to their country. What's wrong with that?
No, the issue is that someone took a monument dedicated to the people who lost their lives for their country and put a cell phone tower in it. The LED light isn't anyone's issue, it's the fact the the sacredness of the monument was destroyed for a buck. Symbolically, they've dishonored the lives lost. For money.
Not cool.
Disagreed. Your opinion is that they have dishonored the dead, and you tie in the desire for money as the reason. I suppose they should have spent MORE money on an actual cell tower instead of hiding a transmitter you cannot see with your eyes inside of this new eternal flame.
Had the cell transmitter been added on its own with a nice antennae sticking out of the statue's hand, that would be disrespectful - because you can see it. But you can't. You see an eternal flame instead.
You have decided on your own that this symbolizes disrespect. If all it takes for you to feel less of a connection to the dead because they added a couple of pounds of functioning metal and plastic... well, sucks to be you.
My issue is not that you can see the antenna at all--it's that they've added one in the first place. I doubt we're gonna see eye-to-eye. It's like slapping an antenna on the top of a tombstone. To me it's simply not okay.
I'm sure the company that owns the cell phone tower probably paid for the LED flame effect. Without that company's help, there would be no flame. Period. Is it sacrilege? IMO, yes. But at the same time so was shutting off the flame. To some people, that was probably more of an insult.
The cell tower and the LED go together... The only way the cellphone company is going to upgrade it to LED's is by installing their radio in there... It's not rocket science...
Most monuments are going to shit in Ukraine. People barely make ends meet. They spend the last of their money buying beer/vodka, and the adidas shoes, the remainder goes to pay the cellphone bill. Most monuments are used to urinate upon after drinking beer in the park. Monuments are further marked up with "Lucy loves Bob", and disgraced in many other ways.
This ain't pretty. But neither is Ukraine. But all your judgement must be applied with respect to the environment that this is in. I doubt this LED crap will even last. Young uneducated morons will probably stone the LEDs to death or steal it as a vandalism trophy.
What Pretol said... It's Ukraine for Christ's sake. If the monument isn't crumbling, tagged with graffiti and smelling like piss while holding up a giant bottle of Nemoriff vodka by now it's a good thing! The saying "the glass is half full" come to mind here. My grandma and grandpa emigrated from Zhytomyr and Kyiv and i love the country despite how fucked up it currently is, but it is what it is! :)
A cellphone tower and LED flames? I'm a technophile, but that is just TACKY!
Soon to be a Coke ad or Amp
+1 for the LED's -1000 for the cell tower
The juxtaposition looks pretty damn tacky.
That looks ridiculous.
I guess it's slightly better at night.
anyone who has ever been to russia or any of the former soviet territories knows the amazingly high regard the second world war and its memories are given there... this is disgraceful
@Mike, I agree that it is disgraceful but given that the Russian bear has screwed these poor bastards into the ground, what choice do they have.
Someone has GOT to deal with Russia in the very near future before they screw us all over as they tried to do during the Cold War. If anything, Putin and his thugs are more. dangerous now than then
I think you spelled your tag wrong, it's ridiculous not rederikus.
Unless the tag is unrelated to the style of comment of course
Wow people are still under the influence of that propaganda? Amazingly effective, good job US 'thinktanks' and western media you control.
Looks like it's holding a paint can. I have to agree on its tackiness, and the cell tower thing is disgusting. I think I'd rather it not burn at all. The memorial would be just as effective without the flame, especially considering how many Russian lives were lost in WWII.
Ukrainian, not Russian. And there are many Ukrainians who would be incredibly offended that you failed to make that distinction, seeing as the reason they had to turn the flame off in the first place is the unfair natural gas prices Russia imposes on them for refusing to be a part of the Russian sphere of influence.
Ukrainian World War II veterans may have fought to remove the yoke of the Nazi's, but modern Ukrainians are fighting off the yoke of another oppressor, that of Russian imperialism.
Should haven't written that this morning without some coffee in me. My apologies for offending anyone and getting that wrong.
I live there %)
Can you post a night-video on youtube? I wanna see it in action at night/dusk.
it looks very realistic in the night
Looks like something from the Fallout universe
This is frankly appalling. Show some respect. I'm surprised they got away with this.
In post-Soviet Ukraine, corruption more important then you!
Absolutely disgusting.
What's next? A cell tower atop Christ the Redeemer in Rio?
Actually I think we'll skip that one and go for the one in Israel.
In europe most churchtowers have cell transceivers on them (hidden discreetly), for which they get paid handsomely and the money enables them to turn it from a crumbling wreck to a freshly redone tower plus a new roof and extension, it's a pity though since I'd rather see churches crumble into dust, especially the ones with goddamn bells.
Yes ive seen plenty of old churches here in the US with cell panels on bell towers. Out of curiosity i looked them up on the interwebs and found that all of them within a 20 mile radius of me are all registered to AT&T.
....im weird like that. =]
You may have stumbled onto the reason for the AT&T 30% dropped call rate. Perhaps a greater Authority has been jacking the lines? A case of Divine traffic shaping?
how did you look up cell towers like that?
You've gotta admit that would be a bitchin' location for a cell antenna, talk about range! ;)
http://www.trekearth.com/gallery/South_America/Brazil/Southeast/Rio_de_Janeiro/Rio_de_Janeiro/photo1135516.htm
Class-y!
They obviously know how to dress a woman (statue) over there ...
They forgot the Swarovski.
myyyshop; TITS OR GTFO!!!!!!
Crap wrong place, Sorry!
It's never the wrong place.
You need a cellphone tower rammed up your A@@@@@
What a spit in the face for those soldiers. That would be like carving out the inside of the Washington Monument to make condos, or building a house with the Vietnam War Memorial Wall. Those monuments deserve to be left alone, honored and respected in memory to whom they were built. Not commercialized and prostituted out for "other uses".
Washington monument actually has stairs in them, and since 1998 an elevator.
So the tenants would be happy with that :)
# Elevator travel time: 70 seconds
# Number of steps in stairwell: 897
# Fastest known ascent time via stairs: 6.7 minutes
When they refurbished the monument a few years ago, the scaffolding and blue screen actually grew on me and I was disappointed when they took it down. That monument has a different meaning though.
@Wwhat You should do a little more research the elevator was there from the beginning. It was originally a steam powered elevator. The current elevator was installed in 1998.
Don't feel like research, just used wikipedia to confirm my stairs recollection.
Compareying washington monument to the ghetto that Cherkassy is simply unfair. Cherkassy city is BARELY A CITY, and has NO ECONOMY... They're strapped for cash, like you wouldn't believe. Poverty is not a pretty sight. And just about every Ukrainian girl will sleep with you for a $100, most of the population is dealing on the black market and is barely educated, so the cell tower is the least of their worries.
Am i the only on to think a small studio apartment at the top of the the Washington Monument would be cool!?
Someday..... http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m70/hugh_jardohn/liberty.jpg
It's okay, she's actually french.
Fortunately the US hasn't reached the point of whoring out our national monuments yet.
While I understand why this was done, as a military vet, I find this to be completely disgraceful. Countless soldiers gave their lives for their cause, and to do this is a slap not only in their faces, but of future generations of vets who may find themselves with memorials that might be "adapted to 'better' uses". I really hope someone in the Ukranian government rethinks this.
You must realize though that russia and the ukraine have this bitter fight over the gas supplies, russia cut them off for not paying and they were left in the cold, literally, then they stole gas from a pipe running through the country that supplies europe I understand and the whole thing got very dicey, and the former soviet block countries really have a grudge against the russians too, now taken that and the cut gas I think it combined in the gas flame not being available and the ukranians being willing to make concessions maybe?
You had the point!
It sure looks like she has lost some weight also :D
Look like she's serving a tall glass of some exotic drink at a vacation resort, the thing needs a little paper umbrella and a slice of lemon.
To me, it looks like the statue is holding some sort of a soda can. Come think of it, maybe that's what they had in mind, and a product placement from Coca-Cola is forthcoming.
I'm actually surprised I had the same initial thought as several here... tacky.
Sad. Technology ruins art yet again. This is a really beautiful piece of artwork. :/
I agree that LCD is better. A natural gas laptop screen gets much too hot...
Looks like a waitress.
Wow that is so sad. Some things are just better left alone!
RT
www.anonymous.ua.tc
Haha, erected.
I really hope that the photo on the right is a 'shop...
A lot less epic & so much more uglier !
Gross.
I am from Ukraine, and if you talk about the economy, that shit is so corrupted, thanks to U.S Mentor "Yushenko" - i hope to see this mother fucker burn on that eternal LED and stick this Cell Antenna up in his ass... i feel so sad for my country... hate politics
so no Yushenko '12?
I'm from Ukraine as well. Yuschenko is one of the only honest politicians in the whole country. Ukraine has had corruption problems since its independence, way before Yuschenko. At least thanks to Yuschenko Ukraine now has free media and a heck of lot more transparency. I don't understand people like you who want to put the same old people back in power.
Yushenko, he is one of the most corrupted presidents in the History of Ukraine. And just to make it clear for you RMN, when there was a communism in Ukraine, at least something was being done and built, like Parks, Buildings, Factories, I mean look! the monument was built! Because for the last 25 years, not a single thing has been built or accomplished in Ukraine. Total corruption, and Yushenko was the one that helped it the most!
god no, that is an insult to eternal flames everywhere. Take it down and put up a stone flame and it would be better.
I actually prefer the LED version. I don't think it's disrespectful or tacky. What's wrong with some newer tech? It's a symbol of what their sacrifices have enabled in a way .. the advances of modern life.
Anyway, I suppose we'll be seeing photoshops of this pic show up on engadget and elsewhere time to time.
I have an idea! Why not put a cellphone antenna in the statue of liberty!
Stay classy, cell phone corporations!
I guess from time to time, they can turn this into a soup can publicity !!
No, No, No! Canned Vodka!
corniest statue EVER!!! plus looking at the size it makes it look really cheap..
Absolutely tasteless.
I like that they replaced the flame with LEDs. Can you imagine how much gas is needed for it to be seen from below? And as long as the antena is invisible, I think it makes no difference.
I hope you burn in hell for saying that, MFO...
@olena1966
That's ukrainian folk for you. They love to insult you for no reason. These people are forever stuck in their nasty country, and they always whine about WHO drove their country to this, always looking for a scapegoat. Nasty country - nasty people that screw themselves over and blame it on their politicians.
Pretol, I'm Ukrainian myself. You see, there are quite a few unreasonable people in Ukraine who will whine about everything and who want to be part of Russia again. They are a major block to progress, but honestly most people are pretty normal.
I agree with Pretol... It's interesting, but i am Ukrainian my self, i lived there for 16 years and i hate Western Ukrainians, not Eastern though, there is a lot of reasonable people still left out there, god i wish them well. I don't believe in patriotism. You know why? Because patriotism is created by the government, and it's a big catch, because now, they can manipulate people like RMN. You see... he leaves in dirt, in poverty, but he still promotes Yushenko. The president who is stealing money from Children, Elderly and completely corrupting the country. I mean, how can you allow to put LED Antenna on top of that gorgeous monument? @ Pretol, i want you to know, that Western Ukrainians hate Russians, and they always did. During the World War II, there was a Stephan Bandera movement, and those guys were for the Freedom of Ukraine! And they signed up with Hitler so they can have a free country for their own, i read a lot of books about it, it scary! And now, look at those people? A real Proud Western Ukranian! And the way he is saying it! "MODERN UKRANIAN!" with such dignity and respect! he got his freedom from Russia, but what's now? I saw documentary when Yushenko was asked in 2005, what's after Ukranian get's its Freedom??? He could not answer, because Total Corruption, was his answer. I am glad i live in United States, wonderful county, here i have my own opinion, i am not afraid. Even though i am not a patriot of USA, i will die protecting my family from anyone who would want to hurt them here in USA... i feel so sad for my Homeland, so sad...
A night video with LED flame turned on, the flame is itself is visible at 00:06-00:12:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z_GbSQbSBiE
Unfortunately, there is no night halogen lights for the sculpture itself due to the limited finance support for this project
Thus surprisingly, currently the picture of the flame is better to experience at the daytime.
A day video with LED frame turned on:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4c__dLuXe1Q
Thanks, at a distance and in darkness it's more fluid then i imagined... with just red LEDs on a cylinder i thought it would look much more artificial.
What goes on in Ukraine is not for you to decide, schmuck!
I agree, the cell phone tower is in very poor taste.
The LED's are a bit tacky too. Fair enough fuel is expensive, maybe they could have grown an olive tree or something in there.
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