Ukraine war memorial given eternal LED torch, cell antenna
By Ross Miller 
posted October 25th 2009 6:43AM
posted October 25th 2009 6:43AM
[Via Hack a Day]
posted October 25th 2009 6:43AM
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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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