The monuments

Red Alert 3 allows us to visit a multitude of locations all over the world. As some of these locations are real, it is interesting to note that many of the landmarks and monuments associated with them have been featured in the game, sometimes with remarkable accuracy. This feature will help you recognise them, catalogue them and find out a little more about them.

Germany

The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit:

This is the most famous religious building in the city of Heidelberg. It is situated in the historic old town centre. It was built in 1441.



The Heidelberg Gate:

This gate was erected during the Middle Ages and marks the former entrance to the town. At that time, it was flanked by ramparts, which were later destroyed. It is therefore a historical remnant of the town’s former fortifications.



Heidelberg Castle:

A symbol of the city, the castle – whose construction was completed in 1303 – is situated on the hill overlooking the city ofHeidelberg. At the time, it served as a garrisonable structure for the city’s defenders and provided a vantage point from which to monitor the Neckar Valley. The castle was attacked and damaged several times by the French in the 15th century but was never fully repaired. The castle remains partly in ruins to this day, making it a historical attraction.



Chile

The Moai of Easter Island:

Symbols ofEaster Island, the moai are large statues carved from volcanic rock. Archaeologists believe that their erection was linked to an ancestor worship practised by the Rapanui people (the island’s original inhabitants).



USA – California

Electronic Arts Los Angeles:

Need we really point out that this is the building housing the Electronic Arts Los Angeles studios?



Griffith Observatory:

Situated on the famous Mount Hollywood, this large observatory was built in 1935. A favourite with tourists, it houses a planetarium and hosts numerous scientific lectures and exhibitions. It also offers breathtaking views over the city of Los Angeles.



USA – South Dakota

Mount Rushmore:

This monumental sculpture carved into the rock depicts the four most influential presidents in American history: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln (from left to right). Each of these sculptures is 18 metres tall. Work on the sculpture began in 1927 and was completed in 1941. It is one of the most striking and famous monuments in the United States.



New York

Central Park:

This famous New York landmark is a vast green space covering 341 hectares, situated right in the heart of Manhattan. It is worth noting that the park is largely man-made. The park stands alongside the skyscrapers, giving it a unique charm.



The New York Stock Exchange:

The world’s leading stock exchange. It has existed since 1792, but the current neoclassical building was not constructed until 1903. It is often referred to as Wall Street by metonymy. Itis the only stock exchange in the world that still uses open outcry trading.


The Statue of Liberty:

Arguably one of the most famous monuments in New York and the United States, of which it has become a true symbol. Standing 93 metres tall, it was designed by the architects Bartholdi and Gustave Eiffel and presented to the Unitedby France in 1886 to mark the centenary of the American Declaration of Independence and as a token of friendship between the two countries. The monument has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1984.



The Immigration Museum:

This building, formerly situated on the small island of Ellis in Hudson Bay, was a reception centre for immigrants arriving in theUnited States. Indeed, between 1892 and 1954, more than 12 million immigrants arrived in the United States at this location. The centre was closed in 1954, then renovated and converted into a museum chronicling the history of immigration in 1990.



The Woolworth Building:

This neo-Gothic skyscraper in New York is one of the city’s oldest. It was built in 1913 and stands 241 metres tall. Today, the building houses the offices of the Irving Trust Bank and the record label Columbia Records.



The Woolworth Building](/uploads/cncsaga/Red Alert 3/les-monuments/img-pays-24.jpg)Waldorf-Astoria Hotel:

The Waldorf-Astoria is a New York hotel situated in a skyscraper standing 191 metres tall, built in 1931. It is world-famous, particularly for the numerous art exhibitions it hosts.



France

The Palais des Festivals:

The Palais des Festivals et des Congrès is a vast building situated on the Promenade de la Croisette in Cannes, which hosts regional, national and international events and festivals throughout the year, in particular the world-famous Cannes Film Festival.



The Carlton Intercontinental Hotel:

This is one of the most famous luxury hotels in Cannes. It was built on the Promenade de la Croisette in 1912. The façade is clad in a two-tone faux-stone render, with moulded cement decoration. The hotel was partially converted into a hospital during the First World War, but continued to operate as a hotel during the Second World War. It has been linked to the world of cinema since the creation of the Cannes Film Festival in 1946.



Greece

The Church of Panagia Paraportiani:

Dating from the 16th century, it is the oldest church on the island of Mykonos: it consists of five chapels arranged on two levels. Its distinctive architecture features an arched bell tower and a single door on the side. It is often regarded as the most beautiful Byzantine church in the Cyclades.



Japan

Tokyo Tower:

Tokyo Tower is a large red and white steel tower erected in 1958 in Tokyo, Japan. It stands 332 metres tall, which is slightly taller than the Eiffel Tower. It is primarily used as a radio and television transmission tower.



The Imperial Palace in Tokyo:

In the game, this palace is located on Mount Fuji, but its actual location is in Tokyo. It is, of course, the residence of the Emperor of Japan. Destroyed by American bombing raids during the Second World War, it was rebuilt exactly as it was in 1968.



United Kingdom

Brighton Pier:

Brighton Pier is an amusement park situated in Brighton on the south coast of the United Kingdom. The park opened in 1899, but the attractions there are, of course, no longer the original ones. It has been renovated several times: the most recent renovation took place in 2003 following a conflagration.



The Royal Pavilion:

This former British royal residence, built in Brighton in the 19th century, features distinctive architecture inspired by Indian design. It is worth remembering that at that time India was part of the British Empire, which undoubtedly explains this influence.



The Moorish Castle in Gibraltar:

The Moorish Castle is a relic of the Moorish occupation of Gibraltar, which lasted 750 years. It was built in the year 711. The main surviving structure is the Keep, a massive building made of brick and very hard Mortars, the upper part of which housed the apartments and a Moorish bath.


 The Mosque of Gibraltar:

The Ibrahim-al-Ibrahim Mosque, also known as the King Fahd bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Mosque, is the only mosque in Gibraltar; it serves the territory’s 2,000 Muslims, who make up four per cent of the population. The complex also includes a school, a library and a conference hall.



Russia – Moscow

The Moscow Kremlin:

‘Kremlin’ comes from the Russian word ‘Kreml’, which means ‘fortress’. There are therefore several kremlins in Russia, but it is the one in Moscow that is the most famous, as it was first the residence of the tsars (when the Russian imperial capital was still in Moscow, before moving to Saint Petersburg), then the seat of Soviet power (when the capital returned to Moscow), and finally the current seat of the President of the Russian Federation.

Originally built of wood (in the 12th century), it was rebuilt in red brick in the 16th century and truly became a ceremonial residence from the 18th century onwards. Today, the Kremlin has twenty towers, all of which are different, ranging in height from 20 to 70 metres. The walls are up to 19 metres high and up to 6 metres thick. The total length of its perimeter is 2,235 metres.


The Cathedral of the Annunciation:

This cathedral is one of the many religious buildings within the Kremlin complex. In the days of the tsars, it served as a private chapel for the Russian imperial family.



The Cathedral of the Dormition:

It is the oldest, largest and most important of the Kremlin’s churches. It was built in 1330 to mark Moscow’s ascension to the status of the seat of Orthodoxy. It was in this cathedral that the tsars were traditionally crowned.



St Basil’s Cathedral:

This is the most famous of Russia’s cathedrals, renowned throughout the world and a symbol of Russia andtraditional Russian architecture. It was built on Red Square in 1554 to celebrate Russia’s victory over the Tatar Khanate of Kazan. It takes its name from a ‘fool for Christ’ called Basil, who is said to have predicted the Russian victory over the Tatars as being God’s will. Upon his death, he wasburied in the cathedral and canonised shortly afterwards.



The Vodovzodnaya Tower:

In the game, this is the only identifiable tower in the Kremlin. It is one of the Kremlin’s three round towers. Also known as the Water Tower, the Vodovzodnaya Tower (Водовзводная башня) is a corner tower in the south-west of the Kremlin; it overlooks the banks of the Moskva River. It takes its name from the fact that a water pump was installed there (Vodovzodnaya can be translated as ‘water pump’). When Stalin took control of the Kremlin, he had a red star installed at its summit, which remains there to this day. It stands 62 metres tall.



Ivan the Great Bell Tower:

Rising to a height of 81 metres, this imposing bell tower houses no fewer than 21 bells and dominates Cathedral Square, situated within the Kremlin walls. It was built in 1505 in honour of Tsar Ivan III.



The Grand Kremlin Palace:

Completed in 1851, the Grand Palace served as the Tsar’s residence when he was in Moscow. During the Soviet era, the Palace served as a conference hall for the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union. Today it is used for diplomatic and state receptions, as well as for official ceremonies. It is here that international treaties involving Russia are signed.



The State Historical Museum of Russia:

This museum was founded in 1872 and is dedicated to the history of Russia and its national heritage. It is situated on Red Square, near the Moscow Kremlin. The exhibits range from relics of prehistoric tribes that inhabited the territory ofpresent-day Russia to works of art acquired by members of the Romanov dynasty. The total number of items in the museum’s collections runs into the millions.



The Palace of the Soviets:

This colossal monument to the glory of Lenin and communism was a colossal project commissioned by Stalin and intended to host the Congresses of the CPSU and the Communist International. Itwas never actually completed (construction had begun in 1938, but the Second World War brought the project to an end). The structure was to have stood 415 metres tall, which would have made it the tallest building of its time.



Tsar Kolokol:

This bell, 6 metres high and weighing over 160 tonnes, is quite simply the largest bell ever cast. It was originally intended to be placed in the bell tower ofIvan the Great, but its dimensions were too imposing and its weight far too great for it to be hoisted into place. During one attempt, a piece of the bell broke off. Eventually, the bell – whose name means ‘Emperor of Bells ’ (no pun intended), was placed near the Ivan the Great Bell Tower, a few metres from the Tsar Pushka, to be displayed as a curiosity for tourists.



Tsar Pushka:

This enormous cannon, over 5 metres long, weighing nearly 40 tonnes and with a calibre of 900 mm, is considered to be the largest howitzer ever built. However, it is more of a feat of military engineering than a genuinely usable weapon, even though numerous rumours circulate on the subject. Tsar Pushka means ‘Emperor of Cannons ’. It is one of two curiosities to be found within the Kremlin walls.



Russia – Saint Petersburg

Saint Isaac’s Cathedral:

Completed in 1848, this cathedral in Saint Petersburg is the third largest in Europe, after St Peter’s in Rome and St Paul’s in London.



The Peter and Paul Fortress:

This fortress was built on a small island in the Neva, in the centre of the city, following Vauban’s defensive principles. At that time, Russia was at war with Sweden, and the city, which had only just beenbeen founded, did not yet extend to both banks of the river. After the war, it served as barracks for the Imperial Guard and as a prison for prominent figures. St Peter and Paul Cathedral, whose golden spire topped byan angel, rises to a height of 123 metres, was built in the centre of the fortress in 1733. This cathedral is a highly symbolic site of Imperial Russia, asit houses the burial place of the Russian imperial family: all members of the imperial family who died from the time of Peter the Great up to Nicholas II are buried there.



The Artillery Museum:

As its name suggests, this museum is dedicated to historic Russian Artillery pieces. Numerous weapons taken out of service are on display here, most of which date from the Second World War or the Cold War.


The Hermitage Museum:

The Hermitage Museum is in fact the former Imperial Palace of the Russian Tsars, from the time when St Petersburg was still the capital of Russia. This Palace has since been converted into a museum. It is one of the largest and most prestigious museums in the world: it displays over 65,000 objects in nearly 1,000 different rooms (and has nearly 3 million more items in storage).



Russia – Vladivostok

Vladivostok railway station:

The distinctive architecture of Vladivostok railway station makes it a local attraction. This station is a symbol for Russians as it marks the terminus of the famous Trans-Siberian Railway.



Russia – Volgograd

Mamaev Kurgan Cathedral:

This cathedral, situated on Mamaev Hill, was built in memory of the Russian soldiers who gave their lives defending Stalingrad against Hitler’s troops.



Volgograd railway station:

Originally built of timber, it was rebuilt using a combination of brick and concrete following its destruction during the Second World War. The exterior façade is made of ornate granite and theinterior is predominantly decorated with marble, complemented by numerous paintings depicting the famous battle that shook the city during the Second World War. This building, with its typical Stalinist architecture, is a listed historic monument.



The Motherland statue:

The statue featured in the game is not very true to life and appears to be a blend of the two most famous Soviet statues: ‘The Worker and the Kolkhoz Woman’ and the statue of the Motherland, which we will describe one by one:- The Worker and the Kolkhoz Woman: this 25-metre-tall metal alloy sculpture, weighing over 80 tonnes, was created to crown the Soviet Union pavilion at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair. It symbolises communism by representing the union of the peasant proletariat and the industrial proletariat. - Statue of the Motherland: This enormous statue, 82 metres high and erected in 1967, depicts the Motherland urging Soviet Soldiers to answer thecall of duty to defend their homeland. It stands on Mamaev Hill at the heart of the memorial dedicated to the Soviet Soldiers who fell during the Battle of Stalingrad.




Switzerland

The Palais des Nations:

Following the founding of the League of Nations in 1920, this complex was built to house the organisation’s headquarters. Construction was completed in 1937. From 1946 onwards, the League of Nations ceased to exist, making way for the United Nations. The building then stood empty. In 1966, the building was chosen to house the UN’s European headquarters. The complex thus became the organisation’s second most important site after its headquarters in New York.



Ukraine

The Panteleimonovskaya Church:

The Panteleimonovskaya Orthodox Church is one of the symbols of the city of Odessa. The church was originally used as a seminary, and during the Soviet era it served as a planetarium.



The Morskiy Vokzal Hotel:

This building, situated just a few metres from the sea, was once a railway station designed to transport goods and passengers to the port of Odessa, which was very important at the time. In the 1970s, the port’s importance declined sharply due to competition from the ports of Kaliningrad, Saint Petersburg, Sevastopol and Vladivostok. The railway line was subsequently dismantled and the building converted into a hotel.



The Odessa Opera House:

Built in the 19th century, the Odessa Opera House is regarded by professionals in the performing arts as the second most beautiful opera house in the world after the one in Vienna.



Lazotchkino Gnezdo Castle:

This building was not constructed until relatively late: in 1912. The castle is impressive as it is built on the edge of a cliff rising 50 metres above the sea. Lazotchkino Gnezdo means ‘swallow’s nest’. Today, this building is a must-see tourist attraction housing a renowned restaurant. It should be noted that, in reality, this castle is not located in Odessa but in Yalta, in Crimea.

The Potemkin Stairs:

This monumental staircase, stretching for nearly 150 metres and comprising nearly 200 steps, is one of the symbols of the city of Odessa. This site was immortalised in Eisenstein’s film Battleship Potemkin.