To the Struggle Against World Terrorism (also known as the Tear of Grief and the Tear Drop Memorial) is a 10–story sculpture by Zurab Tsereteli that was given to the United States as an official gift from the Russian government as a memorial to the victims of the September 11 attacks in 2001, and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[1] It stands at the end of the former Military Ocean Terminal in Bayonne, New Jersey. Ceremonial groundbreaking occurred on September 16, 2005, in a ceremony attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin.[2] The monument was dedicated on September 11, 2006, in a ceremony attended by former U.S. President Bill Clinton.[1][3]
 | |
| 40°39′49″N 74°04′09″W / 40.663694°N 74.069083°W | |
| Location | Bayonne, New Jersey, United States |
|---|---|
| Designer | Zurab Tsereteli |
| Height | 100 feet |
| Beginning date | September 16, 2005 |
| Dedicated date | September 11, 2006 |
Design
editThe sculpture comprises a 100-foot (30 m) bronze-clad tower split with a jagged opening in the middle, in which hangs a 40-foot (12 m)-tall nickel-surfaced teardrop.[4][5][1][6] The eleven sides of the monument's base bear granite name plates, on which are etched the names of those who died in the September 11 attacks and the 1993 World Trade Center bombing.[7] However, like some other 9/11 memorials, the dedication was based on an outdated compilation and contains about forty people who were removed from later victim listings.[8]
Tsereteli did not disclose the cost of the sculpture except to say that he paid for labor and materials. A lawyer for the sculptor released the cost at about $12 million.[9] Tsereteli said metals for the sculpture were obtained "From a military factory that did airplanes. In Dzerzhinsk. A secret city."[10]
Further information
editThe monument was initially given to the local government of Jersey City, but was rejected.[11] It was then relocated to its present placement in Bayonne.[8] In August 2010 the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey announced it had plans to build a container facility on the location and the monument would most likely have to be moved.[9] However, Robert "Captain Bob" Terzi, a Bayonne taxi driver started an online petition to prevent the relocation.[9]
It was listed as one of the world's ugliest statues by Foreign Policy magazine,[12] while The New Yorker said that it looked like "a giant tea biscuit" from a distance.[10] Pro Arts Jersey City called it "an insensitive, self-aggrandizing piece of pompousness by one of the world's blatant self-promoters".[4]
In September 2011, a 4-foot (1.2 m) section of steel from the World Trade Center was placed adjacent to the sculpture.[13]
In response to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, the city of Bayonne had Vladimir Putin's name covered on the two plaques in the park.[14]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c "The Memorial at Harbor View Park" (PDF). Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 22, 2012.
- ^ "Groundbreaking Ceremony: September 16, 2005". 911monument.com. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "The Unveiling of a New World Monument" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved March 17, 2009.
- ^ a b Applebome, Peter (June 30, 2004). "Our Towns; A Jersey City Teardrop for 9/11, Or a 10-Story Embarrassment?". The New York Times. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "To the Struggle Against World Terrorism: A History". 911monument.com. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ "Tsereteli's Official Biography". Tsereteli's official webpage. Archived from the original on October 23, 2012.
- ^ "To the Struggle Against World Terrorism: A History". 911monument.com. Archived from the original on August 18, 2009.
- ^ a b "9/11 Memorial in New Jersey Honors 40 People Too Many". The New York Times. Associated Press. September 10, 2006. Retrieved July 6, 2016.
- ^ a b c Morley, Mike (October 2011). "White Elephants". Irish American News. Archived from the original on November 23, 2011.
- ^ a b Finnegan, William (June 25, 2007). "On the Waterfront: Monument". The New Yorker. Archived from the original on July 16, 2015. Retrieved July 15, 2015.
- ^ Miller, Jonathan (January 30, 2005). "Monument In Search Of a Home". The New York Times. Retrieved April 18, 2010.
- ^ Keating, Joshua (April 5, 2010). "The World's Ugliest Statues". Foreign Policy. Archived from the original on January 6, 2011.
- ^ Hack, Charles (August 31, 2011). "Motorcyclists to escort piece of World Trade Center steel to Bayonne memorial site on Sept. 7". The Jersey Journal. Archived from the original on October 27, 2014.
- ^ Israel, Daniel (2022-03-14). "Bayonne blocks out Putin's name on 'Teardrop' 9/11 Memorial". Hudson Reporter. Archived from the original on 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-03-15.
External links
edit- WebSite for the Teardrop Memorial — Info & Facts
- PDF Brochure for the Teardrop Memorial — Info & Facts
- Press Release: Teardrop Memorial to be placed at the Peninsula at Bayonne Harbor at the Wayback Machine (archived March 13, 2012)
- Bayonne Local Redevelopment Authority - Monument To the Struggle Against World Terrorism at the Wayback Machine (archived January 14, 2012)