The Teardrop Memorial to 9/11 Stands Nearly Forgotten

The “Teardrop Memorial to 9/11” stands across the bay from the former World Trade Center in Bayonne, New Jersey. Of the nearly 700 recorded memorials built to remember the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2011, one of the largest stands so forgotten its existence is questioned on snopes.com. The massive monument was a gift from President Vladimir Putin and the people of Russia in 2005 in honor of the victims of terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center in 1993 and in 2001.   

The Monument’s Official Name is To The Struggle Against World Terrorism
Prominent Russian artist and sculptor Zurab Tsereteli conceived the idea of the symbolic teardrop on the day of the attacks. According to the memorial brochure, the artist was moved to tears watching the news footage of the attacks from his Moscow apartment. Later as he drove to work he passed by the American Embassy where people stood crying. Soon after that he traveled to New York City and visited Ground Zero. While positioned directly across the harbor from the former World Trade Centers, the title encompasses a broader recognition of victims.

A Giant Teardrop of Sadness and Hope
The 100 foot tall bronze monument reflects the image of twin towers with a jagged tear ripped through the center, and a 4-ton nickel tear hanging from the top. To the artist, the teardrop represents not only the sadness and grief over the loss of life on 9/11 and previous attacks on the World Trade Center, but also hope for a future free from terror.

Remember Russia Has Also Been the Target of Islamist Terrorist Attacks
President Vladimir Putin spoke at the ground-breaking ceremony on September 16, 2005. From his speech he noted somberly that Russia too had been struck by terrorist attacks. A year earlier, on September 1, 2004, fanatic Islamic terrorists held over 1,000 people captive at a school in Beslan in southern Russia. By the end of the three-day siege more than 330 people were killed, over half of them children. In August 2004 two suicide bombers blew up two Russian passenger planes killing over 70 people.

President Bill Clinton Presided Over the Dedication Ceremony on September 11, 2006.
In his speech he noted “the events of 9/11 gave us a moment when we all knew that our common humanity is far, far more important than any differences we have.”  All current politics aside, I see the memorial as a gift conceived by an artist, funded and gifted from a foreign government, that focuses on honoring the victims of multiple terrorist acts, with nothing asked for in return. I wish I had known of its existence when I visited New York City last summer.

For more information visit the Website for the 911 Monument

Photo of the teardrop memorial from beforeitsnews.com.