If I told you that this tall shadow in a car park in Berwyn, Illinois was cast by a huge sculpture made from eight real cars impaled on a massive metal spike, would you believe me? I know it sounds ridiculous, but if you’ve seen Wayne’s World you might remember this artwork, which was created by Dustin Shuler in 1989 and is entitled ‘Spindle’. If you look closely you can just make out the red Volkswagen Beetle at the top of the pile.

Thanks to Brian Schlosser and Joel Roller.

Seated at the top of 268 steps in the Po Lin Monastery in Hong Kong, is the Tian Tan Buddha – the world’s largest ’seated outdoor bronze statue of the Buddha’. The 34 metre tall sculpture can be seen facing the long set of steps rising towards it; his right hand is raised, representing the removal of affliction and his left hand lies on his knee, signifying human happiness (Wikipedia page).

That Buddha not big enough for you? In Ushiku Arcadia, Japan, you’ll find Ushiku Daibutsu, which is officially the world’s largest statue. Yes bigger than Liberty, Mother Motherland, and even The Motherland (here’s a visual comparison of the world’s tallest statues).

(thumbnail rotated 180 degrees)

“Surely it’s all plinth?” I hear you cry! Nope, this thing is 100 metres tall without the plinth (the plinth is only 20 metres). Ushiku Daibutsu is vast, enormous and gargantuan all at the same time! The Wikipedia page informs us that this Buddha has a 1.2 metre nose, a 20 metre face and a 7 metre (30 foot) finger!

Wow. That’s a big finger.

Thanks to Stephan Irle, Ray Chan, Tom Cole and Roy Burroughs.

This is the People’s Friendship Arch in Kiev – a huge titanium arch, 50 metres in diameter, which celebrates the union of Russia and Ukraine. Underneath the arch stand two statues which can be seen at the Kiev City Guide. I’m not entirely sure how the people of Kiev feel about these monuments, anyone want to let us know?

No one submitted this, and I couldn’t find it on any of the other sightseeing sites either! See, there’s still plenty of stuff out there to be found

This is Kiev’s Mother Motherland statue (Rodina-mat), one of a series of statues erected by the old Soviet Union to commemorate their victory in what was known there as the Great Patriotic War – which many people might know better as the Eastern Front of World War II.

This statue is an absolutely massive 102 metres tall (although 40 metres of that is actually plinth). However at 62 metres its still flippin’ huge, and the statue itself supposedly weighs something approaching half a million kilos. I found a photo on flickr which begins to give you an idea of scale, and also clearly demonstrates that the Soviet Union appears to have been engaging in a certain form of flattery.

For those of you still paying attention, her plinth is 7 metres taller but she’s actually 16 metres shorter, meaning that Kiev’s Mother Motherland wins in terms of height if not in recognition.

Thanks to BBC2.

P.S. No, I’m afraid this one isn’t on Google Maps yet :-/

1918, the height of the first world war and German forces have pushed far into France, coming dangerously close to the French capital. The Battle of Belleau Wood occurred near the Marne River between June 1st and June 26th. The battle was fought between a mainly US Allied force and a hodgepodge of German units. The battle is remembered because of both its extremely bloody nature and its close proximity to Paris. The Allies attempted to take the woods but were repeatedly forced back by artillery and machine gun fire. After retreating and re-taking the woods a total of six times the US Marines finally manged to force the German forces out. They’d fought off more than four divisions of Germans, often reduced to using only their bayonets or fists in close quarters combat. In order to rally his Marines, Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly used the now famous phrase:

“Come on, you sons of bitches, do you want to live forever?”

The battle is now remembered by a cemetery on the edge of the woods which has 2,289 graves, 250 for unknown service members, and the names of 1,060 missing men on the wall of a memorial chapel. There is also a nearby German cemetery where 8,625 men are buried; 4,321 of them rest in a common grave in which 3,847 are unknown.

Hopefully memorials like these will stop such wastes of human life from happening in the future.

Thanks: NoJhan