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Chollima Statue

The Chollima Statue is a monument in Pyongyang, North Korea, located between Moran Hill and Mansu Hill on Chilsongmun Street. It was inaugurated on 15 April 1961 to mark Kim Il-sung’s 49th birthday. The monument stands on a 5,000-square-meter site and consists of a 34-meter-high slanted granite pedestal topped by a 16-meter-high bronze statue. It depicts Chollima, the winged horse from Korean mythology, which became a symbol of reconstruction and industrialization in North Korea after the Korean War. On the horse are an worker holding a letter from the Party Central Committee and a farmer with a sheaf of rice, riding toward the sky.

The Chollima Statue rises above a multi-lane road in Pyongyang, with trees, streetlights, and buildings in the background.
The Chollima Statue stands on a tall pedestal beside a road in Pyongyang.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Chollima Statue of a winged horse with two figures on a tall pedestal, surrounded by trees and city buildings.
The Chollima Statue rises above Mansu Hill, with a bronze winged horse atop a tall pedestal.
October 2013 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Chollima Statue on a tall pedestal above a plaza, framed by trees and a partly cloudy sky.
The Chollima Statue rises above a plaza in Pyongyang, with trees and clouds in the background.
July 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
The Chollima Statue appears as a dark silhouette on a tree-covered hill against a bright hazy sky.
The Chollima Statue rises on a hill in the distance, silhouetted against the sky.
August 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Postage stamp depicting the Chollima Statue with a winged horse carrying a worker and farmer, with industrial imagery and Cyrillic text.
A postage stamp featuring the Chollima Statue, shown with a winged horse carrying a worker and farmer.
December 2012 © · Public domain

Identification

TitleChollima Statue
Original nameCh’ŏllima Dongsang (천리마동상); also given as Monument Chollima (Chollima Tonsan)
Typemonument / statue

Historical context

Date unveiled15 April 1961
Unveiling occasionKim Il Sung's 49th birthday
Historical contextBuilt in the post-Korean War reconstruction period and during the consolidation era of Kim Il-sung's regime

Creator

CreatorsArtists from the Mansudae Art Studio and the Federation of Korean Artists; constructed by the Merited Sculpture Production Company of the Mansudae Art Studio

Discovery and provenance

DedicationConceived as a gift to Kim Il-sung
InspirationKim Il-sung's speech of 7 March 1961, variously translated as 'Let Us Further Develop Folk Art,' 'Let Us Further Develop Popular Art,' or 'Let Us Develop Popular Art'

Physical characteristics

Site area5,000 square meters
Total height46 meters
Sculpture height14 meters
Sculpture length16 meters
Worker figure height7 meters
Peasant woman figure height6.5 meters
Pedestal height34-meter-high inclined granite pedestal

Materials

Main materialBronze
Pedestal materialGranite

Appearance

Depicted subjectThe mythical winged horse Chollima carrying a worker and a peasant woman
Worker figureA worker holding up a document of the Central Committee of the Workers' Party of Korea in his raised hand
Peasant woman figureA peasant woman seated behind the worker, holding a sheaf of ripe rice
PoseThe horse is shown rising or soaring upward toward the sky, with wings extended forward

Iconography and meaning

Name originRefers to the mythical winged horse Chollima
LegendAccording to tradition, Chollima could travel 1,000 ri per day (about 4,000 km) and was difficult to ride
SymbolismSymbol of the Chollima movement, speed, reconstruction, industrialization, collective labor, and the regime's ideals of forward momentum
Intended messageTo inspire the North Korean people to rebuild the country after the Korean War at the speed of the legendary horse

Location and ownership

LocationPyongyang, North Korea
Specific locationVictory Square / Mansu Hill, between Moran Hill and Mansu Hill, on Chilsongmun Street

History and restoration

AwardsPeople's Prize (DPRK)
PreservationRestored and maintained over the years

Significance

SignificanceOne of Pyongyang's main landmarks and a central symbol of North Korean ideology and identity
Depictions and usesFeatured on North Korean, East German, Soviet, and other postage stamps; on 10-won banknotes (1978) and 200-won banknotes (2009); used in the logo of the North Korean pavilion at the 2015 Milan World Expo
Cultural roleUsed as a gathering and honor site during national celebrations such as the Day of the Foundation of the Party