"G" is for Gift

“G” is for Gift. September 11th rocked the entire world. Russia’s gift to the United States showed that people from all over the World felt the shock waves.
Russian artist, Zurab Tsereteli designed a monument to give to the American people in the same spirit of the Statue of Liberty, a 100 foot monument that would serve as a constant reminder of the pain of that terrible day and the hope for a more united world in spite of it. The monument sits on the waterfront of Bayonne, New Jersey and overlooks the Hudson River into the city where the twin towers once stood. The giant monument looks like two jagged towers stretching to the sky and suspended between the two towers is a beautiful 40 foot silver tear drop. On the 11 foot base that supports the monument, etched in granite, are the names of the people who died in the 1993 and September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The monument cost $12 million dollars and arrived in five separate pieces, the fifth piece, the tear drop, was added last. Tsereteli oversaw the finishing touches himself prior to the dedication of the monument on September 11, 2006. The monument is simply called "To the Struggle Against World Terrorism".
Here is a quote from Tsereteli as his grandson translated, "From here if you looked at the trade towers, they looked as if they were blended as one," Tsereteli said pointing across the water. Tsereteli said the tear symbolizes "sadness over grief that will become happiness in the future when terrorism is defeated."I had never heard of this gift and thought you might enjoy seeing it too. Here is Tsereteli's original vision of his gift.