Things You Should Know about the Teardrop Memorial

The 9/11 attack on the Twin Towers and the Pentagon was a traumatizing event and a major blow to humanity. It shook up the entire world and left a mark in everyone's minds forever. About 3,000 people were killed and around 5,000 were injured in the attack. Following the attack, plenty of monetary help and donations flew in from all over the world.

It inspired a few memorials to come up as well. One of them was the Teardrop Memorial. We bet you didn't know about it too!

Millions of people travel to New York every year, and about 8.4 million live in the city itself, but nobody seems to know the Teardrop Memorial, which is unbelievable because it is huge and was constructed to honor the victims who died in the 9/11 attack on the World Trade Center.

It exists at New Jersey. It was gifted to the US by Russia as a gift of solidarity to convey the significance of the blackest day of the world. Here are some facts about the Teardrop monument that you didn't know.

Also called the 'Tear of Grief Memorial', this monument is a 100-feet bronze-clad tower with a 40-feet teardrop made of steel that stands tall in the direct view of the Statue of Liberty and the site where the World Trade Center once stood.

It is now officially called 'To the Struggle Against Terrorism'.

This extraordinary piece was donated to the people of the United States of America from Russia. Its creator is the renowned sculptor, Zurab Tsereteli.

At the base of the tower are inscriptions of all those people's names who died in the 9/11 attack as well as the World Trade Center bombings in 1993.

The names are etched on the granite name plates that make up the stand for the monument.

A 4-ton nickel 'teardrop' hangs from the top of the jagged tear, signifying not only the sadness and grief of the loss of people's lives, but also a hope for a terror-free future.

The thought of making the monument struck him when he was at his home in Moscow watching the horrifying stills of the collapsing towers on September 11, 2001. He was moved to tears on watching the sight.

When driving past the crowd of people crying in front of the US embassy, he thought of using the 'teardrop' in the memorial. He began designing the memorial on that day itself.

Shortly after the attack, he went to New York in search of an appropriate site for erecting the monument. After speaking with some friends in New York and hearing stories about the residents of New Jersey, who worked in the towers, he decided to look for a site in New Jersey.

He settled on a bit isolated area at the Bayonne Harbor that was a former military base, which was later converted into a public park.

Zurab Tsereteli is the president of Russian Academy of Arts and is known for his number of works. Although a noted artist and sculptor, he has also been the center of criticism, and many of his works have been controversial, including the Teardrop Memorial.

It was reported in August 2010 that the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey wanted to relocate the monument in order build a container facility on that site. However, the plans for relocation were dropped later on.

The monument was unveiled to the world in the presence of the former US President, Bill Clinton and the President of Russia, Vladimir Putin on September 11, 2006, on the fifth anniversary of the 9/11 attack.

However, it was unheard of after the unveiling, and some people are still unaware that such a spectacular gesture exists.

Although this monument has generated a number of controversies, it still is considered as Tsereteli's most greatest, magnificent, and inspirational achievements.