Национальный мемориал ветеранов Элкс (элк - благородный олень) (официально Национальный
мемориал Елкс и здание штаб-квартиры) представляет собой
куполообразное здание в стиле изящных искусств на 2750 North
Lakeview Avenue в Чикаго, штат Иллинойс. Структура была
спроектирована Благотворительным и Защитным Орденом Благородных
Оленей, который
хотел почтить память членов своего ордена, участвовавших в Первой
мировой войне. Американским институтом архитекторов был проведен
конкурс на проектирование. Для здания, построенного между 1924 и
1926 годами, был выбран проект архитектора Эгертона Свартваута.
Мрамор был импортирован из Греции, Австрии, Франции, Бельгии и
Италии, а также из Вермонта, Теннесси, Алабамы и Миссури.
Высококачественный известняк поступал из Индианы. Благодаря богатой
конструкции, внутреннему убранству и произведениям искусства здание
было названо «одним из самых великолепных памятников в мире». В
здании представлены скульптуры Адольфа А. Вайнмана, Лауры Гардин
Фрейзер и Джеймса Эрла Фрейзера, а также фрески Юджина Сэвиджа и
Эдвина Блэшфилда.
В ротонде есть фрески и статуи,
изображающие четыре главных добродетели оленей: милосердие,
справедливость, братская любовь и верность. На фризах изображены
Триумфы войны с одной стороны и Триумфы мира с другой. Вход окружен
двумя большими бронзовыми скульптурами оленей.
Олени повторно освятили мемориал в 1946, 1976 и 1994 годах
в честь ветеранов Второй мировой войны, войны в Корее, войны во Вьетнаме
и всех последующих конфликтов. 1 октября 2003 г. город Чикаго присвоил
памятнику статус памятника архитектуры.
Помимо статуса мемориала,
здание служит национальной штаб-квартирой лосей.
Он находится
напротив Линкольн-парка, недалеко от памятника Гёте и статуи Александра
Гамильтона.
П.С. Elk иногда неправильно переводят как лось, хотя это не правильный перевод. "Елк" - это благородный олень, а "moose" это лось
The Elks National Memorial is a tribute to the bravery, loyalty and dedication of the thousands of Elks who have fought and died for our country. It has been described as one of the most magnificent war memorials in the world, but with its monumental architecture and priceless art, the Memorial is more a symbol of peace and of the patriotism of the members of the Elks fraternity.
Following World War I, there was a strong desire throughout the Elks
organization to erect a fitting memorial to those brothers who had laid
down their lives in the name of loyal patriotism and devotion to country
which they had assumed at their fraternal altars. At the Grand Lodge
session convened in Chicago in 1920, a special committee was created and
assigned with the task of planning the design and construction of this
new memorial. The Commission invited seven of the country's most
distinguished architects to participate in a competition that would
determine the design of the new building.
After careful
consideration the Commission unanimously decided on a design created by
New York architect Egerton Swarthout. Swarthout's design was selected
over the competition because it was the most beautifully distinctive,
while still fulfilling its practical purpose as both a memorial to
fallen Elks and a national headquarters for the organization. After an
exhaustive search for the most qualified builder, the Commission
entrusted New York's Hegeman-Harris Company with the task of building a
monument that would inspire Elks and captivate the public.
Construction of the Elks National Memorial began in 1923, after the
Order unanimously agreed on a spacious site for the building, looking
out over Chicago's Lincoln Park and within a stone's throw of Lake
Michigan. The Elks War Relief Commission, which was put in charge of
finding the site and supervising the building's construction, wrote in
its 1921 recommendation to the Grand Lodge that:
“The suggested
building be made definitely monumental and memorial in character; that
the architectural design be so stately and beautiful, the material of
its construction so enduring, its site and setting so appropriate...that
the attention of all beholders will be arrested, and the heart of every
Elk who contemplates it will be thrilled with pride, and that it will
for generations to come prove an inspiration to that loyalty and
patriotism which the Order so earnestly teaches and has so worthily
exemplified.”
Workers laid the memorial's cornerstone on June 7,
1924 amid impressive ceremonies conducted by officers from the Grand
Lodge. Two years later, on July 14, 1926, the Annual Convention of the
Order was held in Chicago and the building was officially dedicated to
the memory of the more than one thousand Elks lost in World War I in
front of a massive crowd of Elks and their families that stretched
across the street and into the park.
From the north, take I-90 south and exit at California Avenue. Turn
left onto Diversey and drive about 3 miles east. The Memorial will be on
the right side.
From the south, take I-55 east until it ends at Lake
Shore Drive. Continue on Lake Shore Drive north and exit at Fullerton
Parkway. Head west on Fullerton to Lakeview Avenue and turn right. The
Memorial will be on the left side of the street at the intersection of
Lakeview and Diversey.
From the west, take I-290 east until it turns
into Congress Parkway. Continue heading east and turn left onto Columbus
Drive. Make a right onto Jackson Drive, followed by a left on to Lake
Shore Drive. Follow Lake Shore Drive north and exit at Fullerton
Parkway. Head west on Fullerton and turn right onto Lakeview Avenue. The
Memorial will be on the left side of the street.
Click here to get
turn-by-turn directions from your address.
The Memorial is convenient to public transportation. CTA buses #76, 77, 134, 143, 151 and 156 all stop at the corner of Sheridan and Diversey, right outside the door. Visitors arriving by 'L' train should take the Brown Line to Diversey, then walk a half-mile east or board an eastbound #76 bus to reach the Memorial.