UN Statue of Peace: What Else Do You Need To Know About the 33-Foot Pedestal?

The United Nation's symbol of peace can be seen at its headquarters in New York City. The massive monument features a woman riding a horse with an olive branch in one hand, symbolically leading the nations toward peace.

UN Statue of Peace

The Peace Monument is revered as a significant peace symbol at the UN's main office. The sculpture's 33-foot-high pedestal is built of marble from the Croatian island of Bra, and it was produced in bronze in Zagreb, Croatia, in 1954.

Antun Augustinčić, a well-known Croatian sculptor, produced the sculpture. The monument was created and erected in 1954 by Yugoslavia, a country then, in front of the UN building in New York. The nation tasked Augustini with carrying out this concept because it wished to present the UN with a gift highlighting its dedication to maintaining international peace.

He proposed a statue of an equestrian that represents world peace. Augustinčić added, "peace would be far better protected if the decision rested with women instead of men." As for the use of the horse, a war animal, the artist said that he opted to use it because "We must fight for peace."

The artist visited New York in 1952 to select the monument's site. Architect Wallace K. Harrison, the Director of Planning for the UN Headquarters, and Augustinčić agreed that the memorial should be erected in front of the General Assembly building alongside the northern entrance, where hundreds of visitors pass daily. However, the newly elected UN Secretary-General, Dag Hammarskjöld, reportedly disagreed and changed the monument's location. Hammarskjöld wanted it to be installed at the end of the big lawn close to the East River, about 200 meters away from the place originally agreed, which the artist had in mind when he added the final touches to the monument.

Augustin was shocked by the decision, which he found to be exceedingly uncomfortable, but the monument was moved despite his objections. The memorial was eventually placed 40 meters away from the original place. However, even though the monument had greater space at the new location, Augustinčić's concept of the monument's organic relationship to the General Assembly building was lost.

The Peace Monument was unveiled on Dec. 2, 1954. UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, chairman of the Ninth UN General Assembly Eelco Van Klefens, and Head of the Yugoslav Permanent Mission to the UN, Dr. Jože Brilej, were present at the ceremony. Artist Augustinčić could not attend because he was working on a new project, Monument to the Victims of Fascism, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The monument can be seen next to the United Nations building in New York.

Fun fact: Brac stone adorns the UN General Assembly hall, sourced from the stunning Croatian island of Brač. And don't miss the Peace Monument by Antun Augustinčić, a gem in the park behind the Palace of the United Nations. #CroatiaUN31 pic.twitter.com/9g1vNA7iP1
— Mateo Matijević (@mateo_matijevic) May 22, 2023

On this day in 1992, 🇭🇷 was recognised by int’l community. 28 years later, we assume our first rotating EU presidency. To mark its start, we decorated @UN’s Peace monument with a scarf-like tie, symbolically reaffirming the importance of women for peace and security in the world. pic.twitter.com/b92rS8NZMZ
— Croatia at the UN (@CroatiaUN) January 15, 2020

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Story Behind the Peace Monument

The Peace Monument is a typical example of his equestrian statues and the largest gift the United Nations has ever received. The universal message of this monument and the importance of its location have kept its symbolic and political relevance to this day.

The memories of Kreimir Horvat, a diplomat with the Yugoslav Permanent Mission to the United Nations from 1952 to 1956, and the documents in the Antun Augustini Gallery (GAA) archives in Klanjec both attest to the turbulent circumstances in which this equestrian statue's construction began. The Annals of the GAA published Horvat's memories in 1983.

The Rockefeller family donated money in 1946 to help buy a plot of land in Manhattan bounded by First Avenue, East River, East 48th Street, and East 42nd Street because the General Assembly of the United Nations decided to locate the headquarters there after World War II.

The building complex's construction started in 1949, and each member state was responsible for finishing the area. For instance, the Scandinavian nations planned and embellished the Security Council's interior; India and other Asian nations contributed vast handmade carpets for the rooms; tapestries were created; and renowned painters contributed their works.