Chad: Place de la Nation Square
Another African capital and another brutalist soviet-style monument to commemorate struggle and union of the oppressed. The National Square has it all – gigantic male and female soldiers depicting military in power, humongous arch, traditional cultural figures, bronze Chadian animals, fake eternal flame, and massive silver balls and other kitschy ornaments. Once again, I found myself humming the Soviet Union national athem and quietly saying “I solemnly swear”. Photography is only allowed in one direction – north – because the heavily-fortified and guarded president’s palace stands on the other southern side of the square. So god forbid you snap in the wrong direction. Interestingly, at the top of the arch is a giant golden sphere that is basically a mirror of the whole square underneath it (and the presidential palace – if you zoom into it).
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