Putin's Gift: Teardrop or a ball of steel?

How many among us know of Vladimir Putin's gift to the US, post the 9-11 tragedy? This one is so mythical that it even has a dedicated page on Snopes.com. This little-known monument is named "To the struggle against World Terrorism" and is situated in a little-known corner of New Jersey's Hudson County. Having seen it a few times, author Anand Rao confirms that this one is real.

South of Jersey City, as you head down the dusty and grimy Route 440 toward Staten Island, bear left toward the Bayonne Harbor and the Liberty Cruise Port. A short drive past the old dockyards, and a Port Authority office, you end up at the waterfront with this tall installation obtrusively standing in the middle of a small park, dwarfed by the sweeping views of the water beyond. At first look, the memorial has an antiquated charm to it. The kind only a giant metal pillar with a steel ball suspended in a crack can have.

This art installation was donated by Russian President Vladimir Putin, as a memorial to the victims of the 9-11 tragedy.  Yes, Mr. Putin himself had attended the groundbreaking ceremony on September 16, 2005. Designed by Georgian Artist Zurab Tsereteli, the teardrop in a fissure is a massive installation mired in anonymity. In a country with a strange fascination for its monuments, the choice of location for this one seems quite intriguing. Apparently, it stands on a site from where the twin towers would appear as one. It's not clear how that is significant for the fight against terror or the visibility of Mr. Tsereteli's masterpiece, but it's definitely worth a trip.

Unlike most 9-11 memorials, you hear neither tourist babble nor sales pitches for rides and guides. If you happen to find yourself here, you are most likely the only one here with whoever accompanied you on the trip. Noises from the harbor and the seagulls are the only interruptions to an otherwise continuous hum of breeze and the flapping noises of the flags overhead. Not quite serene but somber and meditative for sure. The granite at the base has names of the deceased, and another one at the entrance with the name of its donor.

I read on a blog that local artists found the structure ugly, and were happy to keep it in a corner rarely visited by anyone. Some went to the extent of commenting that it was Putin's way of mocking at the Americans by gifting a hanging steel ball. 
Many see a Georgia O'Keeffe painting sense of aesthetic too.

Personally, I don't think it's ugly. The location isn't too bad either. There is the Verazzano Bridge to one side, and to its opposite, you have the Manhattan Skyline in the distance with the Statue of Liberty in the foreground. One of the few places from where you can capture Lady Liberty, The Empire State Building, and the Freedom Tower, all in one frame. Make sure you take a good camera if you want that optic framed.