Motherland Calls, one of the most iconic and instantly recognizable Soviet monuments, stands in Volgograd commemorating the WWII Battle of Stalingrad, one of the bloodiest battles of all time. But did you know that its sculptor, Yevgeny Vuchetich, used multiple models to create this personification?
Motherland Calls, Volgograd. Source: Vechernie Vedomosti.
The monument was made between 1959 and 1967 and is 85 meters, or 279 feet, tall, including the sword. This makes it one of the tallest statues in the world. This work of art was recently restored (completed in 2020). Despite its immediate connection to Stalingrad, Motherland Calls may be interpreted as a general allegory of a Mother(land) calling her sons to defend their country.
Yevgeny Vuchetich, a Soviet monumentalist sculptor of Serbian descent, was born in Yekaterinoslav (Dnepropetrovsk), present-day Ukrainian territory.
Considering the scope and scale of the project, Vuchetich used several models for the face and body of the statue. The author may have been inspired by the ancient Greek Nike of Samothrace—because of its dynamic movement—along with other famous paintings and sculptures featuring similar themes.
Nike of Samothrace, 190 BC.
In terms of the actual models, Soviet athlete Nina Dumbadze is believed to be one of the key inspirations for the body of Motherland Calls. Like the Greek Nike, this Georgian track-and-fielder was fit and powerful. 
Nina Dumbadze, a Soviet track-and-field athlete of Georgian descent.
Next was Valentina Izotova, a waitress, who served as a model for Vuchetich literally (because of her chiseled facial features) and figuratively (as a symbol of an ideal Soviet woman). It took a long time to convince Izotova to pose. Later, the woman stated in several interviews that, initially, she did not believe that an army wife should be a model for a sculptor. 
Valentina Izotova, a waitress, one of the key models for Motherland Calls.
It is also important to note that monumental sculptures typically feature anatomical adjustments to their faces because they are meant to be viewed from below. So their close-ups look exaggerated. 
Motherland Calls, closeup.
Allegedly, the sculptor also relied on several other models including the gymnast Yekaterina Grebneva and a then-university student Anastasia Peshkova who also posed for other artists. The latter suggested that the sculptor initially wanted to depict the Motherland personification holding a flag rather than a sword. Even the sculptor's wife, Vera, posed for him to create an accurate facial expression because she was always around!
Anastasia Peshkova is described as the very first model for Motherland Calls.
Thus, Motherland Calls is a collective image both apparently inspired by many famous historical works of art and based on several real women. What they all have in common is their power, athletic beauty, and dynamism like the Greek Nike—an appropriate way to depict such an important patriotic symbol.