Monument "Courage" in Brest Fortress - a monument to the heroism of Soviet soldiers

It's no secret that the first days of the Great Patriotic War were exceptionally dramatic: the German army crashed into Soviet cities and villages. The command of the Red Army could not immediately organize a massive defense and the only thing that deterred the advancing enemy was the heroic actions of individual military units and subunits. Probably the most famous example of such heroism is the defense of the Brest Fortress. In the hardest conditions, without hope of victory or reinforcements, fighters and commanders of its garrison fought. Therefore, the monument "Courage" fully defends its name to the defenders of the Brest Fortress in Belarus.

Pre-war history

Defense installations near the city of Brest are known since the XIII century, but a full-fledged fortress was erected in the 30s of the XIX century.

Four fortifications were built on four islands: the Citadel, or the central fortification (where the "Courage" monument in the Brest Fortress is now located), the Kobrin, Tirespol and Volyn fortifications. Together they occupied about four square kilometers.

Until the middle of the twentieth century, the fortress changed its owners several times: Germans captured it in the First World War, then, at the end of the war, it moved to the Poles and only in 1939 the city of Brest and the fortifications around it became Soviet.

By 1941 such fortifications had lost their defensive significance (brick walls could not withstand artillery, bombs and tanks), so the Brest Fortress became, in fact, the base of Soviet troops. There were barracks, hospitals, a school of junior command staff.

The Brest Fortress is a symbol of courage

However, it was in June 1941, after Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union, that the fortress and its defenders were able to take the most serious battle in the history of its existence.

On the first day of the war, after firing guns and mortars, the superior forces of the enemy went to the assault. Organized defense did not have time to set up: small groups of Red Army men stood to the death, defending the area where they managed to gain a foothold.

The Citadel's defense lasted longest, where the commanders managed to concentrate the largest number of fighters, use the available weapons. The first assault was drowned, the siege of the Central Fortress began. In the blocked fortress there was not enough ammunition, food, but most of all annoyed the defenders of thirst. Trying to collect water in the river Bug, the desperate "water-carriers" perished from German bullets. And not in vain in memory of this aspect of heroic defense, the monument "Courage" in Brest Fortress adjoins the sculpture composition "Thirst".

Perpetuation of memory

For a long time it was believed that the Brest Fortress fell on the first day. However, painstaking work with the archives, including German ones, and the enthusiasm of the researchers made it possible to revive the memory of the feat.

The names of the distinguished commanders and fighters became known. Many of them were awarded (unfortunately, the majority - posthumously), including two became Heroes of the Soviet Union.

However, it is not enough to recognize the merits of individual servicemen - the Brest Fortress was defended by everyone and everyone. Therefore, in 1965 she received the deserved title "Hero Fortress". At the same time, a group of architects and sculptors was commissioned to design a memorial showing unprecedented courage to the defenders of the Brest Fortress in Belarus.

Architectural and sculptural ensemble

The memorial complex in Brest was opened in 1971. Briefly tell you about its main attractions.

The main entrance to the fortress has the appearance of a huge five-pointed star cut in concrete. Further along the central alley visitors see a sculptural composition "Thirst": the exhausted soldier drags his helmet to the water.

The monument "Courage" in the Brest Fortress occupies a central place. Next to it burns the Eternal Flame, around which plates with the names of cities-heroes.

A hundred-meter obelisk "Bayonet" is visible from any point of the memorial. At his footstep 1020 defenders of the fortress are buried. On the marble slabs the names of 275 of them are stamped out. As the name of almost 800 heroes, remains unknown.

On the survey site you can see examples of weapons of the XIX-XX century: guns, machine guns. Such weapons at various times of their existence were equipped with the Brest Fortress.

Monument "Courage"

Separately, I must say about the central sculpture in the composition of the memorial. It is a 33 meter long breast picture of a soldier. The soldier sternly and thoughtfully looks in front of him.

On the back side of the sculpture, several scenes of Fortress defense were carved: "Attack", "The feat of artillerymen", "Heavy weapons" and others. Bas-relief "Courage" in the Brest Fortress, a variety of subjects seeks to embody the famous principle: "Nothing is forgotten, no one is forgotten."

Meaning of achievement

From the point of view of military tactics, the defense of the fortress did not significantly affect the course of military operations, not only at the global, but even at the local level. Within a few weeks, Soviet soldiers managed to "tie" a relatively small enemy grouping. Of course, this did not stop and did not even slow down the offensive of the German army.

So, really, the defenders of the Brest Fortress have folded their heads in vain? No! From the very first days of the war, Soviet soldiers and civilians made it clear to the invaders that without a fierce battle they would not give a single inch of their native land. The feat of one garrison is not capable of influencing the outcome of the war - the feat of millions threw the fascist armada back to Berlin. The monument "Courage" in the Brest Fortress is a monument to each of these millions.