Memorial complex "Brest Hero Fortress"

The Brest Fortress is a hero fortress that was the first to stand in the way of the fascist invaders. The heroic defense of the Brest Fortress began on the very first day of the Great Patriotic War - June 22, 1941. The Nazis hoped to capture the fortress with a swift blow in a few hours, having a tenfold advantage over the small garrison; the Germans also had another advantage - surprise of the attack.

But the fortress did not surrender, it was bleeding, but stood. The small garrison of the fortress entered into an unequal battle with the superior forces of the Nazis. The soldiers, under the leadership of their commanders, turned a tiny piece of land into a huge hotbed of confrontation. On June 24, the defense headquarters of the Brest Fortress and a unified command were formed, headed by captain I.N. Zubachov and regimental commissar E.M. Fomin. Until their strength was exhausted, they not only held the defense, but also launched a counter-offensive. The persistent and courageous struggle of the Soviet soldiers pinned down a large enemy group.

The Hero Fortress Brest (Brest Fortress), the first to take the blow of a massive armada of Nazi troops, is one of the most striking symbols of the Great Patriotic War. One eloquent fact testifies to the fury of the fighting here: the losses of the German army on the approaches to the fortress during the first week of fighting amounted to 5% of the total losses on the entire eastern front. And although organized resistance was suppressed by the end of June 26, 1941, isolated pockets of resistance continued until the beginning of August. Hitler, amazed by the unprecedented heroism of the defenders of the Brest Fortress, took a stone from there and kept it until his death (this stone was discovered in the Fuhrer’s office after the end of the war).

For the courage and heroism shown by the defenders, the fortress was awarded the honorary title “Hero Fortress” on the day the government decree establishing the title “Hero City” was promulgated. This solemn event took place on May 8, 1965. On the same day, Moscow and Kyiv were officially named hero cities.

In order to perpetuate the unparalleled courage and resilience of the defenders, in 1971 the Brest Fortress was given the status of a memorial complex, which includes a number of monuments and monuments, including the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress with the central monument “Courage”, near which the Eternal Flame of Glory never goes out .