no secret that the first days of the Great Patriotic War were extremely dramatic: the German army avalanche struck the Soviet cities and villages.The Red Army was not able to immediately organize a massive defense and the only thing that held back the advancing enemy - the heroic actions of individual military units.Probably the best known example of such heroism is a defense of the Brest Fortress.In difficult conditions, with no hope of victory, or fought a reinforcement of its fighters and commanders of the garrison.Therefore, exactly what its name monument "Courage" defenders of the Brest Fortress in Belarus.
Antebellum history
fortifications near the city of Brest have been known since the XIII century, but a full fortress was built in the 30s of XIX century.
on four islands were built to strengthen the four Citadel, or the strengthening of the central (that there now is a monument "Courage" in the Brest Fortress), Kobrin, Tirespolskoe and Volyn fortifications.Together, they occupy about four square kilometers.
Until the mid-twentieth century castle changed hands several times: the first world of her capture by the Germans, then, after the war, she went to the Poles, and only in 1939 the city of Brest and strengthening around it became Soviet.
By 1941, these fortifications have lost defensive value (brick walls could not withstand artillery, bombs and tanks), so the Brest Fortress became, in fact, the basis of the Soviet troops.It housed barracks, hospitals, school junior commanders.
Brest Fortress - a symbol of courage
However, it was in June 1941, after the German invasion of the Soviet Union, the fortress and its defenders had a chance to take a very hard battle in the history of its existence.
On the first day of the war, having fired from guns and mortars, superior enemy forces stormed.Organize the defense did not have time to adjust: small groups of Red Army soldiers fought to the death defending the land on which they were able to gain a foothold.
longest continued defense of the Citadel, where the commander was able to concentrate the largest number of fighters to use the available weapons.The first assault choked, began the siege of the central fortifications.In a locked fortress lacked ammunition, food, but most of all defenders plagued thirst.Trying to get water in the river Bug, died from German bullets desperate "water carriers".And not in vain in the memory of this aspect of the heroic defense of the monument "Courage" in the Brest fortress adjacent to the sculptural composition "Thirst".
Commemoration
For a long time it was thought that the Brest fortress fell on the first day.However, painstaking work with archives, including the German, and the enthusiasm of researchers allowed to resurrect the memory of the feat.
The names of the most distinguished commanders and fighters.Many of them were awarded (unfortunately most - posthumously), including two became Heroes of the Soviet Union.
However, few recognize the merits of individual soldiers - Brest fortress defended by one and all.So in 1965 she received a well-deserved title of "Hero-Fortress".Then a group of architects and sculptors commissioned to design a memorial to manifest unprecedented courage defenders of the Brest Fortress in Belarus.
architectural and sculptural ensemble
Memorial in Brest opened in 1971.Briefly tell about its main attractions.
main entrance to the fortress looks like a huge five-pointed star cut in the concrete.Further along the central avenue visitors can see the sculptural composition "Thirst": tormented soldier pulled his helmet to the water.
Monument "Courage" in the Brest fortress occupies a central place.Beside him, the eternal flame burns, around which the plate with the names of the hero-cities.
hundred-meter obelisk "Bayonet" is visible from any point of the memorial.At its foot buried in 1020 defenders.On the marble slabs stamped names of 275 of them.What's the name nearly 800 characters, remained unknown.
to the observation deck, you can see samples of weapons XIX-XX centuries: guns, machine guns.Such weapons at different times of their existence has been equipped with the Brest Fortress.
Monument "Courage"
Separately need to say in the composition of the central memorial sculpture.It is a 33 meter high bust of the soldier.A soldier severely and pensively looks ahead.
On the back of the sculpture is carved several scenes Defense Fortress "Attack," "feat artillery", "Heavies" and others.Bas "Courage" in the Brest Fortress variety of subjects tends to embody a well-known principle: "Nothing is forgotten, no one is forgotten."
value feat
terms of military tactics defense of the fortress did not influence significantly the course of combat operations not just on global, but even at the local level.Within a few weeks the Soviet soldiers managed to "bind" a relatively small grouping.Of course, this did not stop or even slow the advance of the German army.
So really nothing laid heads the defenders of the Brest Fortress?No!From the first days of the war, Soviet soldiers and civilians made it clear the occupiers, without fierce fighting will not give an inch of native land.The feat of the garrison is not able to influence the outcome of the war - a feat of millions of discarded fascist armada to Berlin.Monument "Courage" in the Brest Fortress - a monument to each of these million.
