Courage Monument


Dominating the middle of Brest Fortress is this iconic, monolithic stone statue of a soldier's head projecting from a massive rock, next to a skyscraping obelisk. CNN once put it on a list of the world’s ugliest monuments; you’ll either strongly agree or strongly disagree. Around the obelisk you'll see an eternal flame and marble plaques bearing the names of those who died in the siege of Brest Fortress during Operation Barbarossa in WWII (several are marked 'unknown').


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1. Brest Fortress

0.05 MILES

During Operation Barbarossa in the early days of the Great Patriotic War (WWII), a small band of soldiers gallantly held off a superior Nazi force at…

2. Kholmskie Gate

0.07 MILES

This brick gate built into the southern bastion of Brest Fortress is decorated with crenellated turrets, and its outer face is riddled with hundreds of…

3. St Nicholas Garrison Church

0.08 MILES

Behind the Courage monument in the Brest Fortress complex is this attractive Byzantine church, which dates from when the town centre occupied the fortress…

4. Museum of War, Territory of Peace

0.1 MILES

Built into the southern bastion of the Brest Fortress, this is the newest museum within the complex, focusing on WWII. It's modern and visual and has…

5. Defence of Brest Hero-Fortress Museum

0.1 MILES

Inside Brest Fortress, this large museum provides a more than comprehensive look at every minute detail of the fortress's long history and the siege for…

6. Regional Art Museum

0.11 MILES

Inside the Brest Fortress, the museum showcases local arts and crafts created by Brest citizens.

7. White Palace

0.12 MILES

On the grounds of the Brest Fortress are the brick ruins of the White Palace, where the 1918 Treaty of Brest-Litovsk was signed, marking Russia's exit…

8. Thirst Statue

0.16 MILES

On the grounds of the Brest Fortress, this classic piece of socialist realism depicts a water-starved soldier crawling for a drink.