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').
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.71 MILES
The outdoor Museum of Railway Technology has a superb collection of locomotives and carriages dating from 1903 (eg the Moscow–Brest Express, with shower…
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…
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…
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…
1.31 MILES
This museum has an extraordinary display of mostly 17th- to 18th-century icons, jewellery, antique furniture and Chinese porcelain seized from smugglers…
0.17 MILES
Pass through Kholmskie Gate in the Brest Fortress, cross a bridge and you'll spot the Bereste Archaeological Museum on the right. It's a large covered…
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…
1.73 MILES
With its gold cupolas and yellow-and-blue facades shining gaily in the sunshine, this finely detailed 200-year-old Orthodox church is one of several…
Nearby attractions
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…
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…
0.11 MILES
Inside the Brest Fortress, the museum showcases local arts and crafts created by Brest citizens.
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…
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.