Island of Tears
Location: Minsk, Belarus
Constructed: 1988-1996
Sculptor: Yuri Pavlov
Alternative name: Island of Courage and Sorrow
Genre: Soviet memorial, former USSR
The monument is dedicated to Belarusian soldiers who lost their lives during the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1988). The statues at the base of the memorial’s central chapel symbolise grieving mothers, sisters and wives and inside the shrine are the inscribed names of 771 Belarusian soldiers who died during the conflict. A sculpture of a weeping guardian angel stands nearby and scattered around the territory of the memorial complex are boulders featuring the names of the Afghan provinces in which the war took place.
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