‘Thirst’ Brest Hero-Fortress Memorial Complex

Location: Brest, Belarus

Completed: 1971

Architects: Vladimir Karol, Viktor Volchak, Valentin Zankovich,  Yuri Kazakov,  Oleg Stakhovich, Georgy Sysoev (architects), Alexander Kibalnikov, Andrei Bembel and Vladimir Bobyl (sculptors)

Genre: Soviet memorial, former USSR

The defence of Brest Fortress (22-29 June 1941) was the first battle of Operation Barbarossa, the code word used by the Nazis for their all-out attack on the Soviet Union during the Great Patriotic War (World War II). The fortress’s water supply system was destroyed by enemy gunfire on the first day of the invasion and not only was water needed for drinking, but it was also essential for cooling the guns. Many Red Army soldiers risked and lost their lives running the gauntlet to the nearby river and ‘Thirst’ depicts a soldier crawling to the riverbank with a helmet in his hand. More information about Brest Fortress.