The stern face of a Red Army soldier frowns down at the ruins of Brest Fortress, shattered by the Nazis' surprise attack in 1941. The defenders, surrounded, outnumbered and with no prospect of relief, fought on stubbornly and held up the German advance for several days. In recognition of this action, Brest earned the title "hero fortress." The laurel echoes the "hero city" titles given to Moscow, Leningrad (now St Petersburg), and Stalingrad (now Volgograd), sites of bloody and protracted battles thatultimately thwarted Hitler's invasion.

Brest is in Belarus (or "White Russia"), which today is a separate country from Russia. The colossal war memorial is a dramatic reminder of how WWII is perceived in the former Soviet Union, and a startling piece of work. While other former Soviet states may havemixed feelings about their Soviet war memorials, thecomplex at Brest fortress remains a major attraction, bringing in more than 20 million visitors since 1971.