Soviet collectible postcard from 1972 depicting the ‘Thirst’ monument located on the territory of the Brest Fortress.
What is shown on the postcard
The front side of the postcard features a reinforced concrete sculpture of a Soviet soldier crawling towards the water with a helmet in his outstretched hand. In the background, trees and a fragment of a fortress building are visible. Below, on a wide white margin, the Gold Star medal symbol and the inscription ‘Brest Hero-Fortress’ in six languages are printed.
Historical note
The ‘Thirst’ monument (13 meters long) was unveiled on September 25, 1971, as part of the memorial complex. The sculpture is dedicated to the tragic events of the first days of the fortress defense in June 1941, when the defenders, deprived of running water, tried to get water from the Mukhavets River under continuous enemy fire.
Present day
Today, the sculptural composition is preserved in its original form on the banks of the Mukhavets River in the Citadel of the Brest Fortress. The site is a key part of the memorial complex and is state-protected as a historical and cultural monument of the Republic of Belarus.
Location (map)
Address: Belarus, Brest, Brest Fortress, Citadel
Coordinates: 52.081822, 23.655938
(Google Maps)
Coordinate source: Exact coordinates of the ‘Thirst’ monument on the Citadel territory of the Brest Fortress.
Questions and answers
- What does the ‘Thirst’ monument symbolize? The dramatic struggle of the Brest Fortress defenders for water during the early days of the defense in 1941, when the water supply was destroyed and the river banks were under constant fire.
- When was this monument opened? The monument was officially opened on September 25, 1971, as part of the memorial complex.
- What inscriptions are present on the front of the postcard? The inscription ‘Brest Hero-Fortress’ in six languages (Belarusian, Russian, English, French, German, and Spanish), as well as the Gold Star medal symbol.
See also
The «Old Postcards» archive includes other views of Brest from 1972.
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