Mound of Glory, War memorial near Minsk, Belarus
The Mound of Glory is a war memorial in Smaliavičy District, Belarus, composed of four tall bayonet-shaped obelisks. These rise over 230 feet (71 meters) and are surrounded by a ring featuring military motifs and portraits of soldiers.
Construction began in November 1967 following a decree by the Byelorussian Soviet Socialist Republic to commemorate Operation Bagration of 1944. That offensive drove German forces from the region and marked a turning point on the Eastern Front.
The name refers to the liberation of Belarus during the Second World War and the site continues to host state ceremonies. Visitors often see school groups and families laying flowers or pausing at the reliefs showing soldiers in combat.
Visitors can climb two concrete stairways with a total of 241 steps to reach the observation platform at the top. The ascent is steep and requires some fitness, but the view over the surrounding area rewards the effort.
The artificial hill beneath the obelisks was built from soil brought from battlefields and hero cities, reaching a height of roughly 115 feet (35 meters). This symbolic gesture connects places from Minsk to Stalingrad into a common foundation.
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