Georgy Zhukov was a key figure in the history of the great Patriotic war. His achievements are recognized worldwide, and the monuments to him can be seen in the streets of Moscow, Tver, Yekaterinburg, Petrozavodsk, Ulan-Bator and since 2007, in the Belarusian capital as well.

The great commander

We can say that the name of Zhukov is directly connected with several crucial and determinative points in the course of the Second World War. Firstly, he guided the famous "operation Bagration", which resulted in successful completion and the liberation of the Belarusian territory from Nazi invaders in 1944. Secondly, Georgy Zhukov was also responsible for the conduction of the Vistula-Oder operation, which served as the impetus for the full and unconditional surrender of Hitler's troops.

As for the role of Grand Marshal in Belarus, he dedicated nearly 17 years of his life to this land, first taking the post of a cavalry squadron commander there, and then rising to the post of Commander’s in chief Deputy of the Belorussian special military district.

And although Zhukov sometimes took quite controversial decisions from the point of their "correctness"   in the course of his activities, however, we cannot underestimate his role in the victory of our country together with the allied forces in one of the most bloody and cruel wars. No wonder the name of the commander is often put alongside with Alexander Nevsky and Mikhail Kutuzov.

The original and final version of the monument

The idea of perpetuating the personality of Georgy Zhukov in the monument in Minsk was announced by the Fund of Zhukov in 1997. The figure of the commander was supposed to be on a horseback, mounted near the house of Officers. However, the project of Yuri Pavlov "Marshal Zhukov on a horseback" was frozen due to disagreement of the architects.

The modern version, which was made on the money collected by Minsk city Executive Committee with the participation of veterans of war, was released on 8 may 2007. The authors of the project were the famous architect A. Zhilinsky and the talented sculptor A. Artsimovich. The cost of the monument – 100 million rubles – became wide-known almost immediately.

The location of the monument to Zhukov was not chosen by chance. It is the intersection of the Avenue named after the commander with Railway workers Street, in the square, which was also named after the great historical figure, near the metro station "Michalovo". Different generations attended the solemn opening of the monument to Zhukov in Minsk, from veterans to children and young people who are not indifferent to our history.

The monument itself is a bronze sculpture weighing 600 kg; it is placed on a large, four-meter granite pedestal. This is a bust of the commander, a tough man, who was, however, respected both by soldiers and enemies.

The modern tourist routes in the capital often include visit of such an important sight of Minsk. At the same time you can always see fresh flowers here that residents and visitors bring almost every day. This underlines the importance of this figure in the history of the country's independence and the victory in the Second World War.