Isle of Tears

This entry is a stub

Help improve Atlas Obscura by expanding Isle of Tears with additional information or photos.

This aesthetically beautiful and moving monument in Minsk commemorates the Soviet soldiers from Belarus who died in the long war with Afghanistan in the 1970s. At the base are several huge statues depicting weeping or stoical women, who express the pain and sadness of the mothers, sisters, and wives of their generation. It’s a very striking memorial, which benefits from its picturesque location on a small island in the river Svislach.

Know Before You Go

The island is reached by a footbridge leading from Ulitsa Starovilenskaya in the historic Trinity district of Minsk. The monument is accessible any time by crossing the small bridge from the riverbank. There is also a lovely statue of a weeping angel on the island.