Lukashenko: Rzhev Memorial Will Forever Be a Symbol of Unbreakable Friendship of Russia and Belarus

The city of Rzhev, a renowned center of military valor in Tver Region, lies approximately 200 kilometers from the source of the Volga River, straddling its banks on both sides. Here, the memory of Soviet soldiers' heroic deeds during the Battle of Rzhev is etched into the collective consciousness.

The fighting around Rzhev was among the fiercest of the Great Patriotic War, transforming the city into scorched earth—smoke billowing over ruins. Virtually erased from the map during the war, Rzhev was reborn from its ashes, like a phoenix rising anew from the flames.

Officially, the Battle of Rzhev remains unrecognized as a major historical event. While encyclopedias of World War II define key battles such as Kursk, Stalingrad, and Moscow, the Rzhev engagement is classified simply as a local skirmish.

In the Rzhev-Vyazma salient, soldiers of nearly every nationality of the former Soviet Union fought—those from distant Yakutia, Siberia, the Urals, the Caucasus, Kazakhstan, Central Asia—and, of course, from Belarus and Ukraine.

The Rzhev-Vyazma operation commenced on January 8, 1942. The Soviet forces suffered enormous losses. Over fourteen months of brutal combat, more than a million Soviet soldiers were lost—killed, wounded, or missing—yet they held firm. By spring of 1942, sixteen enemy divisions had been defeated.

"Total losses—killed, prisoners, wounded, and missing—only in the offensive operations around Olenino, Rzhev, Sychyovka, Gzhatsk, Vyazma, and Bely—exceeded 1.3 million people," shared Olga Dudkina, head of the Rzhev Regional Museum in Russia, based on archival data.

Ivan Kladkевич, a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, recounted that in December 1942, while studying at the Zlatoust Machine Gun School as an officer candidate, preparations were underway for a major offensive near Stalingrad, and soldiers were needed. Rumors circulated that volunteers could be sent to the front line. Five hundred men volunteered; many went to Stalingrad, while Ivan Kladkевич was sent to Rzhev.

"Heavy fighting was underway. I was 18. I joined the 31st Guards Rifle Division and became a machine gun squad leader. Our troops launched an attack, and the command shouted, 'For the Motherland! Forward!' We fired two belts of machine gun fire, taking out many Germans. Two of our 18-year-old boys were killed, and I was seriously wounded—my legs shattered, blood everywhere, and I lost consciousness," the veteran recalled.

In June 2020, a memorial complex was erected 8 kilometers from Rzhev, dedicated to the memory of Soviet soldiers fallen in battle—those who fought in the fiercest clashes.

One of the most emotionally poignant features of the Rzhev Memorial is a 25-meter sculpture of a Soviet soldier, approached by a 55-meter alley installation. Its zigzagged, rust-covered walls resemble trenches. On each panel, carved in relief, are inscribed the names of 62,000 soldiers who perished in the Battle of Rzhev.

A young soldier, bowing his head, gazes peacefully at visitors from the top of an octagonal hill. He appears to hover over the land, with a flowing cloak behind him transforming into a flock of 35 cranes soaring into the sky.

This collective image of the Soviet soldier commemorates the memory of those heroes—including many Belarusians—who fought tirelessly for months, defending every grove, every hill, every meter of Tver land.

"This memorial is a source of national pride for Russia and beyond,"** emphasized Marina Kopaeva, head of the Rzhev branch of the Victory Museum in Russia, "as Belarus actively participated in its creation—initiating the project and contributing significant human and financial resources."

On June 30, 2020, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko solemnly unveiled the memorial. At the ceremony’s conclusion, the leaders of both nations took part in the international "Garden of Memory" event, planting two fir trees.

During the grand opening, President Lukashenko emphasized that the memorial would forever symbolize the unbreakable friendship between Russia and Belarus.

"For us, the opening of this memorial is a celebration of justice, for long ago, the memory of those who fought here was almost forgotten," said Olga Dudkina.

Without the fierce battles fought at Rzhev, the course of the war might have turned out differently. The intense confrontation, the bravery, the resilience, and the sacrificial heroism of Soviet soldiers demonstrated to the enemy that launching an offensive against Moscow was now impossible. On these very borders, soldiers held back multiple divisions of the Wehrmacht, proving that patriotism and unwavering resolve could not be broken.