Streets and Squares
Brest, Belarus

Svobody Square

That square was laid out in the mid-19th century at the fork-shaped crossroads, hence its triangular shape. A square with a triangular form ... because geometry thrives on irony!"

Old Brest, Duma Sq, postcard

Originally, it was a town green. By mid-19th century, the fashion for squares was greenery. Today, it is a mini-park that occupies most of the square.

Old Brest, Duma

It was the central square of Brest till 1915. The main land mark in the south-eastern corner was the beautiful brick house of the town hall, "Duma" in Russian, hence the old name of the square "Dumskaya". The house was badly damaged during the invasion of Kaiser troops in August 1915 and later it was dismantled.

The previous names:

Russian period

Dumskaya Square, Ratushnaya (Town Hall) Square

Polish period

plac Józefa Piłsudskiego ( J.Pilsudski Square )

Soviet period

ploshchad Svobody (Freedom Square)

The main attractions in the square:

Brest, War Memorial

War memorial

It was put up in 1965 to commemorate the Soviet troops that liberated Brest from the Nazi occupation on July 28, 1944. Every year this date is celebrated as the Day of the City.

Sculptor Moisey Altshuler

In the picture sculptor Moisey Altshuler (in the center) with Soviet war veterans. He has designed the monument.

Brest, War Memorial

A big boulder commemorates the 60th anniversary  of the Brest's liberation.

Brest, Svobody Square, Indian summer

Indian summer (2009)

The south-eastern corner of the square, where Budyonny Str. crosses Sov. Pogranichnikov Str.

Brest, Svobody Square

A commercial college is seen on the opposite side.

You can view the square in winter here

More in the project "Old and New Brest"

Old Brest, Zbirogovskaya Str.