The Defend­ers’ Memo­r­i­al was erect­ed in 1980 on a mass grave of Sovi­et sol­diers who fell in 1941 dur­ing one of the deci­sive bat­tles of World War II. Gran­ite plaques bear the names of the fall­en, while the sur­round­ing trees and flowerbeds cre­ate an atmos­phere of reflec­tion and hon­or. The mon­u­ment com­mem­o­rates the courage of local residents—over 20,000 joined the mil­i­tary effort, near­ly half of whom nev­er returned. The memo­r­i­al is well main­tained and serves as a focal point for remem­brance and civic cer­e­monies. Its under­stat­ed design enhances its emo­tion­al res­o­nance.