Island of Courage & Sorrow Minsk

Standing on a small island connected to the Old Town by a walking bridge, this evocative Afghan war memorial is known colloquially as the Island of Tears by locals. Built in the form of a tiny church with four entrances, the monument is surrounded by towering gaunt statues of the sorrowful mothers and sisters of Belarusian soldiers who perished in the war between the Soviet Union and Afghanistan (1979–89).