On June 22, 1941, the garrison of the fortress received the first blows of the Nazi invaders and for more than a month kept the defense in complete encirclement. In the post-war period, for the courage and heroism shown by the defenders of the fortress during its defense, the citadel received the honorary title "Fortress-Hero".

For the people of Belarus, the Brest Fortress is an outstanding symbol of resistance during the Great Patriotic War.

The Brest Fortress was built in the 30s - early 40s of the 19th century at the intersection of the Western Bug and Mukhavets rivers on the site of old Brest. During construction, the entire city was moved to a new territory east of the citadel.

The fortress was located on 4 islands formed by branches of the Mukhavets and Western Bug rivers and a system of canals.

In the center of the fortress is the Citadel, or the Central Fortification, which is connected by bridges with 3 artificial island fortifications. This:

Kobrin fortification (north-east side)

Terespol fortification (western side)

Volyn fortification (southeastern island)