Island of Tears, Minsk

Island of Tears, Minsk (Belarus)

A small footbridge leads from the Old Town to the Island of Tears a memorial set up in 1988 to commemorate Belarusian soldiers who died in the USSRs disastrous 9-year war in Afghanistan. The memorials centerpiece is the chapel with haunting figures of grieving mothers sisters and windows at its base. A nearby fountain features the boy-like figure of an angel rigged up to cry teardrops. You may notice that a certain part of his anatomy is shinier than the rest. This is explained by the Belarusian tradition of newlyweds visiting war memorials on their wedding day and a modern folk belief that if the bride gropes this poor young lads privates shell be guaranteed children.