Isle of Tears

My mom read yesterday’s post and wanted to know more about the Isle of Tears in Minsk.  I have only seen it from a distance as I’m waiting for a nice/warm day to actually walk there and take pictures.  From the stories that I’ve heard it is actually a sad place. 

There is supposed to be a statue there memorializing the soldiers that died during the USSR/Afghanistan 9 year war.  The statue is of grieving women, mothers, sisters, etc. there. 

This is also a place where brides visit on their wedding day.  Apparently there is a statue there that if groped by the bride (you know the area - and supposedly it’s shiny from so much groping) her marriage will be blessed with fertility. 

On Fridays and Saturdays we’ve seen several wedding parties walking along the river heading toward the island.  Weddings are a big “to do” here just as they are in the states.  Cars are decorated and the wedding party travels from place to place taking pictures because there are so many beautiful monuments here.

So that’s all I know about the Isle of Tears.  It is only a 5 minute walk from the Embassy and very close to Old Town Minsk.  Come on nice weather!