Initiated in concept by the Russian Military History Society, designed by prolific public sculptor Salavat Shcherbakov and crowdfunded entirely by public donations, this deceptively new monument in honour of the fallen Russian servicemen from WWI (generally accepted to number at least 1.8 million) was unveiled on May 30th 2014 to mark the centenary of the outbreak of war.

The three heroic bronze figures on top represent the three social classes which comprised the Russian military units, and indeed Russian society as a whole, at that time: nobility (centre), laymen (left) and peasants (right). This grouping, together with a relief sculpture of a field nurse treating a dying soldier below, is intended to demonstrate the strength, courage, compassion and absolute unity of the Russian people throughout what they still refer to as the First Great Patriotic War.