This memorial in the centre of Donetsk commemorates Colonel Franz A. Grinkevich, who commanded the 32nd Guards Tank Brigade, one of the units that liberated the city, which was then known as Stalino.
Grinkevich was killed on October 11, 1943, in the village of Kharkovo, in the Zaporizhia region to the southwest of Donetsk. Some of his men brought his body back to Stalino and built a tomb with his T-34/76 tank on top. In 1964, the pedestal was enlarged and the tank was later replaced by a T-34/85. Grinkevich’s original tank is now on display at the nearby Monument to the Liberators of the Donbass.
The inscription on the front of the pedestal reads “Вечная слава героям, павшим в боях за свободу и независимость нашей Родины. 1941—1945,” which means “Eternal glory to the heroes who fell in battle for the freedom and independence of our Motherland, 1941-1945.”
The monument stands on Artema Street (вул. Артема), Donetsk’s main central boulevard, close to the Opera and Drama Theatre and the Donbass Palace hotel.
Mamayev Kurgan 