pohřebiště Rudé armády

The Red Army Cemetery stands in Ořechov, a small village in the Brno-venkov district, right next to the local church. It is the resting place of more than fourteen hundred Soviet soldiers and officers who died fighting for the liberation of southern Moravia in the spring of 1945.

Why did such a fierce battle take place in a small village like Ořechov?

Ořechov sits on elevated ground from which Brno could be shelled, so German forces concentrated heavily in the area even though the village itself held little strategic value on its own. Between 18 and 24 April 1945, the area around Ořechov became the scene of one of the largest battles fought in southern Moravia. The Red Army began shelling the village on the afternoon of 18 April, and control of the captured positions changed hands repeatedly over the following week. The Soviets held a threefold numerical advantage and were joined on the battlefield by the Romanian Royal Army. Cossack cavalry units also took part in the fighting — accounts of the battle describe one of the last cavalry charges by Cossack troops in Europe during the Second World War, launched here against advancing tanks.

The battle of Ořechov is remembered as the largest tank battle fought in southern Moravia: 34 Soviet and 35 German tanks and armored vehicles were destroyed in the fighting. It claimed the lives of 960 Red Army soldiers, 275 German soldiers, and 23 civilians from Ořechov, Tikovice, and Ořechovičky. The village itself was roughly 80 percent destroyed, with 176 houses reduced to rubble and most of the remaining buildings — including the local church — seriously damaged.

What does the cemetery look like today?

The cemetery was built after the war right beside the church, on the ground where the heaviest fighting had taken place. It holds the graves of 1,452 soldiers and officers who died during the final days of the war in the liberation of southern Moravia. The grounds are enclosed by a stone wall and contain a collection of grave markers in varied shapes and forms. A monumental pylon forms the centerpiece, flanked on either side by metal flagpoles, while a large wooden Orthodox cross stands in the northeastern corner of the cemetery — a detail that sets this burial ground apart from most Second World War cemeteries in the region.

The monument was unveiled in 1977, with its sculptural elements created by Czech sculptor Sylva Lacinová. The site remains an active place of remembrance and is registered as a protected military memorial site.

Frequently asked questions

How many soldiers are buried at the Red Army cemetery in Ořechov?

The cemetery holds the graves of 1,452 Red Army soldiers and officers who died during the liberation of southern Moravia in April 1945.

Where exactly is the cemetery located?

The cemetery lies in Ořechov, in the Brno-venkov district, directly beside the local church, on the ground where the fiercest fighting of the battle of Ořechov took place.

What is the historical background of the battle commemorated here?

The battle of Ořechov (18–24 April 1945) was one of the largest battles fought in southern Moravia and the largest tank battle in the region. The Soviets, supported by the Romanian Royal Army, held a threefold numerical advantage over German forces, and the fighting even included Cossack cavalry charges. The battle claimed 960 Red Army soldiers, 275 German soldiers, and 23 civilians, and left the village of Ořechov about 80 percent destroyed.

When was the monument built, and who designed it?

The monumental memorial was unveiled in 1977. Its sculptural part was designed by sculptor Sylva Lacinová, and its centerpiece is a pylon flanked by metal flagpoles.