In commemoration of the 20th anniversary of the Victory of the Soviet people in the Great Patriotic War, the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, by Decree of May 8, 1965 awarded the honorary title to the Brest Fortress “Hero-Fortress” with the presentation of the Order of Lenin and the Gold Star medal. The Council of Ministers of the BSSR, by Resolution № 295 of July 23, 1966, approved the creative group and instructed it to complete the project of the monument to the defenders of the fortress.
In 1969 The Museum of the Defense of the Brest Fortress was transferred from the Ministry of Defense of the USSR to the Ministry of Culture of the BSSR. In 1971 it was decided to unite the memorial complex «Brest Hero Fortress» and the Museum of Defense of the Brest Fortress into a single complex and henceforth call it «Memorial complex «Brest Hero Fortress». Since 2001 – State Institution «Memorial Complex «Brest Hero Fortress».
The museum is located in three buildings with a display area of 1040 m2 and 186.5 m2 - exhibition halls, which house 3 permanent and 4 temporary / mobile expositions. In total there are 85,412 museum objects, of which the main fund is 48,495, scientific and auxiliary - 36,917.
October 12-14, 2012 The first national forum «Museums of Belarus» with the support of the Ministry of Culture Republic of Belarus, Grodno Regional Executive Committee, sponsors project. At this event, the State InstitutionMemorial Complex «Brest Hero Fortress»was awarded a Diploma for winning the nomination «The best museum for organizing cultural and educational activities in patriotic education of youth».
From the cultural events held in the museum, It should be noted «Victory Day», which is held annually on May 9 (rally, laying ceremony, minute of silence, festive fireworks and concert in the evening). «Day memory and sorrow», held June 22 at 4.00 a.m., is accompanied by a requiem meeting, a theatrical performance, and the lowering of wreaths into the Bug River. Evening «In Memory of the Defenders of the Fortress» is carried out on request and on an individual basis script. Upon request for school and gymnasium students, Museum-pedagogical programs «Natural world of the Brest Fortress», «Brest fortress in literature and art», «My Motherland – Republic of Belarus», «Brest Fortress. Time travel». takes place in September-October dedication to students, students. The museum has 4 souvenir shops: 1st - in the museum, 2nd - in the South-Eastern barracks, 3rd - near the exhibition hall at Kholmskiye Gate, 4th at the entrance square.
The main theme of the research work of the Memorial complex is «Defense of the Brest Fortress in June-July 1941». In as a result of search and research work on the memorial slabs there were The names of the defenders of the fortress who died during the battles in June 1941 are immortalized. Interesting material has been collected on the topic «Border battles in the Brest area», «Warriors Brest garrison in 1941, their family members were participants in the partisan movements in the Brest region», «Nature of the Brest Fortress», etc. In recent years the scope of research has been significantly expanded on the following topics: «Defense of the fortress Polish garrison in September 1939», «History of construction and improvement of the Brest Fortress», a large amount of material on the topic has been collected «Fortification objects of the Brest Fortress», an inspection of the objects was carried out on the Volyn, Terespol, Kobrin fortifications of the fortress. Collected and processed material on the history of the Museum from the late 40s of the XX century. – to this day – kind of chronicle of events and facts.
