ИСУ-122

The ISU-122 is a Soviet self-propelled gun from World War II, preserved and displayed as an open-air memorial in Belgorod. Introduced by the Red Army in 1943, the vehicle was armed with a 122 mm gun and proved effective against heavy German armor during the Eastern Front campaigns. The Battle of Kursk — one of the largest tank engagements in history — was fought close to Belgorod, and the city itself was recaptured by Soviet forces in August 1943 during Operation Polkovodets Rumyantsev. The exhibit serves as a local reminder of that liberation and the broader human cost of the Eastern Front.