Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen, Almaty

Over the years of its existence, the park changed its name more than once, until in 1942 it was finally renamed in honour of the Panfilov soldiers of the 1075th regiment of the 316th rifle division, who held back the German onslaught on the approaches to Moscow in November 1941 with small forces.

History says that the regiment was formed shortly after the start of the war, mainly from the natives of Almaty and Bishkek. These were young inexperienced fighters who had not even completed military service and, by the will of fate, ended up at the end of 1941 on the front line in the Volokolamsk direction.

Incredible sacrifices and efforts cost them more than a month to resist the enemy five times superior in numbers and armament. The resistance of the 316th Rifle Division on November 16, 1941, when for 4 hours several dozen people held back the onslaught of a German tank column and destroyed 18 out of 50 tanks, entered the annals of Soviet history as the Feat of the 28 Panfilovites.

The dying words of the political instructor of the division V. Klochkov: “Russia is great, but there is nowhere to retreat. Behind Moscow" were included in history textbooks in all Soviet educational institutions. The Panfilov division held out, preventing the enemy from advancing towards the capital, but almost the entire division perished.

Visitors to the park can also see other memorials installed in the park: a bust of Ivan Panfilov, the commander of the legendary 316th Infantry Division, as well as a monument to soldiers who died in the war in Afghanistan and other monuments. But this park is famous not only for the monuments to war heroes. On the territory of the Park named after the 28 Panfilov Guards, there are several historical buildings of the early and middle of the 20th century, such as the Ascension Cathedral, built without a single nail, the Museum of Folk Musical Instruments, the House of Officers - each of these monuments is associated with a separate, at least interesting story.